Takayo Erami: Three Things I Have Learned at SMAS

Three Things I Have Learned at SMAS


by Takayo Erami

It has been one and a half years since I started taking an ESL class at San Mateo Adult School. I felt nervous when I moved to the Bay Area because this is

my first experience living away from my home country, Japan.  I had studied English hard for 10 years until I graduated university.  I liked studying English better than math and science in my school life. But, unfortunately, the teaching method didn’t help me English fluently. I have been thinking about the reason why I am not a good English speaker. Why is it difficult for me to describe things?

Why is it difficult for me to respond quickly in a conversation?  I found some clues recently while attending a morning class and distance learning class. Let me share with you some points to be a good English learner.

First of all, it will be important to change the way of approaching English. I have realized that English is not a subject, but a tool of understanding culture and people. When I was young, I used to study English grammar and vocabularies technically.  Iin other words, I just memorized them to pass the exam. I am ashamed to say but my goal might have been to pass the exam.

Here at San Mateo adult school, I have learned American culture from teacher Katherine. It is really interesting. She gives me some local information such as the places to go, things to do, and foods to eat. And she shares her memories. It helps me understand American culture.

Teacher Cynthia gives me some interesting materials such as Newsela and Annenberg Learner. Some video programs show me daily local life.  They are interesting and sometimes touching. Some articles inspire me to learn American history and global nature problems. I am getting interested in how political decisions have affected people and earth and nature. In summary,  English should be related to my daily life.

Secondly, I should not be passive but active. At first, I was afraid of making mistakes and hesitated to have a conversation. I realized it didn’t make sense. My classmates encouraged me to say something out loud. It is getting natural to have a conversation in the class. In short, I just have to get used to it.

Next, I need to relax and have fun. I am not a native English speaker, so I don’t have to be a perfect speaker. Teachers and classmates always accept my limited English, and I get courage and confidence from their attitude. I don’t need to feel much stress.  The most important things is to enjoy learning English.

In conclusion, I have realized that I can develop my English skills through daily life. Fortunately, I have made some friends who have lived here in California for a long time. They are really kind and make me feel comfortable. I couldn’t imagine such a good relationship with local people when I moved here. I hope I will continue to improve my English while I communicate with local friends and classmates and teachers.

Teacher Cynthia and Takayo Erami
discussing things in English in Distance Learning