I started learning English lesson in primary three back in my country. I can still remember the lovely cartoon characters printed on my text book, and tutors were trying to teach us by playing interesting games. The study of English seemed enjoyable when I was young. Even as I grew older and had formal English lesson in secondary school, I did not see English as a difficult subject, for only simple grammar and vocabulary were taught during each lesson.
After I had finished three years of study in secondary school and decided to continue my studies in Singapore, I realized that my rocky journey of English study had just started.The standard of English language in Singapore was much higher as compared to that in my country's school, standard speaking and writing skills were required during any examinations, yet I was unable to write a single paragraph in English when I had just entered the school.As I read books and passages,I struggled with grammar and vocabulary. Comprehension practice had always been a nightmare for me, for I had to check every single word by dictionary and it really exhausted me. Moreover, international students came from countries such as Indonesia and Philippines, which increased competition as they are more comfortable with speaking English. Anyway, the learning of English always makes me feel extremely stressed.
Learning English really became a tough job for me; however, there is no way to escape from it. Though I declared Chinese as my major studies, English writing skills are still necessary for other subjects taught in English. Furthermore,as I am living in Singapore,by improving English I will have the confidence to make more international friends. I have to work harder in my journey of learning English.
(295 words)
Thanks for this richly detailed reflection, Wei Chuen. It is honest, concise and very concrete in description. We've already talked about the language use. I look forward to seeing the edited version.
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