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My name is Robinson. I am from England. I am eighteen years old. My father is German. My mother is English. I have two brothers. I have one sister. We are a good family. My father is a good businessman. We have money. I have a good school. I have a good life. But I have a dream. I want to travel. I want to see the world. My father is a good man. He wants the best for me. But my dream is not his dream. He is not happy. The situation is not easy.
It is morning. My father is in his room. He wants to speak with me. I go to his room. My father has some questions. My father wants to know why I want to travel. My father says, “Travelling is dangerous. Travelling is not comfortable. You can die.” I think about it. Travelling is dangerous. It is not comfortable. I can die. But it is also very interesting. I can see new countries. I can meet new people. I think about travelling every day. Maybe my mother can help me. I speak with my mother. I tell my mother, “I want to travel. I want to see the world. Please, speak with my father. Maybe with your help, I can travel.” My mother loves me. But she thinks that travelling is dangerous. She thinks that my place is at home. She thinks that life in England is the best for me.
One year later, I visit one big town. The name of this town is Hull. I meet my friend. His father has a ship. They travel to London. My friend tells me, “Go with me.” I think about it. I am not prepared. But I can try if travelling is for me. I go to London. I am very happy. It is my first long journey. It is very interesting. The first hour is good. But then we have problems. We see a storm. The storm is big. The wind is strong. The ship goes up and down. I have fear. I think about my home. I think about my comfortable bed. The storm is finished in the morning. The weather is nice. And the evening is beautiful. Everything is quiet. One man comes to me. We speak. We speak about the storm. I speak about my fear. The man gives me a drink. I drink very much. I sleep very well at night. The next day, I forget about my home. I forget about my comfortable bed. I dream more about travelling.
The next day, our ship is slow because the wind is not strong. Then the wind is strong again. We go fast. A new storm comes. This storm is bigger. I am scared. The men are scared too. The waves are very big. The waves are like mountains. I see other ships. The ships are like toys. The waves play with the ships. I want to go home again.
The storm is very big. The men ask God for help. Then, one man sees a hole in the ship. Water is inside. It is a bad situation. Many men go down. They pump the water out. I am very scared. I can’t move. One man comes to me. He says, “Go down and help.” So I go down. We pump the water out. I hear a gun. It is a signal from our captain. It is a signal that we have a big problem. Our ship is very broken. Our ship is full of water. We work very hard. We pump the water out. But the hole is very big. More and more water is inside the ship.
The weather is better. The waves are smaller. But the ship is full of water. We need help. We see another ship before our ship. The men from the ship send a small boat. The men on the boat go to our ship. The men help us. We go on their boat. Fifteen minutes later, our big ship goes under water. We are safe on the small boat. We see a land. We go to the land. We see people on the beach. They wait for us. They help us. They give us some money. We can go to London or Hull. I go to London.
When I am in London, I meet a captain. The captain goes to Africa. I think that I can make some money there. The captain tells me about the business in Africa. He tells me what to buy in England. He tells me what people in Africa need. The journey to Africa is very good. I have a lot of money after this journey. I am happy. I want to travel more. I want to do more business. I want to learn how to control the ship. The captain teaches me how to control the ship.
I go to Africa again. The journey starts well. But soon we have big problems. We see a ship. It is not an English ship. It is a pirate ship. The pirates want to take our ship. Their ship is fast. Soon, they are near our ship. The pirates attack us. Many pirates go on our ship. They kill our men. We can’t win. We stop the fight. Now, we are prisoners.
I am young and strong. I must work as a slave. I work for the captain of the pirates. I feel very sad. I have a bad life. I must work hard. I work every day. I work in the house. I work in the garden. The captain tells me what to do. I don’t like my work. I want to change my situation. I want to be free again.
Sometimes I fish with the captain or his friends. A young boy helps us. We use a small boat when we fish. One morning, when we fish, we are lost. Fog is around our boat. We see nothing. We can’t go home. The next day, the fog is away. We can go home. When we are back home, the captain says, “Use a bigger boat." The bigger boat is better for long journeys.
