Language Learning History – Reflective Report

This report is about how I started learning English and my statement about learning English in class. Moreover I will try to give some advices how students can work more effectively.

I began learning English when I was aged eight. Three courses with different levels were formed and I attended the uppermost education in the so called “A-Course”. In my last two years at Secondary School I have chosen English as an intensive course which means that I wrote my final tests – among others – in English.

English always manifested itself as my absolute favourite subject in school.

Once, during my holidays I travelled to London, which besides is the most beautiful city in the world for me. There I recognized how much I like to speak the language. I especially “fell in love” with the British accent, because of its clear pronunciation.

Thenceforth, in order to improve my skills, I decided to watch more English speaking movies and to buy only books in English. Therefore, I would recommend others to watch English movies. They turn out to be very different from translated ones and in fact they have a different meaning sometimes.

Additionally, I became aware of some explicit difficulties fairly quick after I started studying the English programme “International Business and Management” in Groningen.

In comparison to some of my fellow students, who have been abroad for a certain time, I recognized that I have a limited vocabulary.

Movies and lectures – where I just have to listen – are not the problem at all. Nevertheless, when I have to speak without preparing for it some problems occur. I only occupy my school English vocabulary. However the longer I am studying here in Groningen, where I really have to communicate with my fellow international students in English, I recognize that my own lexicon improves from day to day.

Only through speaking I improve my vocabulary and also the listening ameliorates every day.

But those are obvious things I still have to work on over and over again.

Furthermore, I was surprised about the way of learning during classes and for homework because they were new to me and although the Nestor weeks and home works take a lot of time but they are very useful and help me to improve my language skills.

Other quite helpful things are the negotiations in groups, not only because of the need to speak in English, but also because of the way one has to react immediately on an argument of others. I think that they are very helpful to get a little insight in what I will do later on in my job.

Although I think that the first months in a new country are very hard and that there will be a lot more obstacles, I will continue studying in Groningen because it keeps getting better every day and finally I will earn a lot of experience.

This experience will help me to get a job which hopefully will make me happy, probably in a global operating company, and the opportunity to work together with a lot of people from many different countries with many different cultures.

I also could imagine working abroad for a certain period of time. Even though I would miss my family, I will definitely be happier in a job which offers international tasks.

Therefore, I am aiming in improving my English skills in the area of Academic English, which is absolutely essential in the field of International Business and Management.  

Finally, I have some advice for people who are thinking about studying in English even if it is not their native language.

I think the most important feature is to be open minded. They should accept the traditions and ways of behaviour in that country. Furthermore it would be an advantage always to be up to date with their vocabulary and grammar even if it is a lot of work and not always interesting. A new country is easier to discover if someone is interested in adapting to the countries characteristics.