Growing Up with Foreign Teachers
谷艳红-Class 148
I will never forget the time when I learned English with a lot of enthusiasm, and when I
got along well with the foreign teachers in my school. Having foreigners on campus is a
precious opportunity in my school and in my small town, so I am always applying myself to
studying English not only in spoken English class but also in English Corner. I would like to
share the impressions in my memory with many people.
When I first communicated
with the foreign teachers, I was so
nervous and upset that I could not
clearly express what I wanted to
say and I constantly made
mistakes. I even thought that if I
were them, I would be impatient
and dissatisfied with such a girl
like me. On the contrary, they
always looked at me directly in the
eye, smiling and listening carefully.
They would try to make out what I had said. Gradually, I became self-confidant, conveying
what I wanted to say fluently regardless of the grammar errors. As time goes by, I still have
their kindness in my mind, reminding me that kindness and love make the world better and
more beautiful.
During English Corner, we talked about everything, including sports, show business,
cultures and so on. Our communication linked us up with the fascinating outside world and
broadened our horizons, which is of great benefit for teenagers. Together with them, I
became a big movie fan, especially Hollywood movies!
Signe was one of the three foreign teachers in our school during last semester. She
was so nice that we became friends quickly. I told her that I wanted to go abroad for further
education if possible, and I got encouragement from her in return. In addition, she
presented me with a book and did me a lot of favors. When I realized my accent while
speaking English did not sound as good as an American’s, I began to turn to Shane, another
foreign teacher, for help. Every time I had pronunciation problems, he would repeatedly
pronounce the words until I learned how to speak with an American accent. I feel very
grateful to them.
Another thing that left a great impression on me was when I contributed to our school’s
English magazine. They gave me instructions on how to polish my composition, and they
said my well-prepared piece of work showed a good command of expression and writing.
When my pieces of work came out in the magazine, I felt a sense of achievement.