Just try to speak English no matter what people say and think about you.

From the start of my school education my English was not good. I have always been facing problems in English such as speaking and writing. I remember when I was in 6th grade at school, it was my first time when I learned how to write ABC properly. As, it was a Govt. school in my village, the quality of education was not good. Anyhow, I just pass my matriculation exams although my marks in English subject were not good. In intermediate, the same problems I faced but somehow I managed but when I got admission in Civil Engineering Department at UET Lahore it was become necessary for me to learn English because without that I was unable to survive in that environment. It was become like a goal to me that I had to achieve. I remember it was my first day in the class and I met with my foreigner friends. I wanted to know about them and their countries they belonged like Kenya, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan but I could not because I was afraid because of my English speaking. Every day when I met to them I just asked them “How are you?” and no more discussion.

Same problem I was facing in class lectures and class presentations. I was totally freaked out by the circumstances. In early days, whenever, I tried to speak English, my class fellows made laughing at me and passed different kind of the comments to criticize me. Like, one of my Pakistani friends said to me “Ahmad, you are not good in speaking, first collect your words and then speak”. I asked my teachers how I could learn English and they told me to read English newspapers like” Dawn” and they guided me different books relating to English Grammar and speaking. One of my teachers told me to join English academy in summer. My seniors and other fellows also guided me when I told them about this matter. They told me to watch Hollywood movies and seasons with subtitles and to listen BBC channel. I also myself started to read different English books like Wren and Martin, English Grammar and Composition by Dogar publisher. I joined different Facebook pages relating to English speaking and I searched different videos in this context. I did my best to get this goal but the progress was much slow not appreciable and sufficient.

No doubt, I was suffering the days but I did not give up, I kept struggling. I started seeking help from my foreigner friends Abdul Majeed and idrees Al-Noor in this regards. They helped me being a friend up to the extent they could. They pointed out me if I was speaking wrong words. Once, I remember I said to my friend Abdul Majeed “You are looking beautiful” he said “you should say, I am looking handsome”. I learned to use different words and phrases from them.

So, with the passage of time, I realized the root of the problems that why I was not succeeding in this. I realized that I was reluctant to speak because I was afraid of people that what they would say. I always try to hide myself from the caustic remarks passed by the fellows.

One day, one of my foreigner friend Abdur-Rehman asked me “if you are speaking English wrong with others what worst it be: Are they going to kill you, are they going to eat you alive, will you end up with your life, Nothing is going to happen! Don’t care about the people and their jokes, who cares.Ahmad, your English is good, just try to speak without any hesitation, and don’t worry about anything.”

After that I realized my mistake that it was just my fear that kept me restrained from speak English, therefore, to overcome this, I just start speaking without knowing and caring about what kind of behaviors I have to face, what would be the consequences that I have to meet and I just started the initiative step. I am still trying to improve this, I use to read newspaper, books and everything that I think it will become helpful for me. I don’t care about anything and I just all know that I should speak. I am using Dictionary “Cambridge” I think It is good to get required meanings.

I have started to speak with myself in English it was looking wired in the start but now I think it is good habit to speak yourself if you have nobody around you whom with u can talk.

I have improved myself to speak English individually with someone without any problem and I am still trying to improve speaking at stage because I think I am still not good enough to speak at public places

I have joined Amal Academy because I am passionate to improve this skill. I am participating with my heart. I am on my way to get this goal.