Ladies' class studying English textbooks, eastern Chad. |
I studied it at school but I support the statement that studying doesn't mean learning. I succeeded in grammar although my spoken English wasn't good and my vocabulary was rather poor. So I realised that I had to improve my skills in order to speak more fluently and naturally. What really helped me to keep language skills and remember some useful phrases is love of listening to English music. When I was a teenager I listened to it everyday. Listening beneficially influenced my pronunciation. From time to time I tried to read graded readers but it hadn't become a daily habit of mine. So it got me nowhere at all. I think that interesting English music and cinema is a good reason for learning language at the beginning.
Now I am studying English at the university and it's an obligatory subject but I've found out that learning is not only a daily routine but also an interesting pastime. I enjoy speaking and writing and when I see my progress or failures it makes me wish to master the language. The main thing for me is not to be afraid of making mistakes and not to attempt to translate word for word. I think that to express myself in good English is a priority for me today.