One day, the captain tells me, “Put more food and drinks on the boat. Bring some guns too.” The captain wants to fish with his friends. I prepare the boat. I put food and guns on the ship. But the captain’s friends don’t want to fish. Then, the captain tells me, “Prepare the boat for usual fishing for the next day.“ This is my chance. I can run away. A lot of food and guns are on the boat. I prepare the boat for fishing. But I leave the food and guns on the boat. Tomorrow, I can run away. This is my plan.
CHAPTER four – LION. One hour later, we are ready. I and the boy go to the boat. One man goes with us. He is our boss for today. Soon, we are far from the land. But we can’t catch fish. Then, we go very far from the land. Our boss thinks that we can catch fish there. At one moment, our boss goes to the front of the boat. I quickly push him to the sea. He wants to swim back. I take a gun. When he sees the gun, he swims away. When he is away, I look at the boy. I want to know if he is on my side. I see that he is on my side.
After two years, I am free. We go very fast. The wind is good. The next day, we are far from the pirate land. But we don’t stop. We continue. After six days, we must stop. We need some fresh water. We wait for the night. Then, we go to the land. When we are near the land, we hear horrible noises. The boy doesn’t want to continue. He is scared. We stay on the boat near the land. But we can’t sleep.
Some animals come to wash in the water. The animals make horrible noises. The boy is very scared. Then, we hear that one animal swims to us. The boy wants to go away. But I don’t want to go away. I take one gun. I shoot at the animal. The animal turns. Then, the animal swims to the land. The other animals hear the gun. They go away too. We stay on the boat.
It is morning. We eat bread for breakfast. The boy wants to go to the beach. I go with him. We take guns. We take big bottles for water. I don’t go very far. I want to see the boat. The boy continues alone. The boy returns after some time. He runs. I think that some animal runs after him. But I see nothing dangerous. He has an animal in his hand. The animal is a chicken. He is very happy. I am happy too. We have good meat and fresh water. We don’t see dangerous animals. I don’t know where we are. I only know that we are near Africa. I think that we are near a land where no people live. We don’t see people on the land. We only hear animals.
One day, when we go for fresh water, we see a lion. The lion sleeps on the beach. He is very big. He is only 20 metres from us. The boy is scared. Then, the lion opens his eyes. When the lion sees us, he runs to us. We don’t have much time. I must shoot at the lion. I have three guns. The first bullet hits his leg. The second bullet hits his head. The third bullet finishes the animal. We can’t eat the meat. The meat is not good. But we take the skin. We put the skin on the boat. The skin is dry soon.
CHAPTER 5 – SHIP We continue our journey. We stop only when we need fresh water. Soon, we see that people live on the land. One day, we see a big group of people. They are on the beach. They have many children. They watch us. I want to stop. I want to go to the people. But the boy doesn’t like this idea. He is scared. The people want to give us some food. Two people run to the forest. They return with some food.
We don’t want to go to the beach. But they don’t want to swim to us. We don’t know how to take the food. The people see this. They put the food on the ground. Then, they go back. When they are far from the food, we go to the food. Now, we are not scared of the people. They come to us. We thank the people. But we have nothing for the people.
At that moment, we see two animals. The animals run down from the hill. The people are scared. One animal attacks a young girl. I shoot at the animal. I kill the animal. The second animal is scared. The animal runs away. The people are shocked when they hear the gun. They are also shocked when they see that the animal is dead. The people are happy that the girl is alive. They thank us. They give us more food and water. Now, we have a lot of food and water on the boat.
We continue our journey. The next day, we see some islands. I think that we can visit the islands. But at that moment, the boy starts to shout. He starts to shout because he sees a ship. The boy is really scared. He thinks that it is a pirate ship. But I look at the ship. I see that the ship is Portuguese. But nobody on the ship sees us. So I shoot from a gun.
