Hi, my name is Selina. I am from China, and I came to the UK when I was 8 years old with my parents. The sudden change in culture had a big impact on my childhood, as Chinese culture is very different from that of the UK. However, I have managed to settle into the new environment and, most importantly, learn my second language, which is English.
Learning English was a long and scary journey for me because when I started primary school in the UK, I was very anxious due to my limited knowledge of English, and my pronunciation was often incorrect. I still remember when I didn’t know how to say “Can I use the bathroom?” in English. This shows how difficult it was for me as an 8-year-old child. Luckily, I met a girl in my class who was also Chinese but could speak both Chinese and English fluently. We quickly became friends, and she was a huge help to me. She often taught me English and translated words that I struggled with. With her help, I improved in English very quickly and became fluent within about a year.
The teachers at my primary school also provided a lot of support. I was placed in a one-to-one language class, where I was taught things like the vowels in English and pronunciation. Although the journey of learning English was difficult, I overcame many challenges. In the future, I want to try learning a third language.
When I was learning English as a child, I often found myself really stressed, so I started drawing and making DIY projects, which acted as a way to relieve stress from the English tutoring lessons my parents had booked for me. This habit has continued, and I still use it now when I am tired after long hours of study. It is very meaningful for me because, when I make DIY projects, I forget the stress in my mind and focus on what I am doing. I believe this method helps me avoid over-stressing and overthinking.
Currently, I am focusing on improving my cooking skills because, through cooking, I can learn how to make a dish from different combinations of ingredients. I started by making basic dishes, such as egg fried rice, which I think failed the first time because I added too much salt. My second attempt went much better because I learned from my first mistake. When I cook, I ask my friends to try the dishes and give me feedback so I can learn from every mistake and hopefully improve my cooking skills with each attempt.
I really recommend that people find a hobby they enjoy, as it can be a great way to relieve stress.
