Literacy Narrative

My literacies in second language start at home. I exposed to a second language when I was little. My grandparents migrated from a southern part of China to Thailand. I also had a chance to study in a Chinese school until 3rd grade. During the school year, I could read and write traditional Chinese characters somewhat fluently. I also could write my Chinese name at that time.
Up until my family moved to a new house, I also had to move to a new school. In this new school, I am required to learn English. My first exposure to English is at the age of 8 or 9 years old. I barely remembered how I started my English lessons, but I know that English is not my favorite subject at that period of time. I failed the tests almost every academic year. Though I can read and write, teachers would explain the rules on the board. We students needed to write those rules down in our notebooks. Then we needed to do some exercises in which most of the time these exercises asked students to conjugate both regular and irregular verb forms (the drill techniques/slot technique). In the reading class, we would read simplified novels in class and teachers would translate the texts to students (translation method). In speaking class, I was lucky comparing to others because I was in this catholic school. The school would have some English-speaking teachers (one Filipino, one Indian, one American) to teach us once a week.
I also had a chance to study French after I graduated. I enrolled myself into a French class offered through the France embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. The class would meet on a regular basis of 3-hour class, once a week. This is an integrated skill class in which all four skills would be taught and practiced in the class hours. I enjoyed the class very much. Though I am not fully fluent in French, I still remembered how to introduce myself in French.
Another language in which I learned through traveling is Spanish. I never took any classes in Spanish, but I decided to backpack with my friend to South America. People would think that English could be used as well in those countries. It’s not true! I needed to learn Spanish to travel as well. Well, my friend also could not speak Spanish. We traveled by using Lonely Planet’s Latin American Spanish Phrasebook. In the book, it gives basic conversation and useful word lists. Though I could not speak Spanish, I actually employed some French words that I remembered to use in Spanish. It worked! I could survive during those two months of backpacking. At the end of the trip, I know some basic Spanish words as well as some Spanish dishes I can cook at home.