English Language Experience (Draft Two)

One meaningful experience I had with the English language was studying literature in secondary school. I was brought up in an English speaking environment whereby English was the first language that I was exposed to. It started from the first words that my parents taught me to say, to simple words and numbers in pre-school and watching television shows in the language. Thus, I never knew that English could be expressed in a different way when I first took up literature.

There are many forms of Literature, ranging from poems to plays and short stories. Literature not only represents the language but also the culture and history behind these works. In school, we were exposed to poetry, short stories and plays. The teachers taught us how to interpret the authors’ message behind these works through the way they were written. Moreover, these works can be interpreted in many ways depending on how an individual studies it.

The book that I loved was “Chinese Cinderella”. The author, Adeline Yen Mah, wrote about her experiences growing up in China during the Second World War. She further elaborated on her tough life growing up in a family who regarded her as bad luck, due to the fact that her mother died while giving birth to her.

In my opinion, this book was easy to read and engaging as well. It was interesting to get an insight on China during the war period, as well as the culture. It was also saddening to read how her stepmother abused her, and how she seen as a thorn in the family. The heroes in the book were her grandfather and her Aunt Baba who tried their best to protect her in every way that they can.

This experience made me realized that English is not just a language to communicate or write in. English can be used in literature, which can help an individual express his feelings through creative imagination. Thus, I feel that this is one meaningful experience I had with the language.