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I have been told to write an essay about my skills in English. Before I started reading English at Uppsala university, I had always passed every English course pretty easy. I have had at least four national- or standard English-tests and I was always among the best at those tests. I have never been good at grammar but both the listening an reading comprehensions felt very easy to me. After the two diagnostic tests we made our first day at the department of English I realized how much I will have to work with my English to become a good teacher. Eventhough this was a failure, I find it very useful to have my weaknesses pointed out. Now I know exactly where to start and why.
Speaking
Since I have never been to an English-spoken country, I haven't got very much practice i speaking English. But when I get the opportunity I really enjoy speaking it. Eventhough it takes a while before I find the words, I always get fascinated by the ability to get understood by people from another country. I know enough English to make myself understood, but I don't speak neighter good nor correct English. This is something I hope will get better after my years at the university.
Listening
I have no problems listening to English. I understand most of it, and listening is probably the easiest part of the language. I can watch English-spoken TV-programs without Swedish text and as a matter of fact, this was the way I started to learn English from the beginning. Even if I don't understand every single word I mostly get the message anyway. This is probably the best part with the department of English, that everything is in English. It is like everytime I go to school I am also going abroad. You learn to listen, speak and even think in English. I am counting on a big approvement in my ability to listen to and understand spoken English in the future.
Reading
I have been studying English for ten years now and I can't recall ever having any problems with written texts. It was first during my high-school years the teacher started to give us English novels and stories to read. Before that we had only read small texts or articels. Eventhough I am better at listening, reading is my favourite part of the English language. But on the other hand I have always liked reading, no matter of the language. Reading is also a great way of learning new words. I have learned a lot of words just by reading. In high-school we used to write every word we didn't know on a seperate piece of paper. By the end of the week we gave ourselves those words in homework and this was very useful.
Writing
Writing is the part I dislike most. I always get very frustrated because I never seems to totally understand the English grammar. Ever since I started studying English I have always trusted mt instincts at the grammar tests. This method has been very functional so far, but I know that it will have to change now. I really have to learn the rules and practice. Otherwise I can't be a good English teacher. So my mind is set up on hard grammarstudies this year, and I hope I will get better. 
To write essays and stories, without worrying about grammar, is another story. This kind of writing I actually find very stimulating. I am sure I would have written much more in English if it wasn't because of the grammar.

Finally I can't say that I am good in English. I have enough education to be able to speak English, but I don't think I am competent enough to be a teacher. Hopefully I will get a lot better at every part of the language. I belive this way of education wich is used at the department of English is a very good way to give the students a bigger ability to understand and speak English. Every day we learn new words and phrases at the seminares and the lectures. I am looking forward to this year at the department of English and I am shore my English skills will get a lot better.
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