Name: Yukiko Okada                                                                                                                             

Year: 1996

 

     I began to learn English when I became a junior high school student. I did not know about English at all. But I was interested in English. So I enjoyed studying it. My first English teacher was strict. When we forgot to do our homework, he lost his temper. So I studied very hard. Though he was strict, he taught us English very well. I gradually got to like English. And I could get a high score in the English test.

     When I was a high school student,  I belonged to E. S. S. club. Because I wanted to speak English better. At first, I was taught English pronunciation by my seniors. I thought it was difficult for me to speak English fluently. But I practiced hard. Next I learned how to communicate with other people in English. We had a conversation with new partners every time. That was fun.

     When I was a second grader, I entered an English speech contest. Before the contest, I decided its topic, and I made my speech by myself. Of course, a staff adviser to the E. S. S. club helped me. On the day of the contest I could do my best. However almost all the students were good English speakers because they had been abroad or had lived in foreign countries. So they had various experiences to tell about in their speeches. After all I could not get any prize in the contest. Nevertheless I was satisfied with my result. At the same time, I desired to speak English much better, and to go abroad.

     Then I entered university in April last year. Before I had some classes, I was very nervous. I expected that every student would speak English well. But fortunately, my anxieties disappeared soon. Though I could not speak English smoothly, and I could not understand all English words, I enjoyed the classes. I really think my English has improved since coming to the university. Before, if I could not express myself in English, I used Japanese. But recently I can find other English words.

     For the next three years I will have a lot of conversations with many English speaking people in this university. And also I want to visit a lot of countries in order to speak English and to learn their cultures. I hope that I can try everything connected to English.

     Then I want to be an English teacher after I graduate from this university. I have decided to be an English teacher since I was a high school student. If I can be an English teacher, I want to tell many students my experiences about my going abroad. I will make interesting classes to please my students.

     Now I will give some advice to new students. I think you will be so nervous at first like me. But your anxieties will disappear soon. If you make some mistakes, your teacher will not lose his temper. He loves mistakes. When you cannot express yourself in English,  please find other English words and ways to communicate. Avoid Japanese. Have a lot of conversations in English with your friends or foreigners. Even if you are not good English speaker yet, your English will improve little by little. Do not hesitate to speak English.

     Finally I am going to go to America in this spring. I take part in A Spring English Study Tour. I will stay there for forty-five days. In America I want to make friends with a lot of people, and to learn its culture. Though I will stay there only forty-five days,  I hope that my English will improve. So I will do my best to have many conversations with foreigners. I want to experience various things there. After the trip, I will tell my classmates about these experiences.