Social and Political Contexts of Language Acquisition on the Educational Experiences Free Essay Example, 2000 words

English was compulsory as a second language from grades three to ten at all primary schools, and even though they were taught only basic grammar and spoken English, the writer enjoyed learning it. What made the experience enjoyable were her personal encounters with two English speakers who exerted a great influence on her fascination with the English language (Willig, 1985). The first was her aunt, who taught her the first English phrase she learned: come to this side . Her aunt used to take her to school, telling her a story or singing a song along the way. One day, her aunt said Come to this side , which the writer did not understand at first. After the aunt explained to her what it meant, she understood and there followed a series of personal English lessons using simple English sentences on their way to school. The second influence was an English teacher who was very good at encouraging students. The writer, growing more fascinated with each passing day, participated in many E nglish concerts and dramas to increase her proficiency. Until she reached secondary school, the writer had not yet attained an acceptable level of productive skills in English. We will write a custom essay sample on Social and Political Contexts of Language Acquisition on the Educational Experiences or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Whenever she received a letter in English from a childhood friend who emigrated from Sri Lanka to India many years earlier, she could read and understand the letter alright, but she had to ask her father to write the reply in English. Her English was not yet up to the standard to write a complete letter. Neither did she learn to speak or read English fluently, as her English teacher at secondary school played favorites and would call upon the same girl whom the teacher considered the only one who could read English properly to read books in front of the class. In 1992, the writer moved to England as a refugee. With her broken English, she was able to answer the questions of immigration officials after she landed at Heathrow airport without the need for an interpreter.