Episodes of Living: HOW I LEARNED TO SPEAK ENGLISH

Coming from a small town school in the Central Region of Ghana, it wasn't the best of places to learn to speak good English. In fact, anyone who ever spoke English well had had a good start from another school probably Accra or another city. On top of my head, I can remember Kofi, Deborah, Rita, Richard, Oluku, and a few others who transferred to our school already speaking well. But not me! One day, there was a directive by our school head that anyone who was caught speaking vernacular during school time must be knocked by the next person. Your guess is as good as mine, because I couldn't speak English, I kept quiet to avoid being knocked on the head by my own mates.

In 2002 when I entered Wesley Grammar School in Accra, I declined literature because I felt it wasn't my kind of subject. I went for other courses in my zone. Lo and behold, I struck acquaintance with a lady called Yasmine. She was about to help me in a big way. Yasmine had a good command over the English language but I had something she needed too. I was good at Mathematics so we traded and decided to help each other. She helped me with English and I helped her with Mathematics.

How I learned to speak English?
Even though she told me to help her with Mathematics, I never disclosed my learning of English from her. Well, she may have discovered that I didn't speak well. Anyway! How did I learn? My learning of the English language from Yasmine is the same way Jesus' disciples learned from Him for three and half years.

Daily Walking
Jesus' disciples walked with Him daily on the streets of Palestine for three and half years. Yasmine and I became such good friends that almost daily, we met to chat. We met to walk from her class to the dining hall or class to the dorm. My secret of learning English was to be with her almost every time. Daily routines are profound to master any skill in the world. If you want to learn from a mentor or role model, learn to walk with them through their books, audios, videos, or be with them if possible.

Daily Hearing
Jesus did not only walk with His disciples but also He taught them. They heard Him speak every time for the period they were with Him. This is another way that helped me; through our conversations. Not only did we meet but we talked. I heard her and I learned from her. English learning for me was hearing it often. Just like faith comes by hearing God, learning English comes by hearing the speaker speak. You can learn any skill by hearing it often. Be actively involved in hearing what is being shared and you will definitely go home with some learning under your belt.

Daily Practicing
Jesus gave His disciples the opportunity to venture out and do what they heard and saw Him do. In Matthew 10, He sent them two by two to go out, preach, heal and cast out demons. This is what Jesus had been doing all along. What I did after we met was so important. At least, I practiced what I heard in my dormitory. It helped me to practice speaking English. You can always learn any skill in this world by practicing what you learn. It is said that "practice makes a man perfect". Keep practicing.

There you go. That's how Jesus raised His disciples to do what He did and that's how I learned to speak English from Yasmine without even knowing I used Jesus' strategy. Still I keep learning and practicing. When I meet Yasmine again, I will thank her for the gift of friendship which has given me a good command over the English language so that I could communicate to people individually, speaking in public, writing, preaching and many other rippling effects. God bless you Yasmine.