I'm making a new label for this page called "English and Debate". It will be everything about my debating experience. At first I was going to make it about a story retelling like I did with "Doing Well For Myself" series, but then I thought I'd just make a different label instead. I don't think I will tell things orderly manner. It might be random, depends on my mood.
In this part I will take you from the very beginning.
I remember when I was an early teen, my Mom said that there were 3 subjects that I must be skilled and excelled at. They were mathematics, computer, and English. She said that no matter what I would be or do in the future, I would need those 3 skills. What she said was embedded firmly in my brain.
On 1997 when I was 6 years old, a movie called Anastasia was released. It was the first time in my life watching movie in cinema. My aunt took me and my first little sister. After that, it became our tradition that whenever a new cartoon movie released in cinema, we three would watch it together. My aunt lived in Surabaya but my parents already moved to Malang. So whenever school holidays came, my aunt would went to Malang to pick me and my sister up, then we spent holidays in Surabaya. Sometimes if my aunt couldn't pick us up, my parents would take us to Surabaya.
I still remember everything. How happy I was to spend holiday with my aunt. I was always looking forward to it. My aunt was a talented designer and seamstress. I found out a little later that my aunt actually was keeping notes about when school holidays would be. She took up on so many jobs and orders prior to the holidays so that she could collect some funds which she would use to spend times with me and my sister. No matter how much she got, she spared it for movie tickets, snacks, meals, toys, and our clothes. She often made us great dresses that she designed and sewed herself.
At 25 years old my aunt had a stroke that made her loss the abilities to speak. She could make a sound but she couldn't voice any word. She loss her linguistic abilities. She had to re-learn all the alphabet again. She also couldn't move one side of her body. I forgot whether it was the right of left side, but she just couldn't move one of her arm and leg. She needed a crutch to get to places, but she needed someone else's helps to take care of her. My aunt was my Mom's little sister. My Mom had many siblings and they all helped taking care of my poor aunt. My aunt and my family tried their best but sadly my aunt passed away the same year that she got a stroke. I believe I was 8 years old when all of that happened.
I had the best childhood memories thanks to my aunt. I can still mention the titles of movies we watched together in cinema in order. We watched literally every single cartoon or animated movies released on that period. After Anastasia, we watched Mulan, A Bug's Life, Antz, Tarzan. I go really way back here. The point is that was how my interest in English language started, from watching those movies.
After my aunt passed, I was rarely go to cinema but my parents always rented lots of VCDs for me and my siblings to watch. We were probably rented out every single cartoon and animated in movie in one rental place. I just loved it. I also loved listening to the song and soundtrack.
I think because of all that exposure with English kids movies and songs, when I got a little older and my Mom said that English was one of the most important skill I needed to have, I could accept and believe that easily.
I didn't get English language at all in kindergarten. I think it was 4th grade of elementary that I started to learn English formally in class at school. I managed to get through it smoothly. My passing grade in final exam for English was pretty high.
When I was in junior high or middle school, I took learning English a little bit further. I self-taught myself. The English lesson I received formally in class was still going on well. I didn't have any problem fortunately. But outside class I did everything I could to increase my skill. I tried to translate an Indonesia songs into English and vice versa. I listened to radio and stayed tuned for the song charts programs. I also tried to write articles, poems, and stories in English. My biggest assets at that time were 2 dictionary books. They were thick and heavy, but they were highly important to me.
I was introduced to internet when I was 8th grade of middle school. But, I didn't know that we could find literally anything in the internet. At first I just knew about google and yahoo which I used to find resources for an assignment, not an English one.
My love in English songs was still going on. There was a one radio station that I loved very much. It was my favorite station. I kept track on its music program. Whenever they played a song that I liked, I turned up the volume then I closed my eyes. I would try to listen and write what I heard whilst enjoying the music itself. It takes a lot of tries. I couldn't get the all the words from the first time listening. So I kept notes and the next time I heard the same song I would take out my notes and tried to repeat catching the words again.
I also asked my parents to buy me a cassette of Disney soundtrack collection. It made me remember my childhood life. I was so happy that I could listen the songs everyday and at the same time read the lyrics. I didn't know how much all of that brought great impacts to my skills.
In middle school I remember clearly that we were given a task in English lesson to do a group drama. We did that twice, once in 8th grade and once in 9th grade. I wrote the script for my group on both times.
Bottom line is I did everything I could for the sake of improving my English skills. I self-taught. The only lessons or resources I received was from my teacher in class, that was all. I didn't know anything about technology or internet or other source of learning. However, I loved every single thing I did. My English score in final exam was nearly perfect. I only got one answer wrong.
The downside of my learning process in middle school was that I didn't have place to practice my speaking. I was good in class but I wasn't confident enough to speak up when there was a chance. I was too shy. Not to mention, the school itself didn't actively promote the importance of English and didn't accommodate students who wanted to learn more. There was no English extracurricular at that time. During class the teacher also paid more attention to certain students who stood out more than the others.
All of that gave me so much motivation that I had to do better; learn better, find better environment, and practice better. I was determined that I didn't want to stay that way. I wanted to change. Luckily, things started looking up when I started high school.
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