MAN's search for english - part 2

Resurrection of my English

Firstly – Why I am writing about myself and my English learning experiences? Right question. It is because I would like to share with you what was working for me and what was not. It could help you. I am aware that everybody is unique, individual being, but something we have in common. Maybe you will be able to find this “common” to make your language learning process easier and quicker than was the mine.

I studied in university and chose different languages than English to learn. When I think of it now, I had to be very fed up with English! In that university I chose Spanish because they told that it is very easy language (in reality it was not so easy but our teacher was quite benevolent – it was a pleasant elderly woman). But my English was still “sleeping” in me. I was burnt out somehow. I needed time. And it was given to me.  After a while I was able (and slightly to forced) to use English at least for reading of a technical literature – I studied computer science, programing  and knowledge engineering and most of that materials were in English. The programing languages are based on English of course. Otherwise I did not have any motivation or craving to study English or use it at all. Maybe the reason also was that I had a lot of different things to learn and my capacity was used sufficiently at that time.

So, although not very clever I graduated with quite good grades and actually I was invited to stay at that school. But at fist I had to go to military service (it was obligatory) and there (more or less for fun and because of necessity to fill the free time) I started to learn Esperanto. Now I do not remember anything from it, to say the truth. But my zest for language learning was slowly returning back. And this even slightly accelerated after being back in university. I started to read more and it was mostly in English. At that time I was not able to speak and understand nearly at all. But the will was there inside of me to learn again and after leaving the university and starting my professional carrier I wanted to move forward with my English. I restarted. Fist I used traditional approach again – some books, grammar, learning new vocabulary … but not at language school. I did it jut on my own, and by my own pace. There was some slight progress but not too very significant. There were such periods of activity and then after some disappointment time of “rest” again. And it repeated itself several times. Then I met a man, Czech, who lived in Canada for some time (he was willing to speak with me in English, but actually I was not at that time – I had no will and ability to do it). He did business with me and suggested me to watch satellite TV in English. I followed his suggestion for a while, but I was not able to understand well and after some frustration I finished this activity too (now I know why it was so – I will tell you later).

And finally! The year 2005 was the break point! I found in library an interesting book written by V.F.Birkenbihl and I started to apply her approach. Few weeks later I even managed to find a course based on her method. It was English course for Czech people. Coincidence? I started to do it – to learn this untraditional way. Yes, I followed the rules exactly as they told and after some time (about 3 months I think) I was very excited. I was getting started to understand! I understood English without inner translation – I understood it directly. Not all, of course, but I saw that it is possible, that it is working. My paradigm of learning English shifted from reading to predominantly listening.

It was the beginning of the “New Age” of my English. It was just a beginning!

To be continued ...