My experience of learning English in NZ

Read about the experiences of another Chinese learner of English living for a time in New Zealand.

Born in a remote village of China, I never thought, nor expected that one day I could have a chance to study overseas. One of the reasons was that studying abroad was so expensive. I could not afford it. Another reason was the complicated procedures. Getting a visa involved so much red tape which wears down people’s will. Therefore, when I got the news that I could study for a period of time in New Zealand, I was so excited.

I used to hate myself for my poor spoken English. So, I was full of anticipation when I got the news because I could immerse myself in an English speaking country. There was no doubt that my spoken-English would be improved at 1,000 miles a day. Then I could express myself fluently and accurately. What an amazing thing!

But when I got here, I was lost, totally lost, because I couldn’t catch what the local people said. If I couldn’t follow what they said, how could I communicate with them? When I read the newspaper, it was full of new words and idioms. When I listened to the radio, only a few single words came into my ears. I seemed deaf and dumb. Whenever I was asked to speak, anxiety and tension would swallow me. I could not even speak one complete sentence!!

Gradually, I found the local people were not so hard as I had assumed. Actually they were quite tolerant of the grammatical mistakes which I made. With facial expressions and body language, I gathered my courage to seek opportunities to practice my listening and speaking skills. I went to shops to chat with the shop assistant; went to a bank to consult about the procedures of applying for credit cards; went to the pharmacy to consult with the chemist about the use of some kinds of medicine. Gradually, with the anxiety fading, I came to enjoy learning and speaking.

In order to bathe myself in the culture of New Zealand, I kept an open-mind, and took an active part in all kinds of activities, such as a garden tour, calf and lamb tour, garden concert, church visit, and tours of Parliament Buildings and the Supreme Court etc. My confidence was built up as I was acclimatizing to the food, lifestyle and culture. Now I feel quite comfortable to study here.

Pearl – Wellington, New Zealand