In English specifically, I've grown as a reader, writer, listener, speaker, and an analyzer. In the books that I've read I learned that everyone has some sort of inspiration but they just need to find it. Once they find it, they have found themselves and can do whatever they wish to accomplish. We read Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet during the year and also Lord of the Flies by William Golding which appeared on the top 100 books list of the century. I like to read, and one day I hope I can read at least half the books on that list. I understand better what I read now by analyzing it more deeply. Not everything is superficial, and all good literature isn't. My insights on the analytical writing got much better and more in depth. I now use concrete evidence from a book to prove what I believe.
I never thought I was that great of a writer. But now I know I can do it if I really try. I just need to find something that I find interesting to write about and then it just comes naturally. Even if I don't enjoy what I'm assinged to write, I can force myself to still do a good job, and make sure it's not bad. I do need to wrok on transition from one paragraph to another. My writing many times reads choppy and sounds like it doesn't flow. I've gotten a lot better, but it's still one of my weaknesses. I need to use more words such as then, also, another, and finally. I've always been a great listener. I pay attention to people when they talk to me, and I make eye contact with them so they know I'm listening. Even if I don't care what they are talking about, I know they care about it otherwise they wouldn't tell me, so I try to become interested. In class I always try to pay attention, but if there are distractions, I'm only human, I will be distracted. That is something I need to work on this year, when people talk to me during class, I'm going to have to try to ignore them. Like most other people I get nervous if I have to talk in front of a large group of people. I'm not shy, but when there are a lot of others there, there's a lot of pressure to not make a mistake. Last year one of our final projects was to present a research project to the rest of the class. To make it harder on me, I had to do the presentation for a class I was not familiar with, my partner's class. We spent a lot of time preparing and it paid off. We recieved a 98, and I was very proud of that. I've learned a lot about English and myself last year, and I hope to learn even more. This year I hope to do a lot of reading, which I've come to learn that it's going to come true. Then analyzing the literautre isn't going to be as much fun, but if you do one, other other has to be done also otherwise we don't fully understand what we read. Since I don't enjoy writing, I hope we don't do a lot, but I know I'm going to have to, so I'll just have to deal with it. Research I don't mind doing becuase I learn so much during the process, and I had fun last year doing it with a great friend of mine. I hope it's going to be a wonderful year with everything truning out for the best.