- Hello Emilio, welcome to Mansion Ingles. Can you tell me
Emilio, how long have you been studying English?
- Well..erm..I’ve been English from when I
was thirteen years old, but there…there was a great gap until I went back to
studying English again when I was twenty-eight. I took some classes again, and
from this time I’ve been studying by myself.
- I see, and how have you to learn by
yourself? What systems have you used?
- Mmm..I..I don’t really know. I..I like..er.. reading a lot, in fact it’s very
difficult to..to.to..find people that can with
me, because my life..is..erm…it’s not easy to find people, er..so I try to read
and watch English TV and..er.. things like that.
- Uh-huh. Have you any formal courses?
- Oh yes, yes, as I mentioned before, I..I took a short three-month course
studying English in an academy.
- It must have been very difficult learning by yourself so many years.
-Yes, that’s true. In the I..I was a
little bit lost because..er.. everything seemed very difficult. Erm..There were
many..many stages in my learning. But..er..well, I am very interesting in..in
the English language. I find it quite interesting for me and, well I like
languages in.
- Uh-huh, and what do you do to keep in touch with English, to keep in contact
with the language?
- Well, first of all I..I live with my ears wide open, and..erm..I try to pay
attention to every of news I hear in
English, and..er..every sentence I see in newspapers, or I hear in a terrace or
walking in the street, and I try to..to watch English TV programmes as often as
possible, or..or watch or something...this
kind..well, this is my method.
- I see, and how do you learn vocabulary, Emilio?
- Vocabulary, in fact, for me is curiosity of life. Er…I..I always want to..to
know..er.. the way..er..some words..er.. are said in another language, so it’s
curiosity. Er..I like to read. I..I think reading is the..the
for this..this way to..to achieve..er..vocabulary.
When I find a new expression I try to..to picture this new word, and I go to the
dictionary and look it up…or..and I try to remember it. And..er..I write it and
look at it several times, because sometimes you need to go to the dictionary
several times, not only once.
- I see, and finally Emilio, do you have and
for people who are studying with Mansion
Ingles?
- Well, my advice is..er.. be constant,..erm.. very
on English and look..er.. for subjects
that you are really interested in. And not to stop! Er..not to yield, Sometimes
it’s due to the topics, not..not the English in itself, so you have to find your
own subjects you’re interested in, the subject that you..you are really
interested. This is my advice.
- That’s very helpful. Thank you very much for your time.