WELCOME TO MY BLOG. GROW UP LEARNING ENGLISH
Hello everyone!!!
Welcome to Monica’s Blog.
Starting today, I will begin to regularly share my experiences and impressions for all those who want to read me. If you have read the “Get to know me” section of my website, you will know that I have a long history as an English teacher in all areas of teaching this language. Therefore, here on my blog I will vary the content of my articles. This way, if you are students, teachers, professionals, parents, you can always find something interesting.
The teaching of English and its learning is currently a “trending” topic for everyone. The international context in which we live where the English language is a vehicle of communication has meant that, from the moment we are practically born, we are all obliged to learn English. This learning requires a cost of time, money, and effort that we all must make and that lasts throughout our lives. It is not short-term learning, but quite the opposite.
Below I explain why. I’m sure you’ll all agree with me!!!!
A mother is pregnant and plays music in English to the baby because according to some studies he could be listening and would perceive the sounds. That baby becomes a three-year-old child and begins to see drawings in English on his tablet, encouraged by his parents. The infant school stage begins and its games and songs will be in English.
He moves on to primary school and is part of the “bilingualism” project (or that’s what he calls himself) where he studies subjects in English such as “Sciences”. If the child does not go to a private school where there is a large English component, his parents enroll him in an academy so that he can develop and practice his oral skills in English (in a class with a small number of students). Thus, at the age of seven, he begins to certify his level of English in his private school or in his academy through the Cambridge exams. You will start with the Young Learners (Starters, Movers, Flyers) and will certify your level of English in later stages (Ket and Pet in Secondary) and (First and Advanced in Baccalaureate).
*I mention Cambridge because although there are many other exams to certify your level of English, Cambridge certifications are recognized and enjoy great prestige internationally.
We thus reach the university stage and it is then where a command of academic English is necessary that allows you to take subjects, write essays, assignments and projects in English, consult bibliography and reference sources, learn the technical language that corresponds to your field of study. You can even carry out part of your bachelor’s or master’s studies at a foreign university.
Finally, you enter the world of work and your English needs to stay alive. Now is when you will include your certifications on your CV, then you will have to prepare your job interview in English. But your English learning doesn’t end here!! Finally, in your workplace, your company will require you to attend the “professional English training” that it provides to all those workers who, due to their position, functions, or department, need to carry out their work activity in English. We speak here of Professional English to include all types of professionals (not only the staff of a company/factory) but all those professionals who for their work need professional English related to their work activity (a lawyer, a civil servant, a teacher, a doctor, the “staff” of a hotel).
It is this professional English training that will allow you to acquire the skills necessary to carry out your work in English with the professionalism that you do in your native language (participate in a meeting, answer a phone call, communicate through Teams, writing an email, giving a presentation, negotiating the conditions of a contract, socializing at a work lunch, understanding technical documentation in English).
In short, learning English is not short-term learning. It takes up a good part of your life. Therefore, in each phase of this long learning you need to surround yourself with native or bilingual teachers, with experience and professionalism, who motivate you enough so that your investment of money, time and effort allows you to achieve the goals you have set for yourself.
