My First Start To Learn English

Interest and Desire are the root of energy in doing very thing including learning English which those are one of successful factors as Buddha said. Those are Santha (Interest , satisfy and Desire), Viriya (effort, attempt), Chitta(concentration, focus, attention) and Vimangsa (find the best way)”.

So I get to know English and tried to learn Englsih since I was a novice in 1980. Studying English at that time was not easy. Because 1) there was no teacher, 2) it was considered as a politic issue and 3) there was no foreigner to speak with or practice with. However, “Wat Sri Don Khoun”, Namkeungmai village, Tonpheuang district and Bokeo province where I was a novice had English teaching secretly.

First, I did not know there was teaching English in the temple. So one day, I went to the toilet at night and I passed “Araam” (the big hall that there is a big Buddha and place to do Buddhist ceremony). I heard voices of people came out from the hall. After I finished my pi, I went to that hall, climbed up the wall of the hall and oversaw it. What I saw was a man standing in front of 6-7 monks and he was teaching them something which I had no idea what it was. I only heard what they repeated “ I do not….I do not….I do not…”

I suddenly saw it, I felt very, very funny. I could not control myself. I immediately laughed at that and fallen down to the ground and I started climbing again and watching it. The more I watched it, the more I had a feeling that it was very funny and interesting. After watching it for a while, I came back to sleep.

In the morning, I asked my ancle who were in that group of students. He told me that was English course. They were learning English. Without hesitation, I asked him if I could join that class. He said that why not, but I had to ask my parents first. I went to ask my mother. She allowed me to join that English class.

I started learning English by paying 20 baht for the tuition fee and 10 baht for fuel (because no electricity). I could not catch up all because I had to learn double- reviewing previous lessons and also every day lesson. It was quite difficult for me to remember all. What I learned was verb to be, have, can, do, etc.

Unfortunately, after I joined the class for one month, the class was closed because the authority found that there was English teaching and finally it was recommended to stop therefore the class was closed. That means my English learning was stopped.