Our Lives, Our Dreams: OYY English Magazine 2013-2014 2013-2014 | Page 13

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.