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<title> English, my English! </title>
The English language has always been a matter of interest for me. Mainly because of the fact that you can use it almost everywhere in the world. To be able to communicate and to make yourself understood is the base in human relations. I was also inspired by a month-long vacation I spent with my family driving through Great Britain several years ago. In school, competent teachers have increased my interest and after graduation I worked in London for five months as a receptionist at a small bed and breakfast hotel.

The first book I read in English was The castle of adventure by Enid Blyton a number of years ago. Since then I've come across several writers from different ages, all writing fiction or historical novels. When it comes to more advanced reading it is novels by Jane Austen that I've enjoyed most. Even though I don't know every word, I can still comprehend the context and sometimes I understand what the word means by seeing it in a situation. Reading articles in newspapers is a bit more difficult when they contain a lot of new and for me, unusual words. 

I don't have a problem speaking with people my own age, or adults, about common things like music, movies and every day life events. That kind of conversation feels quite natural and I can often speak rather fluently. I do have more trouble with difficult topics involving a lot of complicated words which can be hard to explain without knowing the exact meaning in Swedish. Talking in front of a group makes me uncomfortable and I'm aware of I need quite a lot of practise on that. It's easier if the group is small and if I'm well prepared for the task so I'll know what to say and know that what I'm saying is correct. I do believe that my pronounciation is acceptable with some minor mistakes. Of course, unusual and new words can be hard to pronounce when you rarely hear them or if you have never heard them before. 

Swedish people hear quite a lot of spoken English because of the frequent use on television and in music and understanding it comes rather natural as a result of that. I've no trouble comprehending standard English but different dialects like Scotish and Irish can be hard to follow. Another problem is swearwords which can be difficult to grade according to their strength. When you don't know how strong the curse is you don't know exactly what the person is saying about that certain thing. Slang is also something I can misunderstand and have a problem to interpret the right way, especially since that kind of words are continously developing. Understanding a conversation about a complicated subject can be hard, simply because I don't know enough words regarding that particular issue. 

I've written mostly letters in English, not very advanced, about common things to people my own age. In Upper Secondary School I've also made a couple of short essays and my special assignment was in English about Jane Austen. I like to write in English, trying to formulate the sentences the best way and chosing the right word for each situation. I can express what I want to say although my grammar can be faulty sometimes. Using certain phrases can be a problem when you can't translate them word for word but need to know the English counterpart. Coherence and cohesion is still a bit unclear and I believe I need to practise on that quite a lot. 

My conclusions are that I'm able to read modern fiction novels and a bit more advanced books as well without major problems. I've no difficulties understanding spoken standard English or the most usual accents. My pronounciation is, I believe, accetable and I can communicate rather fluently in English and make myself understood. I've written some in English but I still need to develop my writing and learn how to write a proper essay. I also need to practise speaking in front of a group and learn to understand and distinguish the different accents. Reading more advanced litterature and articles is also something I need to do to broaden my vocabulary which makes it easier to understand persons who use many advanced words when they speak.
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