Integrating English into my Daily Life: An Enjoyable Process

Most people in Taiwan learn English when they are young, and they need to spend a lot of effort memorizing vocabulary, grammar, and preparing for tests in school. Therefore, when it comes to English, students only think of it as a subject to learn, not as an asset for communication. The stress of it all can cause some students to become overwhelmed, with some even growing to hate the language. When I grew up, I found that if I wanted to improve my English, I needed to change my learning strategy. In my opinion, having a specific motivation, such as thinking on my feet in class, improving pronunciation, and creating our own English learning environment are all extremely important if we want to stay healthy and thrive.

In fact, I have been learning English for over ten years, but I still cannot speak fluent English and do not have the courage to talk with foreigners. The key reason may be that our education focuses on reading and writing, so I did not have the opportunity to exercise my courage by practicing my oral English. Therefore, I was so glad to meet Yael on Amazing Talker. She provided a comfortable atmosphere and interesting material in class for me, so I always look forward to taking her class. In Yael’s English lessons, she helped me find my motivation and goals for learning English. I hoped to become a fluent speaker. Based on this aspiration, we worked hard on it together. It was exciting because I felt like I had a partner with me to help me achieve my goal. After completing 20 classes, I can feel my progress.

Immersing yourself into an English environment is indispensable for non-native speakers because it is a natural way to learn. No matter what your native language is, you learn how to speak it by being immersed in it as a child at home and at school, showcasing how your learning environment is crucial to language acquisition. Therefore, deeply integrating English into your life is the fastest way to learn a new language. Watching English TV shows is a good choice because not only can you learn foreign culture, but you can also become familiar with sentence structure, pronunciation, and real daily conversation. This strategy has trained me to not have to translate everything word-by-word in my mind, and it improved my listening skills. In addition, setting English as the preferred language on my phone and laptop has been invaluable to me, so now I can recognize almost every English word on my devices.

There is no shortcut to learning English. Living in an English environment, continuing to practice English with an excellent teacher, shifting focus away from tests, and adjusting your learning plan to accommodate your specific needs are all practical tactics I have used to improve my English. Although there is still room for improvement, I have become more confident expressing my thoughts in class and can describe my problems to the IT department at work. Therefore, I have to say that English has welcomed me into a whole new world. I love the English language and the process of learning it.