My profile as a learner

I started with learning English when I started to attend the basic school. In the first grade I had a form teacher who provided an English course for her pupils if they were interested in. I attended the course for two years. I remember that we did not have any text books, we had only an exercise book and the teacher brought us materials to stick them into it. We sang a lot and we got various stamps when we were good. We learnt only basic words like colours and numbers. Obviously, I liked this course because I still remember some songs we sang, and I am able to recall various extracts from the lessons.

After these two years my parents decided to register me into a close language school. Those days the language was aimed on education of young learners and adult learners, but it changed during my studying there. First three years I attended the class with children of the same age but then it was different. These three years we use Come and play and I remember that I was still excited about English. Then I started the course in the mixed aged class. My parents did not want me to give up with learning English, so I had to accept it. Other three years I attended classes which I hated. We had Angličtina pro jazykové školy and a teacher who cared only about the adults. In the classes there was always only one or two of my age and the rest was a lot older. These years I did not learn at home, I just did homework and avoided classes as much as possible. The result of these classes was that I was afraid or embarrassed to speak English.

After the basic school I was accepted at the grammar school. I chose to have German as a main foreign language since I studied German at the basic school and I started with English from the beginning. As a beginner I felt very comfortable and confident. We had Headway and I liked it very much since I did not have to deal with Prokop’s family anymore. First two or three years I did not have to learn much, I just learn some new vocabulary. In the last grade I wanted to keep my excellent marks so I had to start learning a bit. It was usually enough to read what we did last time before the lesson. I learnt vocabulary from my exercise book where there were three columns and I folded them. I practised by testing myself from the vocabulary. I struggled with spelling, I still sometimes mix up letters in words. We did all the exercises in the text book. However, we did not speak much, so speaking remained my problem number one.

My next step was a one-year post-secondary English course. I had four lessons of English every day. I required everyday preparation and learning. We did not use any particular textbook, but we were supplied by many materials. For the first time I met here a native speaker. I started making the vocabulary cards and I still making them. From one side I have Czech translation from the other side English version. I think it helps me a lot, but I do not use them for practise very often. I do not know why but it is usually enough to create them. I revise the vocabulary in my head during creating the cards and when I finish the creation I find out that I have already learnt them all. I need to write the vocabulary down with my own handwriting, that is what helps me. Back to this learning experience I remember that I did not speak much. I was still afraid to make mistakes. From time to time the native speakers from the course went with us to the wine cellar. At the beginning there were only a few of us who wanted to communicate in English but with rising alcohol level in our blood it changed a lot. Then everybody wanted to speak English. Nobody cared about mistakes and we understood each other. I helped me, my low self confidence needed it, but this not what I would recommend my pupils.

The course was ended by FCE and the state exam. I did a lot of example tests focused on grammar and reading. The speaking I practised at home anytime possible. I went in my flat and described everything in English. I spoke to myself aloud all the time. My brother thought I went crazy but it helped me and saved me from failing in the speaking part. I always tell it as a story to my pupils, but I mean it seriously. If somebody is shy as me, this could be very helpful. Some sentences or phrases get automatic. It is similar when my pupils are supposed to say hello in English when they meet me. They are even allowed to speak in the lessons, but the rule is in English. It takes years when they start disturbing in English in the lesson. However, that moment of disturbing surprisingly makes me the happiest teacher.

That year I became addicted to series. I watched many series in English with subtitles, this was and still is my way how to practise listening. Sometimes English series are my only contact with English, but it is regular. Nowadays I watch most of them without subtitles but there still some like The big bang theory where I struggle with the scientific vocabulary and I would miss many points without subtitles. I try to show pupils that it could be the way how to enjoy learning English. It is very difficult for them at the beginning, but most of them I can persuade that series in the original are better. Pupils ask me about a recommendation for some new series from time to time.

A year after I was accepted at the university and studied there English and Germany. However, I had different interests, so I wasted my and professor’s time. During those years I had English in the classes, I still watched series, I met my English speaking friends and started reading books in the original. I recommend reading books in English to my pupils. I bought some level-reading books to the school library, but I did not fill many pupils with enthusiasm to read. If it was one in the class I found it as success. I love reading and I read a lot when I was a child, but reading English books related to my courage and I thought that I could not make it, I could not understand. Nobody ever told me that I do not need to understand everything to understand what is going on. I had to get to that point on my own. However, I tell it to my pupils all the time. They do not need to understand everything as well as they can make mistakes. I do not remember any of my English teachers letting me make mistakes. Everything was right or wrong. This is not the way I teach, effort is what matters.

