After our honeymoon in Europe, I felt a strong desire to learn English. But while working, it wasn’t easy to make time to study consistently, whether by going to an English academy or using study materials.
Then I happened to discover the ‘7-day challenge’. At first I hesitated because it seemed to be a programme for babies, young children and their parents. But I thought, ‘Perhaps my English level is similar to a young child’s?’ and found the courage to sign up, haha.
Through the challenge that arrived every morning, I learned short, simple English sentences that were easy to use in everyday life, one by one. While travelling by car with my husband, we tried describing what we could see outside in English. At home, we rediscovered our playful side with a treasure hunt, using the sentences we had learned. As a nursery teacher, I also tried saying English sentences aloud whenever I could during my day with the children.
At first, even saying one short sentence felt awkward. But as I repeated them aloud and used them in different everyday situations, I began to feel that the expressions were becoming my own. Above all, realising that English was a language I could enjoy using and learning in daily life, rather than a difficult subject I had to study, made it more and more fun! Seeing the children repeat the sentences I used also made me realise how important the roles of parents and teachers are!
When I thought about English conversation before, I felt my pronunciation had to be accurate and my sentences had to flow naturally without hesitation, so I worried before I even started. But this challenge taught me that, rather than speaking perfectly, what matters is trying to speak confidently even when it feels clumsy, and enjoying the process of repeating it.
Although it was only seven short days, I think there was a small but meaningful change in my feelings and attitude towards English. It helped me start without pressure and discover the joy of finding, learning and expressing English in everyday life.
I want to remember the enjoyment I felt during this challenge and keep getting a little closer to English in my everyday life. These were seven wonderfully enjoyable days that I’m so grateful for—they turned my vague fear of studying English into excitement! ❤️
