Tatiana

Chile

🅠 What do you like most about studying at The Language Academy?

Ⓐ “I can be an example for many young people learning English. If I can do it, they can do it [laughing].

I had to follow my dreams to learn English and speak English. I am married, and I have children back in Chile, but I said, ‘I need to learn English’. I love the weather here, and I love the beach. I need warmth, and I don’t like when it’s cold.

It’s never too late to learn, or, nunca es tarde para aprender.”

🅠 What has been your biggest challenge while studying English?

Ⓐ “Listening is no problem – to speak is my problem, because I need vocabulary. In English there are many, many rules.”

🅠 What has improved the most?

Ⓐ “Always I spoke with present, and now I can make a question like ‘Did that…? Did you have…?’ I have improved making questions. And using past tense. And listening at the dinner table. Before – nothing – now I can get the context.”

🅠 What was it like studying in Australia?

Ⓐ “There are many differences from Chile to Australia. In Chile I was up at 7am, and I wake up at 5.30am here because of the light; in Chile it’s still dark. Most important is lunch – in Chile you have a big meal for lunch, not here. I had salad for lunch [laughing]. Dinner is 6pm here, in Chile, it’s 9 o’clock.

In Gold Coast the people are friendly. Taking the bus, people say hello. In Chile, the people are always complaining, but here they are always happy. For example, I went to the movies on Sunday, when I went up in the lift everyone was talking. In Chile, that wouldn’t happen. It’s very dangerous to ride a bike on the road in Chile, but here, everyone respects the bike lanes.”

🅠 How has this course prepared you for the future?

Ⓐ “I love to travel. I always love to travel, two or three times a year. I like the cruises, and always the people are speaking English, and always I feel bad because I don’t speak with the other people. I said to myself, ‘Next year is not the same, I will speak English’. For myself, it’s important. I will be here for about 100 days, but if I don’t speak well, I will come back next year.”