In the summer of 2024, the 32-year-old "I" embarked on a journey to a summer school in the Netherlands, just to improve my English. In this video, "I" will lead you to experience life on the first day of summer school.
Around 6:30 in the morning, "I" naturally woke up. After all, it was the first day of school, so "I" dressed up carefully and brought some clothes and earrings with Chinese elements, thinking of giving the classmates a little "culture shock". Of course, this is just a joke. There are only 7 minutes left before the bus arrives. Although "I" live in the suburbs, it only takes 20 minutes by bus, so I set off around 8:20 to rush to the 9 o'clock class. At 8:37, the street was very quiet. "I" haven't experienced this kind of joy of getting up early for a long time.
The course "I" chose was called "Western English". My English level at that time was B2. This course is designed to take us from B2 to C1 in 4 weeks. The language school is located in the city center, close to the canal and a large park. "I" thought that I could go to the park for a lunch break in the future. Morning classes usually last an hour and a half, followed by a lunch break and study hall in the school basement. On the first day of school, "I" was a little shy in class and didn't record much. There are 8 students in the class, 3 from China (including "me"), 2 Italians, 1 African, and 2 students from Eastern European countries. The pace and difficulty of the course were moderate, and I did not encounter any difficulties with listening or speaking. The atmosphere between teachers and classmates is also very good, and the small number of people allows for deeper communication between each other. In class, the teacher assigns a large number of tasks based on the textbook and gives opinions, questions or topics for group discussion. Most people want to improve their speaking skills. While doing listening exercises, "I" discovered that European and American students have a better ability to hear people's names than we do. Everyone can understand the general meaning, but we often get stuck on the spelling of European and American names. This may be their advantage, as Asian students are not familiar with these English names. These names are relatively unfamiliar. "I" am very much looking forward to taking classes with my classmates next month. I think everyone is very interesting, maybe we can hang out together in the future.
There are classes from 1pm to 2:30pm. The class schedule is not tight, but I usually have homework. After class, "I" decided to find a nearby coffee shop to complete my homework. There are many people sunbathing in the park, and some people are kayaking, which is very pleasant. The sun is shining brightly in the Netherlands in August, and people enjoy water sports. The grass in the park was full of people. "I" feel that what I see with the naked eye at this moment is more beautiful than what the camera can record. This may be the meaning of traveling in person. After finishing my homework in the cafe, it was already past five o'clock in the afternoon. During this period, the girl at the next table complimented "my" short hair on how beautiful it is. "I" am also very satisfied with my new short hair. Then I passed by a big supermarket and felt like there were a lot of things to buy.
Someone asked "I" why I came all the way to learn English when I was in my thirties. The reason is simple. When I was in my twenties, I envied people who spoke multiple languages. I thought it was so cool and wanted to be one of them. One of them. Last year, "I" realized that if I didn't take action now, I might not have the courage later, so I decided to embark on this study abroad trip.
Are you interested in a study abroad experience like this? Welcome to share your thoughts in the comment area, and don’t forget to like and share so that more people can see it!
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