They hear the gun. They see us. Soon, we are on the Portuguese ship. They speak Portuguese, Spanish and French. But I don’t understand the men. But one Scottish sailor is on the ship. He comes to me. I tell him our story. Then all the sailors are very nice. We can stay on the ship. We are very happy.
We offer our boat to the captain. But the captain doesn’t want to take the boat. He wants to pay for the boat. It is very nice. I tell him that he can buy our boat. I give him a good price. It is a half of usual price. The captain agrees. The captain also wants to train the boy as a sailor. I don’t like this idea. I think that the boy is very young for this job. I think that the boy also needs freedom. But the captain says that it is good for the boy.
The boy wants to work for the captain. So the boy starts to be a sailor. The ship is on the way to Brazil. We come to Brazil after twenty days. I say goodbye to the boy and the sailors. Brazil is a new state in South America. Many people start a new life here. It is the same for me. I know nobody here. I meet some people. They have sugar plantations. Soon, we are good friends.
I like Brazil very much. Soon, I learn the language. I have some money from the captain. I buy a small land in Brazil. I start to produce sugar. I don’t produce much at the beginning. But after two years, my plantation is big. I am single. But my life is good. My financial situation is better every month.
After three years in Brazil, I have enough money. I can have a woman for cleaning my house. I ask my friends if they know a good woman. One friend says, “I have a daughter. She is eighteen years old. I think that she can work for you. She is also a very good cook. ” The next day, his daughter comes to my house. She is friendly. But she is shy. She is also a very pretty girl. We talk. I tell her what I need.
The next day, she comes to my house. She cleans the dirty floor. She cleans my furniture. She comes to my house every morning on Monday and on Thursday. She works for 4 hours. She also cooks for me. She also gives food to my cat. I am always happy when I see the girl. Sometimes we have breakfast or lunch together and we talk. Then, she is ill. She can’t come to my house. I feel a strange feeling when she is not in my house. I miss her. I think, “Maybe, I love her.
One week later, she comes to my house. I am happy when I see her. I see that she is happy too. Two weeks later, I go to her father’s house. I ask him if I can marry his daughter. He is quiet. I wait for his answer. Then he says, “I agree. ” I am very happy. Two months later, I marry the daughter of my friend. We start to plan a family. This part of my life is great.
We have big plans for our family. We have big plans for our plantation. We need a bigger house. We need more money for a bigger house. I think about the business in Africa. I can make a lot of money in Africa fast. I speak about Africa with my friends very often. I tell my friends that we can make a lot of money in Africa.
One day, three friends come to our house. They tell me that they want to go to Africa. They ask me if I want to go with them. I say, “Yes, I want to go with you. ” We start to prepare for the journey. Soon, we are ready. I say goodbye to my wife. Then we go. We want to come back two months later. We leave Brazil in September. Our ship is very big. But we are only seventeen men. The ship is full of things for business.
The weather is good but very hot at the beginning. One week later, we see a hurricane. The hurricane is very strong. Our ship is in danger. The hurricane is finished after three days. But when the hurricane is away, we have a problem. The ship is broken. We can’t go to Africa. The captain wants to go back and repair the ship. But I don’t want to go back. We talk about it. We think about the best solution. Then in the evening, a second hurricane comes. The wind is strong. The waves are very big. Then one man shouts, “Land!”.
When the man shouts “Land!”, the ship stops. The sea is not deep enough. It is bad for our broken ship. The ship can break every second. We must go on a smaller boat. This is very dangerous because the boat is very small for 17 men. But we must do it if we want to survive. So we go on a small boat. The waves are very big. The wind is very strong. The wind pushes us to big rocks. We know that the crash is near. Then, a big wave comes. The wave turns the boat. I am under water. I can’t breathe. I don’t see the other men. I don’t see the boat.
