Learners and students around the world have good and bad learning experiences, which impact their lives as well as the way they think, whether positively or negatively. In this essay, I will explain how a negative experience affected my life and how and why they remain unforgettable to me.
When I decided to attend university, I was so excited because of learning a foreign language is a great thing. I chose to study English Language and Translation in 2014. However, I remember that very well, one day after finishing my class, I went to my university professor’s office to ask her for further explanation about grammar, which I did not fully understand. Unfortunately, her response shocked me. I was frustrated, she was supposed to encourage me or answer my questions rather than break my heart and shatter my confidence. What made the moment unforgettable was that I didn’t understand and I asked her a question. Also, she began to mumble and even laughed when I spoke in English. This experience and her behavior emotionally affected me and I didn’t speak English again for six years until I finally rebuilt my self-assurance.
In addition, I decided to enroll in an IELTS course in October of this year, but after ten lessons, I withdrew. I now wish I had not done that. I discovered their methods relied on memorization rather than comprehension, they gave me more than 50 template papers to memorize in order to achieve a high score if I wanted to pass the writing exam. On top of that, they told me to practice with AI to enhance my speaking skills. I will not delude myself into believing that, I deserve a band 8 or higher by cheating. In fact, I will not change my principles or take dishonest or inappropriate methods.
Harsh words and dishonest methods caused me to shift my dream from becoming a translator to becoming an effective teacher. Now, I’m grateful for all these negative experiences that have given me the valuable lessons to not give up and keep myself thinking in a positive way.