Answer the questions below.

FILIP

When I started learning English, I was very enthusiastic and motivated, but I found the pronunciation difficult and people couldn’t always understand me. After a while, my pronunciation improved and I was able to express basic ideas quite effectively.  It was obvious that I was getting better and that was very encouraging. But at an intermediate level, I made slower progress. There were so many new words and phrases, but also words that I could understand but couldn’t use accurately. I think I was more aware of my mistakes, which was good – but also frustrating.

I understand everyday English, but my vocabulary needs to expand so that I can understand a wide range of subjects, and express more complex ideas.

I’d like to be more fluent when I’m speaking, and be able to talk about things in more detail. And I need to get better at using appropriate language when I speak.

I can understand general things, but I want to read texts that are relevant to my work, and some of these contain quite specialized language.

AGATA’S STORY

The story of my progress is a bit different. I wasn’t very good at English when I started, 1. but it wasn’t for want of trying. I 2. put in the effort and worked really hard night after night, but I just 3. couldn’t make head or tail of the grammar, and it really 4. held me back. I found it difficult to 5. get to grips with the tenses and sentence structures, and that knocked my confidence for a while.

I suppose I’m not the only one who has felt stuck at the beginning. Still, I refused to give up. I kept going, kept practising, and eventually 6. something clicked. Little by little, I started 7. showing signs of improvement. I 8. picked up new vocabulary, became more confident when speaking, and finally began to 9. string sentences together more naturally—even complex ones.

Looking back, I realise it was all part of the learning curve. I had to 10. step up my game and 11. push through the frustration. But now, I feel like I’ve 12. turned a corner. I’m not fluent yet, but I’m definitely 13. on the right track. The key for me was staying consistent and being open to learning from my mistakes.

Piotr

For a long time, I 14. did next to nothing. I 15. kept putting things off, and English was always at the bottom of my to-do list. But one day, my teacher gave me a serious warning. She told me that if I 16. didn’t pull my socks up, I’d fail my English exams—and then 17. I’d have nothing to show for all those years of studying. That really hit me.

So, I decided to 18. turn over a new leaf. I started fresh and made learning English my top priority. I 19. applied myself like never before—I stuck to a daily study routine, worked through grammar drills, and even started speaking with classmates outside lessons. I was determined to 20. make real progress.

It wasn’t easy at first, but slowly and surely, I began to catch up. My confidence grew, my vocabulary expanded, and I finally started to 21. grasp the tricky parts of English. All that hard work paid off. I’m proud to say I’ve just passed my university exams 22. with flying colours.

But what matters even more to me is how much my English has improved. I no longer freeze during conversations—I can express myself clearly and even discuss more complex ideas. It feels like I’ve 23. come a long way, and that sense of achievement is amazing.

Aleksander

For many years, my biggest struggle was writing. I kept making silly mistakes—things I should have known. I only just 24. scraped through an important exam because of this. My teacher was constantly 25. telling me off for careless errors, and I knew I had to 26. get my act together if I wanted to succeed.

To help me improve, my parents sent me to the States three summers running. That decision really 27. made a difference. At first, I felt completely 28. in at the deep end—trying to survive in conversations with native speakers. But little by little, my English 29. came on in leaps and bounds.

I began to 30. build up confidence and develop a better sense of how to express myself naturally. Now I can speak freely, fluently, and with much more accuracy. My writing has improved too—I’ve 31. cut down on mistakes and become more careful when choosing my words.

Recently, my boss even complimented me on a few emails I’d written to clients. That feedback meant a lot—it felt like proof that I’ve turned a corner in my learning journey.

What’s has your journey of learning English been like? How did it all start? Who was your favourite teacher? When did you make the biggest progress?

Answer these questions in writing. Post your answer below or share it with your teacher.