Then, my head is above water. It is only a short moment. But I can breathe. I see a small beach between the rocks. A big wave pushes me to the beach. I am still in water. But I feel a land under my feet. I know that I must stand up. I must get out of the water. The next wave can take me back to sea. But my body is weak. I can’t stand up fast. The next wave comes. I am under water again.
I can’t breathe again. But then another wave takes me back on the beach. I am in water. But I can stand up. I can go ten metres. I am on the sand. I am safe. But my arms and legs are very weak. I collapse. And I lie on the beach. After some time, I stand up. I look for the other men. I can’t find the other men. I am the only man alive. All my friends are dead. I only find three hats and two shoes on the beach. It is horrible for me.
The weather is still very bad. But the waves are not so big. I see the ship. The ship is far from the land. I look around. I see that I have nothing. I am wet. I have no other clothes. I have nothing to eat or drink. I have no gun. Dangerous animals can eat me. I have only a small knife which I find in my pocket. This situation is really bad. How can I survive with only a small knife?.
I need to drink some fresh water. I find a small river. I drink the water. The night comes. I am scared of dangerous animals. I can’t sleep on the ground. So, I spend the night in a big tree. When I wake up the next morning, the sea is calm. I still see the ship. I swim to the ship. I don’t see a way inside the big ship. I swim around the ship twice. Then I see a rope on one side of the ship. I use the rope.
Now, I am on the ship. The ship is empty. I try to find some food. I am lucky. Some food on the ship is dry. Then I hear something. Somebody is on the ship. Who is it? Somebody from my friends? It is not possible. My friends are all dead. I am scared. I go to the place where I hear the noises. Then I see who it is. It is a dog. It is a dog of our captain. Now, I have a friend. I am not alone.
I must take the food, rum and the dog to the beach. But I don’t have a small boat on the ship. I must make a raft. I find some wood. I make a raft from the wood. I also need some clothes. I look for the clothes. When I look for the clothes, I find a nice carpet. I also find four guns and a box with gunpowder. I put everything on my raft. The sea is calm. The wind goes to the land. This is all good.
Soon, I am on the beach. I look for a place where I can stay. I see a hill. From the hill, I can see where I am. I take a gun. I walk to the hill. I go to the top. I see sea around the whole place. I am on an island. I see two small islands near. One is to the north. One is to the west. I also see a big land to the south. The land is about 100 kilometres far. I see nothing to the east. I see only the ocean. I don’t see people on the island. I see only wild animals.
CHAPTER 9 – TENT I see many birds on the way back from the hill. But I don’t know their names. I don’t know if I can eat them. I kill one bird. But the meat isn’t good. I go back to the raft. The next day, I want to go back to the ship. I want to take all important things to the island. The next storm can destroy the ship completely. I make a small tent near the beach. I bring the things which can be destroyed by rain to the tent. The night comes. I lie on the ground. I put two guns near my left shoulder. I also put two guns near my right shoulder. Now, I feel safe. I am tired. I sleep very soon.
I swim back to the ship the next day. I make a second raft. I put many things on the raft. I am very happy when I find seven new guns and some beds. I take all these things to the beach. I go to the ship every day. I bring back many good things. For example, I find a lot of candles. I need candles on the island. I also find two big boxes of tea. I make a lot of visits to the ship. One day, I discover a box which is closed. Under the box, I find a key. When I open the box, I see some money from Europe and Brazil. Money is not important on the island. But I take the money with me. I also find cards with pictures. They are pictures of the king and the queen. I can play some games. I can have some fun with the cards.
The next day, big dark clouds are in the sky. They are bigger and bigger. The wind is stronger and stronger. I visit the ship. But I don’t make a raft because a storm is near. Rafts can break easily in a storm. I swim back to the beach. The wind is really strong at night. But I am safe inside my little tent. The ship is gone the next morning. I know that I can stay on the island very long. I want to make a nice place where I can live. I also need to be safe. I can look for a cave. Or I can make a bigger tent. Maybe, I can do both. I need a place which is near fresh water. The place must be in shadow. It must be easy to protect the place. I also need a view of the sea. I want to see ships.
