I need to practice my english. We can help each other.

[Vegaña]

I'm so glad that you're interested in my story. For me it's a pleasure to tell you a little bit more:

How I met my Portuguese friend.

The parents of my host family knew that there was another family with German au pair in that small town, so they took me to that house, but the au pair arrived a month later.

So I was alone all that time, and when the German au pair should be in my town, I was so full of doubts... I didn't dare to go to that house, introduce myself, talk in English...

But one day I did it, and my surprise was that the au pair hadn't arrived yet, and she wasn't German, but Portuguese. It was such a good news for me, because Portugal felt like home, and Germany a little bit far away.

When the Portuguese au pair arrived, I went to her house and she was very happy to see me. She spoke Spanish (she studied in Granada) but we spoke in English all the time. Well, at least, I tried to speak it.

And then our adventure started: we went to the North Sea, to lots of surrounding towns, Newcastle, we were about to death in many occasions... Haha, she was crazy and me too.

By the way, if you're curious... I had a blog where I wrote my experience from the beginning. It's a bit funny. The soap opera continues here: http://chaupaira.blogspot.com.es/201...1_archive.html

[Metódico]

Hi.

I would like to tell you how was my experience in England last year.

I was there working as au pair in a vegetarian family (lucky me) for around seven months. At first I didn't speak a word, I was so brave because my English was completely bad.

In the beginning I was lazy about learning it. I mean, I was like feigning when I was with the family, but then in my room and in my mind I was completely "Spanishized".

I went to the supermarket and I tooked any product, and I looked for the instructions or ingredients in Spanish. I listened to my Spanish music in my phone. Each day, when I finished to work I came back to my Spanish world.

That was a big mistake, but I woke up. I made a Portuguese friend, and she spoke a good English. Our chats were so hilarious, because she barely understood me and I barely could express myself.

In my host house, with the children I looked after, I didn't put so much effort, it was always the same "eat that, please", "pick it up, please", "have you washed your hands/teeth?", "oh, seriously, do you think I'm the better au pair in the world?". But with my new friend I had to explain her my life, my thoughts, my dreams or whatever and that helped me lots.

We talked for hours, we laughed, we got on very well, we discovered a lot of beautiful places around there, we interchanged music... Well, believe it or not, I had never listened English music in my life. Now I'm listening to Patsy Cline, I met her there.

She made me change, my mind was in an English mode. I listened to lots of English music, to English radio (oh, my God, you can't imagine my excitation when I understood my first sentence in the radio), English movies with English subtitles (not Spanish any more). When I had to search something in Google I put it in English, I started to looove English. Yeah, I enjoyed it. I made lots of exercices in my host house (in that small town there wasn't any English lessons) and I was excited about it, listening, speaking, improving...

Well, I must confess I'm very thankful to my Portuguese friend. She was my Heidi and I was her paralitic Clara. She taught me how to walk and she left. We are in touch, and if I had have money I would be in Lisbon right now, you can believe me!

My friends visited me in London (7 or 8 hours by bus) and there are lots of Spanish people, I was shocked. Besides that, I didn't meet any Spanish, because I was in a small town. Although Newcastle was not far (less than an hour) and I knew that there was a lot of Spanish I didn't try to meet anyone. All by myself, you know? But yes, I got excited each time I heard a word in Spanish. Even when I saw a Santander bank. Or when I heard in the radio an advertisement of Porcelanosa. I have never been so patriotic.

My experience was very positive, I would do it again without doubt. I grow up a bit, I learned lot of things, I was far from home (I needed it) and I told me: "you could do it". Also, my kids were lovely and the whole family were very respectful with me. I can't complain.

I came back a year ago and I wanted to keep improving my English, because I know I didn't seize all I could (but it was OK, anyway). The family wanted me to be their au pair again the next year, but I was a bit saturated and I wanted a place crowder, where I could do lots of things, meet lot of people, go to English lessons and... Maybe as au pair, or maybe with a 'real' job. But then, my mind changed another time and I started to look in Italy, because I really wanted to know it.

When I have found a family (last Christmas), they wanted me to be their next au pair (they spoke English too, and well, the Italian is not a problem). They lived in the Alps (so, another small town) but they seemed so nice to me, so I was just about to say "yes, wait for me"... But... What happened? What?

