My mom was reading a Snow White to me when I was a child at night. My mom’s voice just like a soft music, relax myself and easy to go into sleep. I think that was a wonderful moment that I fell in love with books. At that time, the friendly relation between books and I were begin. During the childhood, I read a lot of fairy tales at nights. Every time when me mom wanted to read a fairy tale to me, my mom and I would lie down on the bed, and then I would close my eyes and listen to my mom. Sometimes I would image some pictures in my mind, and now I still clearly remember what I was imaging before.
I was imaging that I were a Snow White, and I was playing with my seven little friends. The most expect moment during the day it is at night, before I sleep ¦ When I growing up, I began trying read fairy tales by myself. I had one interesting thing it is my mom and my roles were change. I would tell my mom what I just read, and my mom would listen to me how I would summarize the stories. Sometimes my mom would correct me if I said something illogical, make my summaries make sense. Many years later, when I recalled that period, I especially thanks to my mom, because I learned how to summarize a story, that is help my a lot in my life.
When I went to an elementary school, I could write small essays very quick with a lot of ideas because I was reading many fairy tales and short stories in my childhood. I got many ideas from them. Time goes fast. I was a middle school student already. I tried to read some novels during the break times and at home. Chinese teacher just said a student who reading once a day score significantly higher on writing assignments than the student who never read. I remembered it is one final test; my essay is the highest score in the whole grade.
I was so surprise; I never thought I would have a highest score. “Congratulations! Your essay is very good; the essay has a great plot. I am extremely proud of you. You worked so hard for a long time. Chinese teacher said. I saw his face was grateful for that. ” Thank you. I never thought that good thing would happen to me. It is hard to believe. I said to the Chinese teacher. ” Opportunities are always for those who are well prepared. Chinese teacher said, and looked at me seriously. That is the first time someone ever praised me for my writing.
That made me feels more confident with writing. I moved to United Stated when I was a high school student in China. When I arrived New York, I felt everything has change. My life is very different that I was in China. Different languages, different lifestyle made my feel confused. One month later, I went to a high school, started my new American life. In New York, all high schools teachers let students read a lot of books, and write some summaries and essays like critical lens when they finished reading. During that time, I used to hate to read and writing assignments.
Because I am not an English speaker, English is not my first language. My vocabulary is limited, and I just can use some low level words to write an essay. Therefore, my writing was terrible and I really hate writing an essay. During that time, everything was stopping me to write an essay. I did not know how to use English to write an essay. I had no writing ideas in my mind. When the English teacher said all students needed to swap the essays to read and write some feedback to each other’s. I was afraid someone who read my essay. When one classmate read my essay, he just ridiculed me for my writing.
I wanted to cry in that moment. I had no self-confidence about my writing. My English teacher read my mind. After the class, when I left the class, she stopped me: ” Don’t be upset, don’t feel dejected. You just an immigrant. “But I am so confused. I don’t know how to write an essay in English. And I hate reading books. I don’t understand what the books’ said. I told my English teacher that what I worried and confused. ” Everything will be better. You just not used to it. What you should do now is try to memorize more vocabulary and read more books. ” Okay. I will try my best. I said to the English teacher. ” Yes. I believe you will love with English immediately.
The English was smiled at me. I started learning English diligently. Also I started reading some books. I knew if I don’t read books, I couldn’t write a good essay. I needed to read more books to learn English. Soon, my English teacher saw I had a better essay. ” See, I told you, you can do it. English teacher was so excited that I showed I had improvement. ” Thank you. I was so happy because my effort is rewarding ¦
Even though I am not an American, English is not my first language, I cannot write some very good essay now. But I am learning, learning how to write a better essay, how to organizes well the essay now. Many years before, I was a child; I was learning how to write an essay. I was like a sponge, absorbed knowledge. Many years later, I am an adult; I am learning how to write an essay, too. I also like a sponge, and keep absorbing knowledge and growing. I restored my confidence and my great passion with reading and writing. Those experiences let me love reading and writing more.
