Hello everyone. My name is Kristina Pettersen and I’m 17 years old. I’m originally from the south of Norway - so Norwegian is my mother tongue-, but now Spain is my home country. I have been studying English all since primary school, and have experienced a lot of embarrassing moments through out the years.  

It has always been important for me to learn English. I guess I would feel quite lost and helpless if I didn’t have English to support me. I expect that everyone here, who has studied a language other than their mother tongue, know how confusing and, at times, hopeless it can seem to learn all the different spellings and pronouncements a language consists of.

English is particularly difficult to learn because of all the different ways to pronouns words, and the mass of words which means almost the same thing. Words, which look alike or which has the same meaning in for example Norwegian, might mean two totally different things in English, and this can, as I’m sure you can imation, lead to a lot of confusion and, on some occasions, humiliation. On the other hand, verbs in the English language are inflected in the same way as in Norwegian, and this makes it easier for me, at least.

But even without spelling- or pronouncement mistakes, it can be quite hard to know have to say things which come natural to you in your own language. Therefore you sometimes end up with a stuttering language – which might be charming to some, but to others, not. Its people like the last mentioned who makes it hard for people learning English as a second language.

I remember one time, when a friend of mine and I was visiting an old village in Spain, she mistakenly asked for the bill instead of the menu – in Spanish of cause, but that’s the same thing – and the waiter, who was taking our order, treated her really shamefully, and was so arrogant and thought he was so much better than us. This incident made her really upset and insecure, and we ended up having to place our order in English instead.

After everything I have told you some far, you must wonder why I even waste my time learning a language which gives me as much confusion and which leads to so many misunderstandings. But the truth is, despite everything I have said before, English is a very useful tool which I wouldn’t wish to be without.

Now, as I have my home in Spain and my Spanish isn’t really useful for anything but small talk, it would be hopeless without the use of English, and I imation that this language will be of great importance to me in my future working life. This is because I wish to precede a carrier in an international community where I can get to know people from all over the world and thereby experience cultures and custom different from my own. I wish to become a more outgoing person, who’s tolerant and open-minded. This is because I know that I can be a bet to judgemental towards new people in the beginning.     

As a conclusion, I would like to encourage you all to learn a language other than your own primary language, and I can promise you one thing; no matter what happens, you want regret it.