Learning English can help you in many different ways. Yes, that’s true! I enrolled in a 50-hour English course at the American Institute for English Proficiency to increase my confidence when it comes to public speaking. Before I enrolled, I learned that The American Institute is a popular English language learning school with branches in Makati and Quezon City. I saw on their Facebook page that many of their former students have given them a rating of 5 stars, and the reviews they have given the school meant they learned a lot and gained a lot of knowledge and personality development.
I remember my first day of my school. I was so thrilled to go to school because I missed being a student again, and I love learning. It feels so great not only because we learned new things every day, but also we got to meet new friends. I chose to have English class every day. We did many activities, including one of my favorites, where we read English dialogue to help us learn new phrases and analyze grammar.
There’s a saying by Dr. Seuss: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” For me, that means that learning is succeeding, and that’s why i chose to continue studying at The American Institute because English is one of the most important things we need to become successful. Here are some things I learned in the American Institute and how it helped me…
I’ve experienced how important it is to speak English because I had foreigner classmates; learning English is going to help me connect with people from all cultures. Some of my foreigner classmates are Spanish, Arab, Chinese, Mongolian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Japanese. We had this house rule that we should speak English only and no speaking of other languages to toughen the conversation skill or else we have to pay 10 to 20 pesos as a penalty. This was more than okay for me because it really helped me a lot to practice my speaking skill, and we really felt good about ourselves because we realized that we have what it takes to learn a new language.
Eventually, I realized that learning the language not only includes studying vocabulary and grammar, but also includes communicating with others and practicing continually. In addition to memorizing terminologies and important things, we did a lot of activities and assignments.
But like in mastering anything, learning English and becoming more confident involve learning, practicing, making mistakes, and picking yourself up again. It takes time, but most of all, it takes will power. Day by day, I realized that I already gained confidence especially when it comes to public speaking because I was no longer as shy as I used to be. Before attending courses at The American Institute, I always got nervous whenever many people were looking and paying too much attention to me. On my first day at The American Institute, I was really afraid and shy, but because of my friendly teachers and classmates, I already learned how to overcome that weakness!
I feel that there is a satisfaction that comes with learning a language. For the first time, I understand a movies in full, am reading books written by American, British, and other English speaking authors without needing the translated copy, and it feels so rewarding. And I also notice that I can now listen to music in its original and untranslated form, which gives me a more authentic listening experience. Now, songs tend to be better because I can truly understand them.
During the English course I took this year, I have accomplished a variety of goals I once thought were unattainable. I have not only grown as
a student, but as a person as well. I feel that through my experience in these English courses, I have gained the knowledge and confidence it takes to step out into the real world.
I went through that hard time in life trying to learn English before I enrolled at The American Institute, but I know it was meant to be. My colleagues and even my boss became more proud of me because they noticed that I’m getting better in speaking in English, especially when they tell me that I am more confident instead of hesitating and stammering.
The better your English is, the quicker and easier you can learn from all the great sources of English. If you are a shy person just like I was, I highly recommend you to study in American Institute. I gained a lot of knowledge that I will forever cherish and use to reach my goals.
Chris Delacruz is one of the people I truly admire. In the 3 months I’ve had Chris as my boss, there is no doubt that I have learned so much more than what I did in some of the companies I previously worked with. Chris teaches not only English, but also lessons that are useful not just in one’s career development, but in all other aspects of life. Here are the 3 best lessons I’ve learned so far (I say so far because I am sure that I will be gaining more lessons):
First is the importance of having confidence. A lot of people know what confidence means but not everyone knows what true confidence is and the advantages it brings to a person who has it. Confidence is not only about being able to walk on stage with a straight back or being able to speak with a loud voice when faced with a crowd. Being confident means having the courage to take risks and learning from whatever the outcome is. Confidence empowers people and helps them achieve goals no matter how difficult it may seem.
Confidence needs courage and substance, and in order to have substance, one must also learn how to think critically. When I was in college, I had a “Critical Thinking” subject. I took it for granted because its value was never explained to me.
It was only when I started working AIEP and training under Chris that I realized what the importance of critical thinking is! Because of that, I’ve been trying to understand situations better and evaluating whatever information I obtain before acting on them or accepting them. Indeed, this has transformed my way of thinking.
Last but not the least is the value of grit. This, for me, outweighs everything. Grit is not a word commonly passed around or used in conversations.
In fact, I was only reminded that this word existed when Chris mentioned it in one of our training sessions and because of that, I’m sure that I would never forget that word again.
Grit is being able to persevere no matter how difficult a situation gets just so you could reach your goal. Grit is not giving up and never losing the drive to keep going. When a person stops because of failure, that’s where the learning stops as well. But if you have grit and you choose to stand up no matter how many times you’ve fallen and learn from your mistakes, the lessons and experiences you gain become infinite, and your growth becomes limitless.
These three lessons are ones I know I would take with me for life and even pass on to my students and future children. Chris is effective, inspiring, and admirable. There is no doubt that anyone who listens to him would gain lessons that will be remembered through time.
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