English that wider my knowledge

An english literacy memoir by Ananda Nichola
 

1st Commentator       : “Now is Walcott, pass to Santi, and Santi brings the ball give it to Wilshere, Wilshere shoot!      Hit the bar!”

2nd Commentator     : “And now Rosicky control the ball, it is still around the defence area of Chelsea, it means it still dangerous. Rosicky give it back to Wilshere, and Wilshere try to one-two with Walcott, 3 defenders pass and Wilshere shoot!”

1st and 2nd Comm     : “GOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
   

            I’m not going to tell you about this scoring moment when Arsenal win againts Chelsea. This was only a moment when I hear two commentators were talking excitedly, merrily, that makes me interested to watch. I did not know why I was so interested to hear any words that comes out from both commentators. Maybe it is because the club who play is my favourite club? Or maybe it is because of the language that they spoke? I just realize that they did not use any Bahasa Indonesia language, but they were use English. Yeah, English. The number one language used by every people in the world, International language.
It happened when I was sit in elementary school(four grade) that I watched a football match with my beloved father in my home. It’s not the first time for me to watch football matches. I’m too interested to watch it because I always heard special language that the commentators surely spoke. Even though I did not know what does they talking about, but I enjoy it. I love to hear that kind of language and I want to know and learn about that, too. I want to speak with English, that was my dream.

The first : Gloria English Course

            I talked to my parents that I want to learn about English. My parents just astonished to heard about my statement. They seemed want to say “great!” to me. Then, they agreed! I was so happy to know that I will go to english Course. But, I’m still confused, which english course that I will choose because in my hometown, there are at least more than three english course and all of them are good. My mother gave her opinion that is better to me to choose Budiwijaya, the same english course with my sisters when they were in junior high school. Because I was till a children, I do not want to have the same english course with my sisters. So, I was still looking for the other option and I found it! My friends in my elementary school were also want to join english course and they have an idea. They said that it is better to choose Gloria rather than Budiwijaya because Budiwijaya has science classes while Gloria has english classes only. Yeah, as you know right we were still a children and our brain has not work well to deal with this situation. So, we were accept that idea and deal to be together in one class in Gloria. Finally, I signed up as the new student in Gloria english course together with my friends in the school.

The second : Reading, listening, writing, and other things

            On the first day, I was communicate with my friends use Bahasa Indonesia of course. Not only to communicate between me and my friends, but also to communicate between me and my teacher. Because it is the first day, so my teacher allowed us to mix the language to make it easier for us and for her self, too. We were study about reading, listening and writing. Reading, in this session my teacher asked us to read our english book(that we got when signing up). After read the book, she asked us to answer the questions. Reading session made to improve reading skill of student and also thorough to answer the questions. Listening, in this session my teacher gave us a piece of paper that contains a song/article/conversation with dots which means we should fill that dots by hearing the tape that will be turn on by the teacher. Listening also important to improve our concentration and readiness so we could fill the dots. Writing, this session has many type such as like friendly letter, article, summary, or essay. At that time, my teacher taught about friendly letter. So, my teacher gave us a topic and we must write a friendly letter that has a relation with the topic that given. Writing also important as well as reading and listening. It was improved our critical thinking. Not only reading, writing, or listening that I learnt from my course. I also practice of how to do a conversation with people, how to make a friendly letter, how to pronounce english words better and clearer, and many things.

The third : Trophies that grabbed

            Month by month I have learnt a lot from my english course. Now, I can speak with people use english, I can understand well what are the people talking about when we communicate each other, and the other things. But, I still confuse how to pronounce some words and to solve this problem, I always asked to my sisters or to my teachers. Not many teenagers who sits in 1st grade of junior high school were understand about english, only several including me. In my first semester, my english score was about 92 and if I’m not mistaken, my score was the highest score among the other. This makes me become famous in the school and the result is I got many new friends. I’m not being arrogant because of my english skill, I still have a course in Gloria and still learning about many things, I still do my homework with my sister to help me. In Gloria I loved to play scrabble along with my friends and sometimes with the teachers. Until there is a time when Gloria held a competition in PS Mall, and there is scrabble competition. “I really-really want to join this!” I said in my heart. But I did not join scrabble competition but I choose story telling competition. My teacher suggest me to join story telling because I have story teller sense in me. I was confused which competition that I will choose because I have not joined any story telling or scrabble competition before. I said this to my parents and my parents said “choose the best that you and your skill good in”. If I choose scrabble, my vocabulary has not good enough because I was still a junior high school student. If I choose story telling, my acting is good enough. So I choose story telling and always do practice with my teacher after I have a class. After I have know and learnt all story telling criteria such as like body language, intonation and others I do practice by my self in my home and helped by my first sister. She drew me the characters that play in my story. When all the properties have ready, I sleep to prepare my fitness. Sunday, I went to PS Mall with my beloved sister(the first). We were go with full of spirit. I was got number 10 that means I will perform after the 9th participate. The time is coming, my name was called by the MC. I really-really felt nervous that I can not control. I pray first and go to stage, I was introduced my self and start to tell the story.

                                 “Samonnn!!! Why you ate my lunch??? You are a naughty boyy!!!
                                          Go away from me!!!Do not come back home anymore!!!”

I do not know why all people in front of me were watched me seriously as well as the visitors of PS Mall. I thought maybe there is something wrong with my performance but I did not care about it and just continue my story. I have done!!! I was really-really happy but still with a big nervous. But it was lose as I ate KFC with my teacher, friends, and my sister. 17:00 PM, it’s time for the announcement. The MC was tell the third and the second winner first and then the first winner.

                                           “So, the first winner goes to.............. ANANDA NICHOLA!!!”

Yeaaaaaahhh!!! I did not trust it, my performance was just a so-so performance but I got the first winner. I go to stage with beautiful smile, I got a certificate, a trophy, a handphone, an umbrella, a hat, and many other things. I really happy of this, this first trophy is for my family who have supported me until the end. That was a memorable night! This is effected to my school performance. I got the second rank in the class and I will joined FLS2N in April! Not only that trophy I got, I also got the third expectation champion in FLS2N competition 2010, I got the first winner in Gloria English Course competition 2011 and I got the first expectation champion in FLS2N 2011! And also, I got the first winner of speech competition 2011 and the second place of speech competition in Open House 2012!

The forth : SHS that used english as the primary language

Last year(2011) I have retire from Gloria. Why? There is no other reason except I want to focussed on my national examination this coming April(2012). I was ninth graders now, I must work hard and always focussed on the examination. After the national examination have done, it is time for me to looking for a school that I will signed for. SMAN Sumatera Selatan(Sampoerna Academy), an international school that I have dreamed before. International.. of course the students there spoke in english everytime. It was not made me afraid or even give up to register my name to be the candidate. The other school was SMA Negeri 5 Palembang, my first sister’s school. Honestly, I did not interested to this school because the cost is too expensive and almost of my friends in my junior high school were entered this school so it will make me bored to meet them again and my friendship will not wider. But I register in SMA N 5 and Sampoerna. And I accepted in both school, of course I choose SMAN Sum-Sel(Sampoerna Academy) because I have dreamed this school before. To always spoke in english the school was made my speaking skill better. It also improved my vocabulary skill as I know many new vocabularies in this school. That’s all my english journey that put me here in this school right now. Start from I only heard english by watching football matches, I went to Gloria english course, I grabbed many trophies and arrived here. That is all because of english that open wider my brain, that open wider my knowledge. Thanks!