Describe your English learning experience.

Remembering how engaged I was with language learning goes beyond my imagination and touches the depth of my heart when I heard those engaging English songs in my childhood. It is like a bombardment of eternal captivating joy, the thought of which brings a smile to my mouth. The language was always an interesting subject for me. I knew during my teen years that having appropriate knowledge of language can open a world of communication opportunities and enhancements. It is true when people mention great teachers can influence students, keeping the passion be felt in every cell they have, persistently, and it did happen for me. Mr. Ahmadi, a name I have always kept purely in my heart and brain, was the miracle-maker of my life. He had a seamless passion for the English language and culture, both of which he tunneled to the students. As a handsome teacher, Mr. Ahmadi shed light on the language and culture of native English speakers. Additionally, he gave purpose to us to know how determining language learning is in our life and future. The much-loved teacher`s strike was heavy, working as the preliminary blocks of my willpower to become an English teacher. Consequently, the more I delved deep down into the vast ocean of language learning, the more joy I felt. I recall times I danced with Shakira`s song all day long, when I had time to enjoy every moment of my life, self-satisfied. Having the knowledge that not only was it an English skill for me, but also I could enthusiastically intermingle it with my life and happiness. Dealing more academically with English, I participated in English classes in various institutes. All I wanted was to communicate with my classmates. When I could see some students had better language proficiency, I was ambitious to read and study more. As an avid soul, I had my hands on various stage storybooks. I can picture vividly the happiness I had when I finished my first unabridged storybook named “Emma” by the famous Jane Austin of the 17th century. Eagerness, heightened as it was, pushed me to select English translation as my major in university. I developed my understanding of the language learning/teaching essence. I studied restlessly for an expansion of the view of how I could boost my learning. I had hours of ongoing English discussions with my other university pals. We probed to make language use functional, drowning ourselves in the vocabulary and grammar books additionally. I probed to be a native-like language user, as a result of which an immersion of idioms and street talk knowledge started in my life. I spent time watching movies, series, and talk shows for the sake of listening comprehension, and I jot down new words and vocabulary for further use. I roleplayed the scripts from movies, recorded videos of me talking in English, and even participated in courses apart from my university courses. It was time for me to step forward, to see myself as a potential language teacher and a passionate tutor. I studied some language teaching courses while I was testing myself using them in real-life teaching opportunities. Gaining knowledge of testing in connection, I was able to design, apply and reformulate tests for the students at various levels in institutes, each time learning more and more about validity, reliability, and appropriateness of the testing process. Working, in itself, was a good learning experience for me. When I started my job as a translator, my knowledge of topic-specific vocabulary increased noticeably. Back then, even if I did not have a chance to study, the new words and expressions related to various subjects and fields were fair enough to learn. A sublime feeling of greatness mixed with a nightmarish dream of becoming a teacher captured me when I stood as a group class teacher (behind a podium). Having had all the requirements for a good performance, I still had nervousness and distress. The advantage of that for me was to understand I needed learning; To know how to promote my role as a teacher, how to engage students in collaborative, communicative participation, and how to wholeheartedly dedicate myself to them when personal differences could blur the way for them to keep up with others. I am lucky. The reason is I have had the support of some dear colleagues of mine. Those from whom I learned a lot when I faced hassles. Those who taught me I needed improvements and motivated me effortlessly to go up the ladder of success. It comes to my mind like a passing moment when I met one of our newly joined colleagues. Her command of English, powerful resonating voice, and self-confidence ignite a fire of temptation in my heart to see myself once more as a student. I stole every moment I could from her time, begging her to introduce some books, courses, materials which could make me like her. Last but not least, another significant aid for me where my native friends. These friends supported, challenged, and even rectified me over and over. They were patient to see me making progress. “I wish I were one of them, ” I always muttered when I had a mistake or error. Ongoing communication, since then, has provided a broad view of their behaviors and traits for me. Even I have acquired a better sense of self-expression when I am with them. Some of them were there for me in my sad and happy moments, being my lifesavers. Looking back at these as a movie, I firmly believe that the learning process never stops. Every new situation is a book, the book to be studied and tested. I like to challenge myself to see the covert parts, the parts of learning which I have never had the experience of, and are waiting for me to hunt them. Those experiences are connected, ongoing, and fruitful. Moments that give us hope of being a better person. Learning opportunities, standing in front of us, as personification intended, to welcome our effort for becoming a more knowledgeable, purposeful person.