Still, it is very new for me to speak English on a daily basis because I only spoke English in my school English courses which took only an hour three or four times a week. What is more, language teachers in the Czech Republic focus mainly on grammar and vocabulary, so I was not able to properly speak with others or express myself fully. Because of that, I was quite shocked to come here and speak English with everyone. Firstly, it was very hard for me to meet new people, let alone speak English with them. I was also afraid of making mistakes in pronunciation or grammar because, as I said, my English is not perfect at all. Over time, as I got to know my floormates more, I lost my shyness and started talking more, even with mistakes. In the first month, I sometimes caught myself unknowingly switching to the Czech and spoke it with my roommate, a Bhutanese girl, even though she could not understand me a single word. It was very weird, but funny at the same time, how confused my brain was. But I was quite surprised at how quickly it settled down. Now, after two months, it is the other way around. So, when I talk to my parents, I sometimes exchange Czech words for English ones.
As for the German language, I consider myself a beginner when it comes to speaking, but I already have a good foundation in grammar and some vocabulary. As I mentioned earlier, we are not practicing speaking in school that often or for longer periods of time. Therefore, I am able to understand to a certain point what people are talking about, but I am not able to answer them. That is why I am taking a German course here in Liechtenstein to overcome this problem, practice, and learn even more. After two months, I feel comfortable among the girls on my floor in the dorms, and therefore I am trying to speak German with them because some of them are from Germany and have perfect high German. However, it is not easy at all, but I need to start speaking, even with mistakes, and gradually improve my skills.
I believe that this exchange semester will help me improve my English to a higher level because I would like to get a CAE certificate. I would also love to push my German knowledge to the next level so I can talk more with local people, be more confident, and if I manage to get some certificate, I would be completely satisfied. I know for sure that both languages will help me in my future education and career. Before leaving my home country, I did not know if I was even capable of communicating with others in English on a daily basis in school, shops, or even solving some problems. I am glad I was not afraid; I took this big challenge and life opportunity. My exchange semester basically opened my eyes, showed me the opportunities open to me in the world, and made me realize that I would like to study my Master abroad and that I am even able to do it, which I honestly could not have imagined before.