I find a nice place next to a big hill. I put my tent there. The hill protects me from one side. I build a fence on all the other sides. The fence has no door. I use a ladder when I go over the fence. I take all my things inside. I have more plans in my head. I make two tents. One tent is big. The second tent is small. The smaller tent is inside the bigger tent. The bigger tent protects the gunpowder and the food from rains. I live in the smaller tent.
CHAPTER 10 – CALENDAR When the tents are finished, I start to make a cave at the bottom of the hill. I want to use the cave for food. I bring stones and earth from the cave to the fence. I make a terrace on the inside of the fence. I still work on the cave when a storm comes one day. I see lightning during the storm. I think that the lightning can hit my boxes with gunpowder. The explosion can destroy everything. The explosion can also kill me. I am scared. I need to make a change.
After the storm, I open the boxes with the gunpowder. I put the gunpowder in smaller boxes and bags. I hide the boxes and bags in the rocks. I have a lot of gunpowder, so this takes three days. I also hunt every day. It is a break from the hard work. And I also need some meat. When I hunt, I also start to know the island more. I discover some goats. I hunt them. Now, I have enough meat.
I am sad sometimes. I think about my wife. I miss her very much. I think about my friends in Brazil. I think about my parents. I know that travelling by sea can change your life completely. Travelling can be great. But travelling can be horrible too. I know that my friends from the ship are dead. I know that I am the only person alive. I am lucky. I am also lucky because I have all the things like food, guns and clothes. I can’t survive without these things.
I decide to make a big cross. I put the cross on the beach. I write on the cross the date of my first day on the island. I want to keep information about time. The cross is my calendar. I make a small cut in the cross every day. Every Sunday, the cut is longer. This cut shows the end of the week. The last day of every month is also a long cut. One day, I think about my situation. I have negative thoughts. This is not good. I want to change my negative thoughts. I decide to write all good and bad things. First, I write what is bad.
I am alone on this island. I have nobody for a conversation. I have only a small chance that I can see England again. But I am alive. I am safe. I have my freedom. I have enough food. This is all positive. I don’t have good clothes, but I don’t need a lot of clothes on this island. I have my dog. He understands some words. He understands when I say, “Sit down. Come here. Bring it. Don’t jump. Don’t do it. ” I see that my situation is not perfect. But I have also some good things in my life. I need to concentrate on positive things only. I continue to make my place better and better. I make the cave bigger. I have space for many things in the cave. I am happy because my life is now well organized.
CHAPTER 11 – BOOKI need to make some furniture. I need a chair and a table. I use the wood from my rafts and the ship. It takes five days to make them. Then, I make more furniture for the cave. I put my clothes and guns in the cave too. I am very happy when my work is finished. The cave is comfortable now. Everything is well organized. I can easily find what I need.
I decide to write a book about my life on the island. I describe my days in the book. I start with my first day on the island. I write everything what I remember. I also write what I think. It is good when I write my thoughts on paper. When I start, I write one page every day. But when I get to the present, I write only one page every week. I write only important things.
After some time on the island my life is well organized. But my life is never boring. I have always some work. Every morning, I walk around the island. Then I work. I have lunch at noon. Then I sleep, but not very long. Then I continue with my work. I relax or I write my book in the evening.
I make my cave bigger and bigger. I want to have a big cave. The cave is my kitchen, living room and sometimes a bedroom. When the cave is finished, a lot of earth falls from one side. I am not in the cave when it happens. If a lot of earth falls on me, I can die. I clean the cave. Then I decide to put long boards on the sides and also on the top. I don’t want to have this accident again. This work takes one week.
In December, I continue with my work in my small camp. The weather isn’t very good. It rains all days. But it is still warm. So I work inside. It is never cold on the island. It is good for me. At the end of December, I kill a goat. I also hurt another goat. Her leg is broken. The goat can’t walk. I take the goat home. I help the goat. After two weeks, the goat is not scared. The goat eats from my hand.
