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<title> English, My English! </title>
I remember that as children me and my best friend Hanna used to pretend to speak English in the playground, just to impress the other children present. Of course we didn't know many real words in English, so we would make up our own language, calling it "English", because that was a word we had heard on the television. A few years later my father married an Englishwoman, Nicole, who at the time didn't know any Swedish at all. She taught me and my younger brother a few words and sentences in English, by playing games and writing Christmas cards etc. When it was time for our first visit in England, we had learned quite a lot. I was ten years old and my brother seven when we flew alone from Arlanda to meet our father and Nicole at Heathrow, London. We sat next to an older English gentleman who was constantly talking. He asked where we were from and I explained. In response he said that he would never have thought that we weren't from England, since we spoke such good English. For years I believed that old man and it didn't once cross my mind that he could have said it just to make me happy. When we started learning English in school, I considered myself speaking the language almost fluently. Of course that wasn't the case, but for a long time I had great confidence speaking and writing English.
	That experience on the plane was probably one of the most important in my process of learning English. I was never afraid to speak in English class, or write essays, or talk to Nicole's family and friends. Somewhere along the road I realised that the gentleman was probably just teasing me or trying to make me feel good, because I really weren't that excellent at English. But at that point it didn't matter any more, I had already received that basic confidence.
	I still consider myself rather good at understanding and speaking English, although I haven't studied it for nearly two and a half years now. Since my father and Nicole always speak English at home I have become used to hearing it and that's also a good way of learning a language. On the other hand I've become so used to hearing and speaking the "every-day" English that I sometimes find it hard to express myself in more sophisticated and advanced words, for instance in writing. Lately I have discovered that my English; both in writing and speaking has been more and more influenced by American English. Earlier I have been very consistent in using British English, since that's what I have heard the most and felt most comfortable with, but I notice how I now sometimes mix them and that is quite confusing. I don't know why I have so suddenly started doing this, maybe it has to do with my not studying English for so long. Another possible reason can be that I have been studying several other languages the last couple of years, which might have complicated things. I have never had any difficulties listening to speeches and programmes in English, or understanding different dialects.
	The first three years of studying English in school I had a wonderful teacher called Bo Hedberg who taught me the importance of reading books in order to improve my language. Since I've always enjoyed reading, that wasn't too difficult, and I have continued reading books in English, which has expanded my vocabulary very much.
	Influenced by good teachers and other people around me, I think my English skills have improved much, but there is still a few areas that can be worked on. For instance my writing, in which I tend to use too ordinary and simple language, which of course in some situations can be good. English has always been my favourite subject and I am very grateful to those who have helped me along the way. Especially that nice gentleman on the plane to England a summer many years ago.
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