Hiiiii blog! I’m here again, today I’m ready to share my little journey through Language 3 this semester. First of all, I have to say that this unit felt super short for me! Time flew by, and I think that’s because I really enjoyed some parts of the course (and also because I arrived like one month late, jajaja).

One of my favorite things this semester was class and home participation, because I love the idea of checking our progress class by class, and also having two evaluations per semester to see how that can be consolidated. I felt more comfortable sharing my ideas, and that helped me feel more connected with the content and also with my classmates by giving and receiving feedback.

Now, looking back at my goals, challenges and expectations, I can say I’ve made progress, but I still have work to do. One big challenge for me this semester (and always, honestly) were phonetics and listening (maybe speaking is also a challenge, but not a big one). To be honest, I didn’t do as well as I wanted in phonetics, even though I studied and did all the activities at home, in the last test I got just a 4.0, so that was a little disappointing.

Also, this semester, it’s been hard for me to sit down and actually study. I’ve felt all the semester kind of tired and distracted. Luckily, my boyfriend has always been there trying to cheer me up and keep me motivated💗. I hope that next semester I can improve and really understand the concepts better. I want to study more consistently, not just right before tests, maybe that was my main issue, because I only started studying three days before the phonetics´ test.

My expectation now is to keep getting better and feel more confident when speaking and analyzing English. I’m also excited to explore new topics in the next part of the course. I know it won’t be easy, but I feel way more motivated than I did two years ago. Let’s hope my grades also show that improvement.

And that’s it for now, blog! Thanks for reading. I’ll leave a beautiful pic below and don’t forget to check out my full e-portfolio!! xoxo, Gossip Girl 💋

1.- Trump talks with Putin

2.- Many people will be overweight in 2050

3.- Children and Social Media

Hi, blog! Today I want to share my experience with Language 2, focusing on the challenges I faced and the expectations I had when I started the course. Last year, my biggest weaknesses were listening and speaking, which, unfortunately, were also my main source of fear. I failed Language 2 last semester because of my problems with listening and speaking, and it was really discouraging. I almost decided to quit the course, but I knew I had to improve in these areas to keep moving forward.

During the summer, I had the chance to immerse myself more in the language and improve my listening and speaking skills. I managed to improve my listening in American English, which helped me feel more confident, but when I came back, I realized I hadn’t improved much in British English listening, which was crucial. My first grades were all 4s, which made me feel even more insecure. I felt like my efforts weren’t paying off, but I decided not to give up. I studied, but I didn’t get to the point of crying, just feeling nervous. Even though I still had some fears, I felt a little more prepared to face the exams.

I remember starting Language 2 with a mix of excitement and nervousness. When the exams came, I felt much more confident in speaking, although I still wasn’t completely comfortable. Thinking quickly made me skip words, but I was happy with the progress I had made. Honestly, I thought I was ready for Language 3. However, things don’t always go as expected. Even though I felt I had improved a lot, the course wasn’t exactly what I planned. There were some unexpected challenges, and the obstacles from the previous semester, like listening and phonetics, followed me into this one.

One of the new challenges I faced was the environment. I felt like I was starting over in some ways, but it was even harder because this course wasn’t made up of my generation of classmates, and they had already formed groups without me. This made me feel a bit out of place at first, because I had to adjust not only to the course content but also to new faces and classroom dynamics. I could say I still feel a bit introverted, but over time, I started to feel more comfortable in the environment. At first, I cried a lot, but what really helped was starting group work. I think it was only then that I began to interact more, which helped me stay focused on my learning goals.

As for my confidence, I have to admit it was very low at the beginning. Speaking in front of others, especially in a second language, was really intimidating. But as the semester went on, I started to speak more openly, louder, and clearer. I feel that at first, I spoke very slowly, but now I feel more confident in my ability to communicate. I still have a lot to learn, but I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made. I feel much more confident than before, and that’s a big achievement for me.

I won’t lie and say I don’t miss my friends. I think the whole university experience would be easier if I had Rocío and Monse with me, but they are still supporting me from afar, and I really appreciate that. Thank you, girls, for always being there for me. I also want to thank the 2024 generation for trying to include me. Even though it’s been a difficult journey, I’m grateful for every step I’ve taken.

https://voca.ro/1eNmFltTDFC2

Me all semester:

Khalid: What are you up to?

Helen: Oh, just looking at what’s on offer at the sports centre.

Khalid: How come?

Helen: Well I promised myself that I was going to get fit. I want to do a sport. I just don’t know which one.

Khalid: Well, have you thought about if you like team sports or individual ones?

Helen: I don’t mind really.

Khalid: Do you like swimming or diving?

Helen: Neither, I can’t swim!

Khalid: What about martial arts, boxing or weightlifting?

Helen: Can you see me doing any of them?

Khalid: No, not really. Well what sports do you like watching then?

Helen: I really enjoyed the tennis when I went to
Wimbledon last summer.

Khalid: So maybe a racquet sport then?

Helen: Perfect! But which one?

+++

Khalid: I think tennis would be a good option.

Helen: I like to see it, but I don’t know if I’m good at playing it

Khalid: or maybe Racquetball

Helen: It would be a great challenge for me.

Khalid: okey, fine, when do we start?

Helen: tomorrow is a good option, because today I am so tired

Khalid: in the afternoon?

Helen: I will be ready!