In January, I travel through the island. I find more goats in the centre of the island. The animals are very shy. It is difficult to get close to them. I want to domesticate some goats. I only need a good opportunity for it. I have a plan. next day, I return with my dog. I think that my dog can help me hunt. I tell my dog, “Sit down. Wait. Don’t move.” Then I go around the goats, but in a big distance.
CHAPTER 12 CORN When the goats are between me and my dog, I hide behind a tree. Then I shout at my dog, “Come here. ” My dog runs to me and the goats too. I wait in my position behind the tree. When one goat runs close to me, I jump and I catch her leg. I hold her right leg. But then the goat kicks me with her left leg. She kicks me in my nose. It is a horrible pain. I can't hold the goat and the goat runs away. We are not successful. This is not the best method how to catch a goat. We have to find a better method. I tell my dog, “Let’s go home. I need to relax.
I work on my fence from January to March. It takes me a long time because I want to make the fence very strong. During this time, I find big birds on the island. Their homes aren’t in the trees. They live in holes which are between rocks. It is easy to catch them. Their meat is great. I can also cook and eat their eggs.
When I work on my fence, I find a small bag. I remember corn in the bag. But now I see only some leaves in the bag. I take the bag outside my camp. I empty the bag because I need the bag for gunpowder. This happens before the rains. A month later, I find some green leaves in that place. It is young corn. I am so happy. The corn grows near my home. It is fantastic. I can bake bread in the future.
Something happens in March. I am inside my cave when pieces of earth fall from the top of the cave. I am scared. My work on the cave can be lost. I run outside the cave. I see that the ground starts to shake. It is an earthquake. I am shocked and scared. Some big stones fall from the hill. But I am lucky. They don’t hit my tent. The earthquake is finished soon. But I don’t want to go inside the cave. I am scared. I sit on the ground before my tent.
I think, “Maybe, it is dangerous to sleep in the cave. It is dangerous if another earthquake comes. ” But I don’t want to sleep in the tent. So I decide to make a house. I start to build the house in April. It takes three months to build the house. But I am happy with my new home. I am ill in the last week of July. I have a temperature. I can’t get out of the bed. I am very weak. I can do nothing in this state. I have crazy dreams. The dreams are not very logical. But for me they are real when I have them.
CHAPTER 13 DREAM One of my dreams is really crazy. I am in a pub. The pub is on my island. I want to drink some rum. But the waitress is very lazy. She sits at the bar. She does nothing. I don’t like lazy people. I am angry but I wait. Then my wife comes to the pub. She gives me paper with some text. It is a message from her father. He writes that I have to go home. He writes that I have to work on the plantations. But I don’t want to go home.
I go to the kitchen in the pub. My mother is in the kitchen. She prepares some steaks. She also cooks soup. I taste the soup. The soup tastes fantastic. Then two Englishmen come to the pub. They want to sell gunpowder. One man looks like a gentleman. But the second man is horrible. I tell the horrible man, “I am sorry. I don’t need your gunpowder. I have a lot of gunpowder in my camp.
The horrible man says, “You have to buy our gunpowder. We travel from London. We want to do the business. ” I say, “Thank you. I don’t want your gunpowder. ” The horrible man is really angry. Our conversation is not good. He says some horrible things about me. I say some horrible things about him. The conversation gets to a point when he wants to kill me. He takes his gun. I start to run away. He shoots at me. Then I wake up.
One week later, I feel better. But I still need to relax. I need to sleep a lot. In August, I am OK again. But I still feel a little weak. I need to do some physical activity. The next ten days, I walk around the island. I feel better after these trips. When I feel strong again, I decide to explore the whole island. I find a new interesting part of the island. It is a valley. It is a valley with a lake. The valley is in the central part of the island.
