I hope to take it absolutely to the top!

a) In what ways has your English improved over the last year(s)?

My English has definitely sprung up over the past several months. I see myself entering areas of English fluency I’ve never been before to. These include great easiness with expressing my thoughts, the ability to say anything that is on my mind and I’d never felt so easy with speaking English before. My listening skill has definitely improved too. I see a nice boost in my vocabulary as well.

After living with a very bothering ‘Plateau effect’ for a few years, I managed to overcome it at last after some time that I spent in Coffee Cup English. Just the one who has overcome the mundane and almost forever-lasting Plateau effect knows how enormous a relief it is to finally feel that you have really started moving on with your language-learning journey. Sometimes I’m really proud of my English, especially when I write and I’m able to play with words. It gives me so much joy! And to my greatest surprise – I use vocabulary or structures I have never learnt before. Certain words just come to my mind (almost out of the blue) and work together perfectly. Quite often I even have no idea how it happened that I know the word, it seems to me I use it for the first time in my life. It’s a really astonishing phenomenon!

PS. I’ve even started feeling articles a bit more… What a phenomenon this is! ;D

b) What aspect of your English level now are you most proud of or do you consider your strongest?

I’m most proud of my writing and speaking skills. Though they still aren’t perfect and surely it’ll take many years to achieve the level that will satisfy me. I wish I could condense the period!I also like the fact that I’m quite good at grammar.

And I’m just super grateful for the fact I can speak English at all. For the fact that each day the language becomes more and more mine.

c) In which areas do you still need to improve?

Oh! In so many to my mind yet... And beside the fact I know I’m quite good at English… the idea of how much I still need to improve and learn to master my English simply keeps me awake at night. Especially for the fact that I am entering my English teacher career more and more seriously and I feel the pressure to be flawless. Surely I need to focus more on all the oral-related skills like pronunciation, accent and intonation… I find it overwhelming and very stressful thinking that I may never achieve an almost native speaker level…

I feel I also need to enrich my vocabulary, go over using basic English on a daily basis. I do speak a lot and relatively fast, but usually it is still the same repetitive set of vocab. I need to level it up!

d) How do you intend to improve these weaker areas?

I don’t know! And I’m feeling desperate about it! Teacher, any ideas?

Beside the fact I will try to immerse myself even more in English – that means reading, listening and watching anything in my target language. And it would be so good to organise my busy life (and overcome tiny laziness at times too) and start with the English coursebook I purchased some time ago… Whoops, over 2 years ago…

And I wish to attend Coffee Cup English classes more too! :D

e) How has your improved English improved your life (or how can you foresee it improving your life in the future)?

Definitely it has changed so much so far. I’ve started a teaching career and I’m still growing in this field making one of my greatest dream come true – that is setting up my own English school in the future.

Beside it, I’ve discovered the best passion in the world - writing in English! I’m unable to explain how much I love it and how much it helps me.

I’ve also gained confidence in the knowledge that there’s something I’m good at. And I’m so happy to make friends all over the world thanks to the ability of speaking English well.

f) How can you use your English skills to serve others?

Besides teaching for a living, which I believe is a form of a mission and a way of serving others even though you get paid for it, I’d love to engage in some charity work by teaching English to those in need for free. I believe not everyone has the means to attend private courses or the ability to learn independently. Mastering just one skill, like speaking English, may potentially transform someone’s entire life. I want to help the ones who lack such opportunities.

g) What do you enjoy most about learning English?

I enjoy most – absolutely genuinely – being a part of Coffee Cup English! I love the place here and hope our teacher, who likes changes very much, will never decide to close the place! :D

 “It is the journey that matters more than the destination. Only when we give ourselves the time to observe, will we get to know the beauty that lies in everything, and connect with the place as well the people whom we meet on the way.”