English has played a large part in my upbringing. Brought up in an environment where English is used to converse at home, I found English to be natural, unlike Mandarin. Taking a step back, I realise that the way I
perceived English has grown up with me over these years. During preschool, it
was only necessary to get the things I wanted.
As I entered high school, it was no longer the same. Not
only did this language become necessary for getting to the next level of
education, it was also widely used to communicate between my peers. At the same
time, I realise that this language is indeed strangely beautiful. This language
is easy to grasp yet difficult to master. Many Singaporeans like myself speak
English. However, speaking on an international stage may pose some difficulty.
As I entered tertiary education, I made several discoveries.
English was no longer just conversational between family and friends. In our
workplaces, English was widely used to converse as well. Also, by
comparing ourselves to our neighbouring countries – Malaysia and Indonesia, it
is clear for all to see how this language has played such a vital role in providing
our nation with countless opportunities to develop.
Finally, entering university as an engineering undergraduate
requires writing reports which I have not mastered. I am certain that this
module can strengthen my skills in report writing through increased exposure
from reading and writing and at the same time, develop my perspectives to
issues happening around us.
Edited: 17 September 2015
Edited: 17 September 2015
Hi Cedric, I must agree that English is easy to grasp but difficult to master. It is basically alphabets put together but when used in a sentence, it can mean many things. Even though we use the English as our means of communication in our daily lives, it is totally different when speaking to different people. English is always evolving, it is like fighting against time where new words are coming being developed every day. What I like about English is if you are fluent in your English, you will be good in your presentation and reports which I am still improving on that. All of us are still learning English, it is like a never ending learning journey.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post, Cedric. English is indeed important for communicating especially with people from other countries as English is one of the most commonly spoken language. As mentioned in your post, you have not mastered report writing. I, myself, have yet to master report writing. Writing is important to our education and also in the work industry as we will have to write our resumes etc.
ReplyDeleteYour post was well written and organised. You shared your personal thoughts on the importance of English and almost mentioned how you can improve in the language. I enjoyed reading your post. I managed to learn from your writing as well! I look forward to learning together with you and the class.
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ReplyDeleteThis is a really excellent reflective post, Cedric. While there is a chronological element to your description and you reference your evolving attitude toward English, you also allude to the part English has played in Singapore's development, which is a simple but profound insight.
ReplyDeleteToward the end of having you continue work on your English journey, here are some language issues to consider:
1) Brought up in an environment where English is used to converse at home, English seemed natural to me, unlike mandarin. >>> The subject of this sentence is 'English.' But English was NOT 'brought up.'
Brought up in an environment where English is used to converse at home, I found English to be natural, unlike Mandarin.
2) it was only necessary to get the things I want. >>> (verb tense)
3) Not only did this language became ... >>> (verb form)
4) verb tense consistency is a problem in paragraph #2
Let's discuss these.