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<title> History </title>
My learning of the English language began early, like many other children in Sweden. I have since birth heard English, not just from television but also from some friends of my parents. 
My parents moved to Germany, when I turned eight. Here I started the second grade in an International American School. Throughout the two grades, I visited the school; I had ESL (English as a second language) teaching and attended "normal" English lessons. In fourth grade I started in a German school and learned yet another language. I visited German schools until grade 9, where you were taught only to speak and write British English. 
I was then enrolled at a boarding school in Sweden outside of Stockholm. At Sigtuna, you are constantly in contact with English, wheater it is American or British English. Since they have the Swedish programs in English as well as a program called IB. Both English variations are equally represented among both staff and pupils at the school, though you are mostly taught American English writing.

Since I graduated from upper secondary school here in Uppsala, I have visited the United States twice. Two summers in a row, I worked as a counselor and in the equestrian department at Frenchwoods Festival of Performing Arts outside of New York City.
The last three semesters I have been studying German at the University in Uppsala. From these three semesters I have learned that, though I might be good at the languages, I do not feel like a native speaker in any of them (Swedish, English and German).

Speaking & Reading 
Speaking has never been a problem, as I am aware of, since you always learn to express yourself orally before you learn the written language. I feel comfortable speaking both in front of groups and unconstructivly. My weakness here is that I am not very good at pronouncing new words, not only in English but in any language. The International American school expected you to pronounce according to their rules, while the German schools wanted you to pronounce according to the British rules. This makes it very confusing to a ten-year-old girl, how you are suppose to readout words; so I just listen instead. 
Although this is probably more a problem when I am reading aloud, this is not very often. Reading is an activity I enjoy a lot in any language. At the moment, there have mostly been German books, but I do read Swedish and English books and magazines as well. The classical works of Goethe, Schiller, etcera were not my favorites, as Shakespeare, Byron, etcera probably won't be, but they have their bright sides as well.

I do know in all my languages that the speaking level depends very much on my surroundings, which is commonly known, that oral presentation always improve in the language you are surrounded by. 

Writing 
Writing has never been and probably never will be my strong side. The problem is, I believe, is that I have moved around in different schools and therefore never had a teacher that had time to help me with my problems long enough. I never translate in my head, as many other people do when writing in a foreign language. My strength in writing is that; I am good at structuring an assignment; which I have heard from teachers in both German and Swedish schools and from a teacher in the German Department. However, my weakness is that I often switch letters, because I do not look through the assignment good enough. Because I read, what I think. I am not very good at using my knowledge of grammar. I do not believe I lack knowledge of grammar, after studying Latin at the Swedish gymnasium and three semesters of German. Nevertheless, there is a lack of being able to use it. 
However, I know that the best way I learn is not by learning more grammar rules; it is by learning from my mistakes.

Improvement
I hope to make improvements during this semester. First of all improve my writing and the whole process of writing. Secondly, I hope to make improvements in the knowledge of English grammar and the application of these and I would like to develop a more extensive vocabulary.
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