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Two years ago I spent a year studying at University College Galway, Ireland. This was the first English-speaking country I went to and therefore Hiberno-English is what have coloured my accent, my vocabulary as well as my social and cultural consciousness in the English language. With 'social and cultural consciousness in English' I intend the fact that when speaking English it feels like I am, in some way, identifying with what I learned and experienced when living in Ireland. A bit philosophical this might sound but I think that by living in a new country learning a new language you gradually develop the same sense to a nominatum as the locals. This denotation so to speak gives you a feeling of belonging to the new language. Well, I will not entangle myself any more into this, it is a complicated thought and feeling of mine. First and foremost though, I identify with myself and feel confident when speaking English. This, I cannot do in any language but Swedish, Icelandic 
(I used to live in Iceland) and English. To be able to identify with yourself and express yourself is a good sign according to me, since this is difficult in a foreign language. 

I was in Ireland as an Erasmus-student doing a Celtic Diploma. My aim was to learn Irish but as English in most cases was the language of teaching as well as the language of my everyday-life I sort of got the hang of it in addition. Since I have come back from Ireland, which is some time now, I have become aware of the fact that I am only moving within the walls of my strengths in English and not really improving much. I feel strong in all medium of communication i.e. in the four skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing but only to a certain extend though. When it comes to areas I have never come near or across before, like different terminology for example, I feel weak. Indeed, I think that my vocabulary is not what it should. This, I realised after only a few days at the course attending the lectures as well as participating at seminars given by the Department. I understand everything that is said but when speaking I often lack words. 

My vocabulary has always been sufficient within the "world" I have used it in but compared to my aims and goals I reckon it being insufficient. Being an academic I also would like to speak like one. This, I do in Swedish and it is a guideline to my English Studies since this, to be able to express myself, as the academic I am, even in English, was my aim and goal with the course in the first place and still is.

Apart from my year in Ireland I have also, as far as English-speaking countries are concerned, travelled around South Africa as well as Shetland. In these places I went along fine with my English as this was after my year in Ireland. The trips, I think, were first and foremost good for my skill of listening, as hearing the various accents broadened the expectations of my "English ear".

I believe I will gain a lot of vocabulary this semester which is brilliant for MY English and exactly what I need. Strengthening my other skills of communication, which are not what they should either, is something I look forward to as well. To be able to swim around in a language and hear it all the time is an opportunity not often given outside the country of the language itself though an opportunity offered at the Department of English with the schedule being as intensive as it is. One must never rest from a language and it is a good thing you are not allowing us to do that.
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