MY LOVE FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE
English is a language that has borrowed and stolen some of the best elements of other languages to make something all its own. Who couldnât love the language that gave us hilarious-sounding words like âwabbitâ and ânagwareâ? Well maybe this was a little cheesy, but thatâs what I like.
One of the biggest challenges that an English language teacher faces is the disinterest of some students in learning English. Though this is seemingly a non-urban problem, its prevalence can nevertheless not be denied. The ever so enthusiastic teacher is thus left high and dry, with all her zeal to impart learning rendered futile.
The only foreseeable solution to this problem is that the learners begin to like English as a language. This is most likely to happen when they see it not as another challenge to meet at school, but as a useful skill that they will be able to use to enhance their immediate needs and their future life.
Learners, when able to realise that the use of English in everyday use impacts their social standing will be motivated to learn the language. It was the same case with me as I dreaded learning English until my English teacher helped me overcome my fear by conducting many declamations, debates, making us read books in the class.
It is thus important that the learner has to be exposed to scenario based communicative skill programmes, where they get ample exposure and opportunity to use the language in a controlled environment.
To my first-grade English teacher: Thank you. At the time, I despised all the activities you made my class do. I despised the months we spent going over commas. I despised the books we were forced to read. Little did I know how many of these things would be used in the future. I am now an expert in the usage of the comma. Those months spent doing comma practices at the start of the class finally paid off. We read Animal Farm in that class. The fact that a story about farm animals could stand for real life effects blew my mind.
I soon understood that I loved English. I thought it was a bridge to reach my dreams, so I could learn and find the best jobs, gain a lot of friendships, learn about people's culture and spread my culture to the whole world. It could get me where I have to be - at the top. With English, everything becomes easy.
Here are some facts that I learned about English over the years:
The English language is always growing.
Shakespeare had a hand in its development.
English has some pretty long words.
There are multiple dialects.