I have been studying English for the past 6 years.
Like many Japanese students , I studied English hard only because it was one of the required subjects in my school curricula.
Fortunately, I got a good mark every time I took the examination.
For me English was no more than a “mental gymnastics”.
But the day came when I had to admit that my English ability is nothing more than an “ornament” when I am in front of a native speaker of English.
It was a year ago when I first met an American and had a chance to talk with him for quite a long time-for three hours, to be more exact.
For the first few minutes , I managed to say a few words , but after that I felt as if I were in a “hell”.
I could understand what he said perfectly but I couldn't say what I thought in English at all.
In a sense my biggest failure was a good occasion to change direction of my studying English−from a “hobby” to a “means of communication”.
Right now I am making every effort to brush up my English day and night, hoping that I will be able to communicate with a native speaker freely in English.
My final goal is to be a “non-official diplomat”, serving to bridge the gap between Japan and foreign countries.(237語)