Learning the Hard Way

TY pupils have under a month left to complete their Work Portfolios, and are currently producing various kinds of prose compositions. Here, Lluisa Hebrero Casasayas, who arrived here from Spain at the beginning of the year, writes a powerfully direct and honest piece in English about coming to terms with such a new, different environment, and learning English at the same time.

I don’t know how, but one day I said to myself: if I don’t talk more to people and make things easier, no-one is going to do it for me, and I still have to be here for nine months, so wake up!’ I can’t explain how much did I change, and what a positive mentality I got. I took my cousin’s old translator and I carried it everywhere I went. I was interested in learning English. I was trying to be as nice as I could, smiling when I had to tell people: ‘I’m really sorry. I don’t understand you, could you please repeat it again?’ Being myself.

And here I am. Basically, I’m writing an English essay. I couldn’t have done this a few months ago! People say to me that my English has improved so much, and I’m so happy for that. It’s already April; I’ve been here for seven and a half months, and I actually can understand everything.

Read Lluisa's full piece here.