Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Please speak English. Thank you.


Hello everyone. How are you these days? I hope all of you are fine!

From last week new semester started so I’m little tired. I know I have to accustomed university time schedule quickly but it’s difficult for us because university students have long summer vacations about two months. It‘s impossible for me to forget a lot of experiences in this vacation.

I said here before in this summer vacation, I went to Philippine to study English and stayed here three weeks by myself. It was for the first time to do abroad alone, it made me little nerves.

But at the same time I thought it was good chance to speak English much in English school. The school’s name is English Fella and few Japanese students go to there. In addition Fella looked so beautiful and has a nice pool as a facility from brochure so I decided to join this study program.

After the class started I was really shocked because most students were Korean! I didn’t expect that situation! On second thought I said in my mind ‘’ It’s okay no problem, I just try to make friends with them.’’ so tried to speak and talk to them.

Gradually I became realized it’s really difficult to communicate with them. Most of them exhausted to study English because they took a Spartan class it are different from mine. Day by day their face turned so tired it told me not to speak English to them. On school wall, there was a small sign; ‘’Please speak English. Thank you. ‘’ It seemed to me it was a big irony, I couldn’t laugh at all. They spoke Korean in break times and after classes in actually.

This situation was suffered me most every day, I always asked myself’’ What should I do?’’ I just wanted to get along with them but I didn’t want to make them feel bad to speak English so I only told them greeting; for instance Hi or Hello or something like that.

That’s why I often argued about them to my teachers, I really need someone to express my feeling in English. They were always kind to me and encouraged a lot. Of course their classes were great; I really liked my classes :) Most classes were private lessons so I continued to speak English so much, it made my throat tired and sometimes my voice was hoarse. I was satisfied because of my purpose was study English!

I became understand Korean’s students situation, they need high English skill to get a job in their countries so they came to Cebu. I misunderstood they wanted to study and speak English because they like it. It was mandatory study for their future. It seems for me how pity they are!

One of my teachers told me to find students who want to talk with me in English. Luckily I could find that kind of people and became friends and exchanged E-mail address :) I have to say thank you to my teacher and friends!

I only stayed in Fella for three weeks but I could meet a variety of people want to talk in English and refuse it and so on. Almost of them were kind so I was regretted a little why I couldn’t communicate well them but I strain every nerve to speak English all the times, I’m proud of myself at some extent:) I hope this experience makes me stronger and more attractive and improve my English skill!

2 comments:

Nina Liakos said...

Dear Sanae,
I want to apologize because you have been keeping up your blog beautifully, and I stopped checking my Google Reader account many months ago (because I was busy) and so I didn't read any of it! Now I am going to go back and see what's happened in your life. I am so proud of you for continuing to blog in English more than one year after your trip to Maryland!

I also think it's great that you traveled to the Philippines to study English this summer. It's too bad that all those Korean students were too stressed to make friends with you--that is their loss. As a former participant of AGU in America, you know how difficult it can be to practice English when everyone else (or almost everyone else) in your group is a native speaker of your native language. At MEI, we used to have a lot of Koreans--sometimes out of 18 students, 8 would be Korean. They had the same problem. It's hard to break out of the group and befriend someone with whom you must speak English.

I am glad that you were able, in 3 short weeks, to get beyond that lovely situation and make some otehr friends.

Good luck with your new semester! Do stay in touch and keep blogging! I promise to follow your blog better from now on.

Nina

Sanae said...

Hi Nina,

I'm so impreesed to read your comment. Thank you so much! I conitune to blog because you recommended me to keep it.

I also have to say sorry to you because i couldn't join chat every month. I want to but I have some plan on Saturday.

Similar situation in Fella also happens at MEI, it was little surprising for me. I try to be careful to communicate with people who can't understand Japanese even though there are a lot of Japanese here.

I hope your life become more enjoylable,also now you enjoy everyday I think:) and we can keep in touch each other.

Thank you so much!

Sanae