APPL 925/725: A Personal Journey of English Language Learning

This essay details a student's journey of learning English, contrasting the educational systems and cultural contexts of Pakistan and Australia. Initially educated in Urdu with limited English exposure in Pakistan, the student found traditional methods lacking in engagement and resources. Transitioning to Australia, the student experienced a modern, immersive learning environment with creative teaching methods, technology integration, and interactive group work. Overcoming challenges related to accent and dialect, the student embraced innovative approaches such as movies, music, and online tools to enhance vocabulary and fluency. The essay highlights the transformative impact of a supportive and technologically advanced learning environment on English language acquisition, emphasizing the importance of active engagement, collaboration, and personalized learning strategies. Desklib provides access to similar essays and resources for students.

Running head: LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
Children from Pakistan were mainly taught Urdu and English was only taught if it was seen
that the parents wanted to. Earlier, Pakistan did not have proper educational centers that
taught proper vocabulary and grammar (Ahmad & Rao, 2013). However by the time the
interviewee reached university, he thought that if he wanted to get better at speaking English,
he would have to do it from abroad and specially from a country that has English as its first
language. Pakistan was not a country that had English as its main language. European
countries like UK however, he decided to go to Australia. He took this decision is because of
the modern classroom setting in the country. What he noticed here is that the students and the
teachers are treated as equals and of the many creative approaches that has been used in
educational institutes as a learning strategy. He has been taught in groups as well as
individually what ge was surprised to notice that most classrooms improve grammar or
vocabulary by showing movies or listening to music because that way it was very immersive
for him as a student and engaging as well. The rate of absenteeism is also less in classes
because students like the learning method so much that everyone attends it. When he used to
visit my classroom, what he loved was the stimulating way of learning language. Every day it
was something new and exciting and creativity was used to its full potential. Not only that,
the homework given were also was also interactive and reflective. He had to bring in forums
of discussion of websites and allowed students to gain confidence, as we would engage in
interactions and voice their opinions about the task. As the first language was Urdu, it was
initially hard for him to get a grasp at speaking fluent English and especially in Australia. Not
only they have a unique accent but also it is quite fast. It was very hard at first to understand
however while understanding the teaching methods and following the tutorials day by day, he
not only was able to understand, but also was able to speak in a much similar accent. As a
native of Pakistan, it was initially difficult, not only because of the accent but also because of
the dialect. It is also different from the Urdu writing and the sentences having nothing in
1

2LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
similar. It had to contrast the differences learning what the English word is and what it means
and what is the Urdu word for the same meaning. By utilizing that method, it was easier for
him to remember the words and keeping practice of the sentences and vocabulary made it
simple. By breaking down a sentence and understanding what it means, it helped him to
understand what the words would be (Pegrum, Oakley, & Faulkner, 2013). When he knew
the words, he could construct a sentence by my own. During my school days, it was not
mandatory to learn English as a major language. He did knew some of the words like “Thank
You” or “Hello” like most people, however not understanding it when he used to watch
television or listen to someone speaking fluently. By understanding the gestures, he would
make out what the person is trying to tell. The first step was to read books in school and he
found that he took quite a liking to the language. His parents also did not encouraged him too
much because it was common it the country that learning English was not a necessity
(Mahboob, & Elyas, 2014). When his parents grew up, English speakers in Pakistan was
mainly from the family that were rich and wanted to go abroad to study. People who looked
for jobs within the country did not needed to learn as it was not mandatory at all. Even
schools had just basic English words and grammar (Bughio, 2013). The participant’s beliefs
and experiences in the Pakistani classroom reveal the lack of important facilities that enable
student learning and the development of their English learning skills. However, in addition to
this the way that language is taught in Pakistan is often archaic, lacking engagement and
seemingly uninteresting to students. It took his own dedication towards the language to help
to get better at it. Once he wrote an English essay on a common subject and the schoolteacher
appreciated it (Alam, & Uddin, 2013). The teacher told him that he was good at it and he
should continue to learn it. After getting inspired, he followed the teacher’s instructions and
improved by pronunciations and vocabulary accordingly. He used to watch the English news
on television and repeated that they say, most of the times he could not understand what was
2

3LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
being said but he continued practicing either way. Not sure how much that helped him but he
was certain that his confidence certainly increased with that method. During his childhood,
Pakistan did not offer much of a learning course because of the educational system. It has
improved a lot over the years as earlier it mainly focused of Urdu language and Islamic
studies. He decided that if he had to become better in the English language, the only option
he had was to learn from abroad. After looking for many options he decided to go for
Australia (Manan, David, & Dumanig, 2016). In Pakistan, the language learning system in
classroom was hugely different from that of Australia. During his initial school days, it was
mainly manual and they had to learn by reading textbooks and doing homework. It was very
straightforward and repetitive as students had to learn with one way and could not apply their
own methods. This method was used in most educational centers before there was a
technological advancement all over the world (Ahmad, Khan, & Munir, 2013). In Pakistan,
the language learning method was as per the textbooks and it creative was not generally
appreciated. There was once time when he was scolded for paraphrasing a sentence instead of
writing what was actually written. The teacher knew that what he wrote was indeed correct
however, as per the rules, he had to write exactly what was needed. The participant’s
description of the materials provided in the classroom includes no visual or other resources.
The only resource for learning is the traditional textbook and black board (Luke, 2018). This
means that students are expected to listen attentively as the only form of learning, allowing
them to both respond in class and in exam conditions. In Australia, this was completely
different as the language learning method is totally based on creativity (Bilal et al, 2013).
Classrooms show movies and makes students listen to songs to get a better grips on the
language and the accent. The teachers and the staff are very interactive with the students and
they provide the utmost help required. In Australian language classroom can find a different
type of learning technology that helps students to improve their English language not only in
3

4LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
classroom but also outside classroom environment. For example, in Australian institute
participant can learn in different digital devices individually by going to web side to practice
lessening or grammar. The methods were new and interactive which helps any student to
understand the process of learning the better. During his initial days in Australia, he noticed
that he was not the only foreign exchange student there (Brooks & Waters, 2015). Each of
them had issues at first while learning to speak in a better manner however the educational
system was so effective that nobody had issues while learning and there was no absenteeism
during the classes. He found out there was an eagerness to learn in all of the candidates and a
mutual understanding in between everyone. There were projectors in every room which
provided slide shows of the presentation we learned. It was a systematic approach to learning
because all the students appreciated the method. It make the process even better, they were
given homework which we had to work is groups and look up in the internet. It gave students
the idea about the topic on a much larger scale as there was everything given on the internet
that was related to the topic (Ryan, & Barton, 2014). Therefore they made assignments and
showed them as presentation to the class. To him, this was an effective method as he learned
a lot about English as a language and how to speak professionally. Unlike the time he spent at
Pakistan, Australia was much more technically advanced and the approaches were much
more creative (Mahboob, 2015). At Pakistan, he was taught the old fashioned method of
textbooks and chalkboards however at Australia the method changed completely. With the
advantage of modern technology and materials, it was easy for him to understand the concept
of language. There were the advantages of having projectors in the classrooms which helped
students to understand the work clearly. With the daily advancement of technology it is easier
for classrooms to conduct a study (Javed, Juan, & Nazli, 2013). During his time he found that
technology has allowed more active learning by the methods of online polls or quiz questions
through lectures. For him the subject matter was dynamic and timely with digital textbooks
4

5LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
that actually embedded links to important or relevant materials. Whether it was adding single
tool for a unique project or terms or being well versed in technology always helped in my
credibility with the learning. Online polling on the other hand helped along with other tools
that engaged students like us. From applications and e-reading material to authoritative
stages, there is no deficiency of devices that can change the classroom (English, Hudson, &
Dawes, 2013). A few educators were moving in the direction of classroom in the utilization
of aggressive situations, and the conveyance of focuses and rewards to make the classroom
more fun and locks in. The way to guaranteeing these strategies are additionally compelling
is planning them to help the course learning goals. Robotization also accelerate dull, tedious
errands, for example, monitoring understudy participation and execution. Commitment
apparatuses can help streamline reviewing for composing assignments, exchanges and
support, and answer normal understudy questions, which generally could appear to be
overwhelming because of their goal nature. To him, there was an incentive in having reading
material and course materials that are dependably up and coming, which can even incorporate
increases proposed by understudies (Khattak, 2014). This likewise cultivates a more
community oriented learning condition; understudies, arranged together on the web, can
share data, cooperate on assemble extends, and associate with the teacher.
On the other hand, numerous individuals are suspicious of innovation and what it does
to understudies' and everybody else's capacity to verbally communicate. By making
assignments in class that utilization both mechanical apparatuses and oral introductions and
gathering joint effort, understudies will figure out how to be dynamic by the way they learn
and connect with others. One of his educators trusted that innovation is a device to be utilized
as a part of the classroom, as opposed to an end in it (Uptin, Wright, & Harwood, 2013). The
educator is in charge—and knows how to bring the best out in the understudy. The important
fact was that a few students were not able to manage the cost of iPads or even the course
5

6LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
books required for class. For these understudies, point them toward library or network assets,
or make assignments that enable them to work in gatherings and offer assets. Try not to make
innovation the focal point of their class, and do not make it a hindrance. Join it in an all-
encompassing and comprehensive way. Also the internet is a gift and a curse (Canagarajah,
Ashraf, 2013). Your understudies may require direction on recognizing legitimate sources
and untrustworthy sources. Numerous grounds have composing focuses that can help with
this. You can likewise utilize OERs, which are open instructive assets in the general
population area that anybody can unreservedly utilize, duplicate and adjust; they run from
course readings to address notes, examinations and assignments.
Analysis
From the above analysis, it can be understand that the student had problems in the beginning
when he started learning English in Australia. As he was born and brought up at Pakistan, he
did not have enough access to proper English communication. As there was a cultural
backwardness in the country, he was not able to improve. However, after coming to
Australia, he found the techniques of teaching more helpful and efficient which helped him to
get better. After utilizing the technology and the advantages of the educational institutions of
Australia he held an interview which helped him to addressed the educational and
communicational issues he faced at Pakistan and how much it is different from that of
Australia.
6

7LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
Appendices
- Good morning. How are you getting along today?
Great much obliged.
- So you did your initial instruction from Pakistan is that right?
Indeed, I was born and raised there. When I was growing up, I saw that children from my
country were generally demonstrated Urdu and Englis0h. was simply appeared if it was seen
that the watchmen expected to. Pakistan in the midst of my childhood did not have fitting
informative concentrations that informed authentic vocabulary and linguistic structure. In any
case when I accomplished school, I contemplated inside that if I expected to enhance at
imparting in English, I would need to do it from abroad and particularly from a country that
has English as its first language.
- Why do you think your English enhanced in Australia?
Indeed, I was not from country that did not have English as its guideline language. I
considered European countries like UK regardless, I went to Australia. I took this decision is
a consequence of the front line classroom setting in the country. What I have seen here is that
the understudies and the educators are managed as counterparts and of the various creative
strategies that has been used as a piece of educational foundations as a learning philosophy. I
have been taught in bundles and independently what I was stunned to see that most
classrooms upgrade linguistic structure or vocabulary by exhibiting movies or tuning in to
7

8LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
music since that way it was uncommonly immersive for me as an understudy and associating
moreover.
- So you appreciated the time there?
The rate of non-appearance is additionally less in classes since understudies like the
learning strategy so much that everybody goes to it. When I used to visit my classroom, what
I cherished was the invigorating method for learning dialect. Consistently it was something
new and energizing and innovativeness was utilized to its maximum capacity. Not just that,
the homework given were likewise was additionally intuitive and intelligent. I needed to
acquire gatherings of exchange of sites and enabled understudies to pick up certainty, as we
would participate in associations and voice our conclusions about the errand. As my first
dialect was Urdu, it was at first difficult for me to get a grip at talking familiar English and
particularly in Australia. They have a one of a kind emphasize as well as it is very quick. It
was hard at first to see in any case while understanding the showing strategies and following
the instructional exercises step by step, I could comprehend, as well as could talk in a much
comparative highlight.
- Did you ever confront trouble?
As a native of Pakistan, it was at first troublesome, in light of the supplement and
additionally in light of the tongue. It is moreover not the same as the Urdu making and the
sentences having nothing in near. For some person like me, it expected to separate the
refinements acknowledging what the English word is and what it suggests and what is the
Urdu word for a comparative criticalness. By utilizing that system, it was less requesting for
me to review the words and keeping routine with respect to the sentences and vocabulary
8

9LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
made it essential. By isolating a sentence and understanding what it suggests, it helped me to
appreciate what the words would be. When I knew the words, I could manufacture a sentence
by my own.
- What are the explanations behind you not building up your English in Pakistan?
Amid my school days, it was not required to learn English as a noteworthy dialect. I
did knew a portion of the words like "Thank You" or "Hi" like a great many people, anyway I
didn't comprehend it when I used to sit in front of the TV or tune in to somebody talking
fluidly. By understanding the signals, I would make out what the individual is attempting to
tell. The initial step I took was to peruse books in school and I found that I took a significant
getting a kick out of the chance to the dialect.
- Was the impact from your folks?
My folks likewise did not encourage me a lot on the grounds that it was regular it the
nation that learning English was not a need. At the point when my folks grew up, English
speakers in Pakistan was basically from the family that were rich and needed to travel to
another country to ponder. Individuals who searched for occupations inside the nation did not
expected to learn as it was not obligatory by any means. Indeed, even schools had quite
recently fundamental English words and sentence structure. The member's convictions and
encounters in the Pakistani classroom uncover the absence of critical offices that empower
understudy learning and the advancement of their English learning abilities. Nonetheless,
notwithstanding this how dialect is educated in Pakistan is frequently obsolete, lacking
9

10LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
commitment and apparently uninteresting to understudies. It took my own particular devotion
towards the dialect to show signs of improvement at it.
- Did you have a mentor you bolstered you?
Regardless I recollect that I composed an English paper on a typical subject and my
teacher valued it. He disclosed to me that I was great at it and I should keep on learning it. So
I took after his guidelines and enhanced by elocutions and vocabulary in like manner. Despite
everything I recall that I used to watch the English news on TV and rehashed that they say,
the vast majority of the circumstances I couldn't comprehend what was being said yet I kept
rehearsing in any case. Well I don't know how much that aided but rather I was sure that my
certainty positively expanded with that technique.
Amid my adolescence, Pakistan did not offer quite a bit of an adapting course in light
of the instructive framework. It has enhanced a considerable measure throughout the years as
prior it principally engaged of Urdu dialect and Islamic examinations. I chose that on the off
chance that I needed to wind up better in the English dialect, the main choice I had was to
gain from abroad, so I did. In the wake of searching for some alternatives I chose to go for
Australia.
10

11LOGISTICS AND ENGLISH
REFERENCES
Ahmad, N., Khan, F. N., & Munir, N. (2013). Factors affecting the learning of English at
secondary school level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. International journal of
English language and Literature studies, 2(2), 95-101.
Ahmad, S., & Rao, C. (2013). Applying Communicative Approach in Teaching English as a
Foreign Language: a Case Study of Pakistaner. Porta Linguarum: revista internacional
de didáctica de las lenguas extranjeras, (20), 187-203.
Alam, Q., & Bashir Uddin, A. (2013). Improving English oral communication skills of
Pakistani public school’s students. International journal of English language teaching,
1(2), 17-36.
Bilal, H. A., Rehman, A., Rashid, A., Adnan, R., & Abbas, M. (2013). Problems in Speaking
English with L2 Learners of Rural Area Schools of Pakistan. Language in India,
13(10), 1220-1235.
Brooks, R., & Waters, J. (2015). The hidden internationalism of elite English schools.
Sociology, 49(2), 212-228.
Bughio, F. A. (2013). Improving English language teaching in large classes at university
level in Pakistan (Doctoral dissertation, University of Sussex).
Canagarajah, S., & Ashraf, H. (2013). Multilingualism and education in South Asia:
Resolving policy/practice dilemmas. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 33, 258-
285.
11