Essay 1-03b: Language Learning History

I was born in Japan and I brought up in Japan, so my mother tongue is Japanese. But I have learned not only Japanese but also other languages. And I am in the Department of Foreign language. I’m learning English every day. I will tell about what languages I have learned, why I want to learn and how I learned that languages. 

When I was a child attending kindergarten, I touched English. It was a first time I touched foreign language. The reason why I try to study English is my older sister was learning English, and then I would like to have come to learn it. I learned alphabet and conversation. I enjoyed learning English with singing English songs. I learned English at kindergarten until I finish kindergarten.

I was change the place to learn English when I entered elementary school. But I learn it from a same teacher. The teacher opened English school. It named L&C English house. I want to there until I graduate high school. I learned conversation and study for Eiken. So, my speaking skill, listening skill, reading skill and writing skill have made progress. In my elementary school, it started to English class when I was in 5th grade. It was too easy for me. I learned alphabet and conversation again.

Two years later, I entered junior high school. I learned English grammar for the first time. I have never learned before, so it was difficult to understand. And I have many chances to speak foreigner. My private English conversation teachers were Americans or Australians and so on. And my school ALT came from Malaysia. I used to speak with her. She taught me English and I taught her Kagoshima dialect. Also I began to learn Japanese classical literature. I like it. 

I was 14 years old, I went to New Zealand. It was home stay program and it was first time to go abroad. I’m good at listening, but I’m not good speaking. So, I made myself understood by gesture. I learned history of NZ in English and I learned Korean from my Korean friends. They were good at Japanese, so they taught me the means which words I couldn’t understand. I learned not only English but also Korean in NZ.

In high school, I studied Japanese, the classic and English. I was putting a great deal of effort into classical Japanese because I liked my Japanese teacher and I was interested in classical Japanese. But I didn’t take Japanese course at university. I thought English will be important in the future. And I thought that low to get job if I take Japanese course. Then I went to KGU to improve my English ability. I’m learning English: writing, reading, listening and speaking. And I took German class last year. It was interesting to learn unknowing language. I learned German grammar and conversation. So, I’m able to speak German a little.

In conclusion, I learned Japanese, classical Japanese, English, Korean and German by now. It is fun for me to learn foreign languages. Still, I can’t speak English fluently and can’t make myself understood in English. So, I want to be able to speak it fluently and express myself in English. In order to achieve this aim, I have to improve my English ability, so I’m going to study more hard. And I want to learn other language, Chinese and Korean. I think a lot of these speakers visit to Japan, so it will come more chance to speak Chinese or Korean. And also I want to be able to speak standard Japanese.

[600 words]