Final reflection

Being able to speak and understand English is essential for success.

English is the universal language and the most widely spoken language on

the planet. As a result, in order to be successful, a person must be able to

communicate in English. English is one of the most important subjects

taught at AUC; in order to enrol at AUC, a student must have a certain

level of English proficiency. The university requires you to take an English

exam to determine your English level, and based on your score, you will

be placed in an English course that corresponds to your English level. In

my case, I was assigned to a course called "0210," which focuses on writ-

ing and speaking skills. I can say that after completing this course, I

learned a lot of skills that will help me in the future, such as having the

confidence to speak orally in front of a crowd and how to write a proper

essay.
 I've always struggled to speak in front of an audience, especially in

English, since I was a child. "What if I pronounce this word incorrectly

and people laugh?" "What if I stutter?" These are some of the thoughts that

go through my mind when I'm speaking English in front of a large group

of people. I was silent and hesitant to speak on the first day of 0210, and

the professor asked us to prepare two presentations to describe ourselves.

These thoughts returned to me when I learned that we would have to give

presentations. I prepared for the presentation by writing a script and

putting together a powerpoint presentation. When it was my turn to speak,

my heart began to race and my hands began to sweat; I tried to hide it, but

it was obvious. I was disappointed with my performance after finishing the

presentation and felt that I could have done better. Dr. Yasmin, our profes-

sor, calmed me down and told me that everything was fine and that we

were all a family after all, and that there was nothing to be afraid of. We

practised many presentations, which helped me become more comfortable

speaking in front of my classmates in English. Discussions in English also

helped me get used to speaking in English. When it came time for my final

presentation, I felt prepared and confident. I prepared a powerpoint presen-

tation as well as a lengthy script. It all came down to the moment when I

stood in front of the class; I was nervous at first, but once I started speak-
ing, I relaxed. I forgot a few lines and mispronounced several words, but

this time I knew it was okay for me to make mistakes. After all of these

presentations, I can confidently say that I am now more comfortable pre-

senting in front of a crowd, thanks to 0210.

Most Egyptian schools do not devote enough attention to English

writing for students to be able to write a proper essay. I had no trouble

writing essays in school and always received high marks. I failed my first

writing assignment in 0210, much to my surprise, because I didn't know

how to write an essay. I struggled to write an essay longer than 300 words,

and I was surprised to learn that we had to write 500 and 750 words in an

essay; additionally, my language use needed a lot of improvement. Dr.

Yasmin's feedback was very helpful; it was detailed and she managed to

point out exactly where my flaws are so that I can work on them. My writ-

ing improved over time, and my grades improved as well. Group projects

also played a significant role in improving my writing skills; seeing how

my classmates think and write opened my eyes to many different perspec-

tives on how to begin an introduction or write a proper thesis statement.

Reading other writing materials, as well as articles, books, and my class-

mates' work, assisted me in filling in the gaps. I currently believe that there

is much room for improvement in my language use and in finding the right

words to express what I am thinking. But in the end, my writing abilities

improved dramatically.

0210 was a very useful and enjoyable course that helped me improve

my presentation and writing skills. What I liked best about the course was

that it was mostly enjoyable, to the point where I didn't mind getting up

early to attend the lecture. I've made many friends as well, and one of them

is now one of my closest friends. Finally, I am pleased with the outcome

and have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Dr. Yasmin and my friends.