Don't you imagine it? I fell in love with a marvelous person I met in this forum, so I can't leave him... at least at the moment! Because my mind always wants to fly a little bit.

Well, sorry for my long story... if anyone wants to correct my mistakes for me it would be a pleasure. And if anyone has any doubts I can follow telling you my life, I don't mind.

Great! I want to do the same! Now I am watching english films and english serials with english subtitles... and, I am very slow! I must stop the film each time (how do you say "cada momento" in English?).

[Dethvader]

"All the time"

[Crisha]

Now I am watching english films and english serials with english subtitles...

I'd say "I watch..." instead of using the continous tense since it's somtehing you are currently doing on a regular basis.

I must stop the film each time

Must implied "obligation". I'd rather say "I need to stop the film all the time/very often" or "I keep stopping the film" (in this case, I think you don't need any time expression because "keep doing something" already gives that idea of continuity).

[RollerFromHell]

Great! I want to do the same! Now I am watching english films and english serials with english subtitles... and, I am very slow! I must stop the film each time (how do you say "cada momento" in English?).

Maybe you can try attending a language exchange meeting, to be able to speak english with natives before you actually go there. The first times it's like listening to an endless flow of grunts where you suppose there must be words somewhere (but it’s just a supposition). In any case, series and movies are a good idea to get used to it too.

Vegaña, you have proved again that you cannot judge a book by its cover. I'll try to read the whole story from your blog (I guess it's like the 80's Batman and Robin series, where you almost die at the end of each chapter xD). I'm glad you had such a wonderful experience, let's hope it will be similar for Metodico

[Metódico]

I'm very nervous because the travel time is coming. And my English is as bad as the begining! I didn't nothing to practise! jojojojjoojojjoj. XD

But I'm happy too. I like the changes!! Ok, it isn't true, I have been watching this serial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmdz6Y0e5-A

[xanne]

I'm very nervous because the travel time is coming it is time to travel/ to flight/ to get the plane. And my English is as bad as the begining! I didn't nothing to practisepractice at all! jojojojjoojojjoj. XD

But I'm happy too. I like the changes!! Ok, it isn't true, I have been watching this serial TV show/ TV series:

-------------------------

When are you getting the plane? is it this month?

[nekete]

Yuuuuujuuuuuu... ;]

I´m also going to England to learn english language. I still don´t know where exactlly. I suppose it will be London because of the work but I ´m still thinking about it.

I have chosen England to improve my level of english because I really love the british accent. I adore it.

I have been in England two times in my life. The first time I went to York with a group of spanish people to study english in a little school for fifteen days. It was very interesting because we were housed with english families.

And the second time was also many time ago, but I went alone to find a job a stay there for the rest of my life :] Well, "the rest of my life" was six months in London. The problem in this case was that I started to know a lot of spanish people and I couldn´t learnt so much as I wanted

And now I start again... England, get ready, here I come.

[diana_asturiana]

Well, we are also thinking about travelling abroad; in Spain we don't find job anymore, it's quite exasperating...

We would like to go somewhere not too far away. An English-speaker country if possible. We'll see.

Nekete and Metódico, if you two find job easily, just tell us!! In some months you may have a great Spanish group living with you


Nekete: when you write down nationalities you must use capital letters, as for instance: English, Spanish... And for saying "two times", use better the word "twice". Once = one time; twice = two times; and then, three times, four times and so on

[Gatos.urbanos]

Yuuuuujuuuuuu... ;]

I´m also going to England to learn english language. I still don´t know where exactlly. I suppose it will be London because of the work but I ´m still thinking about it.

I have chosen England to improve my level of english because I really love the british accent. I adore it.

I have been in England two times in my life. The first time I went to York with a group of spanish people to study english in a little school for fifteen days. It was very interesting because we were housed with english families.

And the second time was also many time ago, but I went alone to find a job a stay there for the rest of my life :] Well, "the rest of my life" was six months in London. The problem in this case was that I started to know a lot of spanish people and I couldn´t learnt so much as I wanted

And now I start again... England, get ready, here I come.

It usually happens that when you choose the UK for a better accent you find that not everybody speaks with a perfect accent over there. You find many cockney and geordie accents, among others. Unless you are sure of the place you are going to ( e.g. places around a good university) you have to be careful about accents. It usually happens also that in small towns or cities with good universities you find plenty of survival jobs.