By: Miltón J. Lima 

Since I was a child, I often heard many friends and acquaintances say that learning English opens many doors. To be honest, it took me several years to decide to start my journey in this new world, and here are some of the best experiences I have had during my studies at the FTE.

The beginning

As soon as I finished my university studies, I began to look for options to study English. After getting to know some local institutions, I finally made up my mind and entered at “Fine”, as we all affectionately call it. After taking a placement test, I was enrolled in Youth 3 program, so I was so excited.

Liliana Ordoñez was my first teacher. She is from Loja, so obviously she speaks Spanish. This was acceptable, since I knew very little about the language and did not fully understand when someone spoke to me in English. 

Lilly, as I called her, was very patient and kind with my classmates and me. I remember that she used to tell us that when she was studying, she hated English and never imagined that she would end up being a teacher and that this language would become one of her greatest passions. And this was precisely what motivated me to continue learning and to put all my efforts towards reaching the goals that I had set for myself when it all started.

Learning from a native teacher 

Well, soon after a year and with more knowledge of English, it would be time to meet my first native speaking teacher, Richard Bekoé. My first classes in Youth 6 were quite different compared to my previous courses. My new teacher no longer spoke Spanish, so I couldn’t help feeling a little scared. I remember him as a person full of energy, he used to tell us several stories about his hometown in Ghana. I will never forget the day he told us that in his country, people eat cats and that for him it is delicious food, that really shocked me, however, it was a funny moment.

Aside from being a teacher, Richard is also a writer, so he asked us to take advantage of that, and any concerns, we could confidently tell him. I am very grateful to him as I learned many idiomatic expressions, and beyond having met an excellent teacher, I had the opportunity to find a great friend. 

The final stretch… for now

Although this is not over yet, I am in the final stretch, Seniors 2. The world has made a 180-degree change in the way we all had been living in, and of course, the way I was learning English.

Ayeah Michael, the man behind the screen. If I do not pass this course, at least I will have learned to use Zoom and to do assignments on Google classroom, and that is nice, too! I don’t know much about my current teacher, but I can say he seems a remarkable person, I mean, when I am in class, I feel his good vibes and his wishes that all of us can pass the program. In addition, I would like to say that I will continue putting all my desire and effort. Dear teacher, if you are reading this, I hope I can say cheers with you!

In all these years I have met excellent teachers, from whom I have obtained great learning, and I cannot forget my classmates, my friends with whom I have also had fantastic experiences. Due to all that, today I can say that I do not regret having chosen Fine-Tuned English as my English language learning institute.