Many people think that I have lived abroad because my English is quite natural. Actually I have never traveled outside the mainland of China. I don’t think I’m that talented in my own eyes. The reason I have been able to learn English is because I have some good ways of learning. Here I want to share with you my methods of learning English.

　　First, I became very eager to learn English. I started to learn “You and Me” when I was about seven. There are many nice songs and funny conversations in “You and Me”. I just learned by myself, listened to tapes and tried to imitate the cute pronunciation. I liked to watch English cartoons, too. So, all these started my interest in English.

　　Second, I encourage myself to speak English. In my opinion, we study English for better communication. So, speaking is the way to reach our purpose. I used to be a shy girl, but my mom just pushed me to speak to foreigners on the street. It was a bit hard for me, but this kind of force let me take my first step. After that, I dared to speak to foreigners. I found that most of them are very kind and hospitable to help me with my English. When I was in grade four, mom found me a foreign teacher. She was Diane from Canada, very outgoing and energetic. We talked a lot. I tried to explain Chinese culture to her. She was quite strict with my pronunciation, so I improved a lot with her help. You see, never be afraid of making mistakes when you speak. These are valuable experiences.

　　Third, I create an “English environment” myself. Diane went back to Canada when I was in grade five. Neither of my parents speaks English. Now, although I have my American friends Marc and Janis, they live quite far away from my home and we don’t usually get together. Also, I’m not in a foreign languages school. So, I don’t actually live in an “English environment”. But it’s very important for learners, especially language learners to have a nice learning environment. I started to speak English to myself. I’m a Harry Potter fan, so I read original Harry Potter books and watched English movies of Harry Potter. I watched other movies for teenagers like “High School Musical.” I really enjoyed the music and interesting stories. By doing this, I not only enjoyed myself but also improved my English. I often listen to tapes. I especially like the tape of “Little Women”. It shows the beauty of literature and teaches me English reading art. I like to watch Outlook programs, CCTV-9 news and ATV news. I can broaden my horizon, while learning English at the same time.

　　These are my ways of learning English. I hope it will help you a bit. However, you might have better ways of learning yourself. Just stick to the correct way and try your best. Still, the most important thing is to enjoy English!