The university years have improved my writing. I have never had a chance to write so many texts before. I know that I still make many mistakes especially in the word order and articles. However, I work on it. Lately, I started to print what I write. Computer programmes are great help, but they do not solve everything, so I also correct my writings with a pen in my hand. I found many mistakes, but some of them I do not see. When I read something I read it aloud for myself and sometimes I finish the words or even sentences on my own. When I read my own text, it is even worse. I just overlook the mistakes because I read it correctly for myself. I would diagnose it as borderline dyslexic if I would be an expert.

When I was twenty-five, I finally found the courage to travel to England on my own and spent there a month and attended the language school. I was accommodated in an English family. For the first time I had a feeling that I finally speak English and nobody judge me. I enjoyed the language school very much. We played games most of the time and I met there many interesting people. I looked forward to going to school every morning because I knew that nobody was going to test me and I felt relaxed. I had the same experience in a different language course on Malta. We spent the whole afternoon combining everything with a game or with a very relaxed activity. It totally mirrored the personality of the teacher. I did not improve much of my grammar or vocabulary, but I spoke and spoke and that is what I was missing in my own learning for so many years. As a teacher I try to speak English as much as possible and give the same chance to my pupils. It requires friendly and non-judgemental environment.

I did two tests to find out what is my learning style. The first questionnaire is called What is your learning style? (Agency, What's your learning style?, 2018) here my result was that I am a visual learner. However, there were only three possibilities of the results. I could be an auditory, visual or tactile learner. The second test I did, had a bit different results’ possibility. The test is called How do I learn best? (VARK, 2018) According to the questionnaire I have a mild read/write learning preferences, but I had the lowest score by visual preferences. To some extent I would agree with the second one better but according to suggestions from the first these two complement each other. I like using flashcards to learn new vocabulary. It works for me and for some of my pupils as well. When I hear something, I always try to visualize. I have attributed to my wild imagination. I use colours and highlighters which I also recommend to my pupils. According to the test I do not like distractions            during study times which is not quite true. I need my own peace and quiet. It means that I can learn with headphones listening to my favourite music, but I am not able to learn when somebody is speaking around me or the television is on. What is crucial for me and combines both results, is that I always write down key words or ideas.

When I learn, I usually write my own notes. I like creating my own system, so it is usually necessary to rewrite the text. Sometimes it helps me to write/draw a mind map. When I prepared a student for the school leaving exam, we used mind maps a lot. It helped the student to prepared for the oral exam, she actually made the mind map by the exam.

When I learn a piece of grammar I do a lot of exercises. The best is when I have a printed version and again I can write with my own handwriting. The online version usually does not work much for me. When I come across the problem I use highlighters and then when I see the page again I do not usually have to read it again, I remember what was going on there. When I try to learn a text I usually read it for many times and then I go around the room and tell it aloud. Lately, I started to tell it to my daughter as a fairy tale, I have to change voice and the voice pitch to catch her attention. By the exam I realized that I remembered better the words or phrases that I emphasised.

The methods I use by learning new vocabulary I describe above. When I was younger it was enough to read it once or twice and I remember it. Later, I started with the cards. I need to say the word for myself many times and then I am able to remember it passively. I remember it actively only when I convince myself to use it. Once I use the word, I remember it for very long time.

My learning history influences my teaching strategy. I know that pupils have to feel relaxed and have to believe that you as a teacher are not here to let them down but to support them. Learning is hard for me as well for my pupils and everyone suits something else. Form example I like reading for revising and fixing my knowledge. My pupils find reading boring even in Czech. I like making vocabulary cards, most of my pupils think that it is too time consuming. By young learners I realize how much they can learn when we combine movement with vocabulary. I am not a tactile learner, but I force pupils to involve the body in the learning process. I would say that my biggest problem is timing. Since I rewrite and write my own notes it takes me a lot of precious time.