Part 2: Other Key Ingredients
No.2 Ingredient: Housemate Chat
Compared to a bit daring ingredient one, this ingredient is much more comforting.
If you are a Chinese, and I am telling you: “To improve your English, from now on, you should talk to any Chinese person you know in English only.” What do you feel? A bit awkward? At least my answer is yes. So, is there any alternative, a more natural way?
The answer is YES! Live in shared accommodation with non-Chinese housemates. I learned this trick by luck from my first shared accommodation experience. I was the first person to move in the house, and my 3 out of 4 housemates turned out to be non-Chinese international students from Malaysia, Indonesia and Germany. And the benefits I received were far beyond my expectations. That period still holds a special place in my heart.
We had so much fun living together, such as talking about our own cultures and sharing our national dishes. I still remember that afternoon, I started my first cooking lesson, teaching my lovely housemates how to make dumplings. That moment added a special meaning to my life, which enhanced my desire to become a cultural ambassador. My English improved a lot too, naturally. Hence, that became one of my rules when it comes to picking accommodation.
Currently, my housemate Janin is a lovely girl from Namibia with a German background. She is a very driven person, very thoughtful and fun person to live with. We had many thought-provoking conversations and exploration journeys together. I learned a lot from her. I absolutely treasure this experience every single day. Gratitude 😊
No.3 Ingredient: Community Connections
This ingredient is always available if you are willing to do a bit of research.
Trust me, you will be impressed by the number of communities/clubs available and specifically just for you (international students) either at your university/school or in the city you are living.
As an alumnus from the University of South Australia, one of my favourite programs is Your Culture My Culture.
It is a semi-independent program. Members are grouped based on their preferences, usually, there are 4-6 members in a group. University organises some structured meetups, such as hiking, surfing or having a meal in a restaurant. How good is that 😊? Attendees are all from different parts of the world and eager to learn about cultures. I really enjoyed speaking English and exploring cultures in that type of relaxed and fun environment.
So, your homework today is to check out resources in your local community. Don’t wait, start to explore now! Lucky you who are based in Adelaide, here is a link you for you to browse: https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/community/events/
No.4 Ingredient: Daily Self Dialogue
This one may sound a bit quirky, but it has its own charm :)
Back then, I wanted to practise my spoken English every single day. When I didn’t have anyone to talk on that day, I would speak to a mirror or talk to my phone recorder about my day. It’s like writing a journal 😊
Now, since my English is getting better day by day, I have started to enjoy listening to podcasts while jogging in the morning. Two of my favourites are Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations http://www.supersoul.tv/ and On Purpose with Jay Shetty https://jayshetty.me/podcast/. I always like to listen to people’s stories and get insights and wisdom from them. What about you? I am always OPEN to recommendation.
In a nutshell:
Learning English can and should be fun if you can match your learning techniques with your personality and hobbies.
When you use English in a natural environment unconsciously, your English will fly. 😊However, don’t be too harsh on yourself and your grammatical errors when you start. As long as people can understand you, you win (use keywords). All in all, the main purpose of a language is to communicate.
Try Try Try. Push yourself and see what happens. Isn’t it exciting to receive surprises along the way?
This is my unique recipe, and I hope it will inspire you to explore a recipe which only belongs to you too. Because we are all different, right? I can’t wait to hear your key ingredients!
This concludes my English learning journey. Is there anything I missed but helped you so much for your language learning journey? Please leave a comment below 😊. Sharing is caring, so let’s give this world more love.
