KOMENASHIANS: MAKING A DIFFERENCE: CAROLINA'S LANGUAGE LEARNING EXPERIENCES

LANGUAGE BIOGRAPHY

MY LANGUAGE LEARNING AIMS

I have always wanted to be a secondary English teacher so that might explain my aim in learning English which is to be proficient in the different skills that involve this language. As a teacher of a foreign language, I think it is important to have a good command of that language in order to help my students to successfully acquire and learn it.

Furthermore, I have also another personal aim which is to be able to communicate with people around the world and to use it for travelling in order to learn about others’ cultures.

Regarding language skills, I would like to point out that for me all of them are important as a good command of them is needed to be proficient in a language. However, depending on the interest of the learner, there might be more important skills than others. In my case, as an English teacher, I think that the different language skills are relevant while for my personal fulfillment, speaking will be the most important one.

MY LANGUAGE LEARNING HISTORY

I could say that I have been in contact with English language since I was born. As a little baby my mum always puts me the cartoons in that language as she is an English teacher and wanted me to learn it. However, it was not until I was 3 years old when I started to learn it in a formal environment. Even though it was not compulsory to study English until primary school, my mum taught my schoolmates and I English as she was also a teacher in that primary school. Furthermore, I also attended out-of-school English lessons as I did not want my mum to teach it to me at home. Then, when I was six year-olds, I started to learn it in primary school. From that moment until now, I have continued learning English language in formal and non-formal environments. Furthermore, I have studied English Studies at the Universitat de València and I am also doing a Master to become an English secondary teacher.

Regarding other languages, I studied Valencian and Spanish from primary school to secondary school. Furthermore, I learnt French during primary school and German during my degree.

Finally, I would like to point out that I have different certificates in these languages.

MY MOST SIGNIFICANT LINGUISTIC AND INTERCULTURAL EXPERIENCES

Since I was a child, I have had the opportunity of taking part in many linguistic and intercultural experiences. When I was on primary school, I went on English summer camps both alone or with some friends. These experiences gave me the opportunity for the first time to be in contact with the English language and culture in real contexts. But it was not until I was on secondary school when I spent a month in a foreign country such as England or Ireland. At that places, I lived with a native family and I went to a language school.

Furthermore, in 2011 I took part on an exchange with a secondary school in Pennsylvania (United States). This gave me the opportunity to live with an American family for three weeks and it was at that point when my interest in this language increased. But it was in 2015 when I lived the best experience in my life as I did my Erasmus in London. This gave me the opportunity to totally be immersed in the English language and culture.

MY CURRENT LANGUAGE PRIORITIES

The document about my English self-assessment checklist (C2 level) shows which are my learning priorities. On the one hand, I would like to improve and increase my vocabulary, both formal and non-formal in order to be able to use them in different situations and contexts. On the other hand, I would like to improve my English pronunciation.