I find melons here. The melons look like big balls. They are very sweet. I also find apples, oranges and lemons in this valley. I want to take some fruit home. But I need a big bag. I don’t have a big bag with me. I collect some fruit. I put the fruit in one place. I return to my cave. I bring a big bag for the fruit. I like the fruit valley very much. The nature is beautiful here. I think, “Maybe, I can move here. But the beach is far from this place. I have to be close to the beach. I need to see a ship which can save me.
Chapter 14 House I don't move to the fruit valley. But I decide to build a house here. I visit the valley very often. Step by step, I build a house here. The house is small. I make a double fence around the house. The house is protected like a castle. Again, I use a ladder when I want to go inside. And inside, I have stairs in one corner of the fence. I use the stairs when I go outside. And I use the ladder when I go inside.
This activity takes the whole August and the beginning of September. But I enjoy it a lot. The fruit valley gives me so much energy. I feel so healthy and strong here. Sometimes, when I am in the valley at night, I watch the moon and the stars. I think about my wife. I think about my family in England. I know that they see the same moon. They see the same stars. But we can’t be together. I think about my family very often. I wish the best for them.
I also think about all the people who see the moon. I think about the places where they live. I feel connected with them. Sometimes, I feel connected with the whole universe. I also think about God. I have questions for God. I ask him, “Why am I on this island? Why am I still alive when my friends are all dead?” I believe that he knows what he is doing.
It is the time when the rainy season starts. The rainy season continues until the middle of October. This is my first year on the island. When the rains end, I return to my valley house. I see that the fence is all green. New leaves are growing everywhere. This isn’t only beautiful. It is also useful because it is really hard to see the house. The leaves create shadow. It is very nice to stay here. I want to make a fence from the same wood around my first house too.
When the rainy season is finished, I put my corn in the ground. I have a bad feeling that something bad can happen. I only use a half of the corn. This is a good idea because no corn grows up. I put the second half of the corn in the ground before the next rainy season. This time, the corn grows up. Now, I have a small farm on the island. I see that the seasons on the island are different from England. The seasons are not spring, summer, autumn and winter. We have two rainy and two dry seasons. With this information, I can now plan when to put corn in the ground.
Chapter 15 Basket I make longer and longer trips around the island. I need a basket for these trips. With a basket I can carry more food during my trips. I can also carry more fruit from the fruit valley. I cut branches from the tree which I use for my fences. I use the branches for the basket. When I finish the basket, I decide to make a long trip around the island.
I go through the fruit valley. After the valley, I find some fields. A lot of grass is on the fields. The fields are very flat. There are a lot of flowers on the fields. The flowers smell so good. Many insects fly around these flowers. I see some big butterflies. Their wings are ten centimetres wide. I also see small trees around these fields. I find nuts on these trees. These nuts are different from nuts in England. They have a different shape. They are also more sweet than nuts in England.
I discover some new animals on this side of the island. Wild cats live here. I also see many parrots and other interesting birds. I catch one parrot. I take the parrot with me. His body has many colours. I see red, green, orange, blue, pink and yellow. This part of the island is very nice. More food is here. But I don’t want to move here.
My dog catches a young goat on the way back. I save the goat. I take the goat with me. I want to keep goats. Now I have another chance. I leave the goat in my valley house. I want to prepare some space for the goat in my first home. I am so tired from the trip. I relax the whole day. I make a cage for the parrot. I bring home the goat. The goat starts to be calm.
I make a map of the whole island. I put these new places on the map. The time goes very fast. Soon, it is September again. This is my second year on the island. I am less sad now. I accept my situation. I have many good things in my life. My days are similar. I hunt in the morning. I cook at noon. I relax in the afternoon when the sun is very strong. And I work in the evening. This is my typical day. I also teach my parrot how to say his name. His name is Poll.
I have a problem with my corn in November and December. The wild goats want to eat the little plants. I don’t want to lose my corn. So I quickly make a fence around the field with the corn. I make a gate in the fence. I put my dog inside the fence. He protects my corn at night. Soon, the plants are tall, but another danger comes. Birds start to eat the seeds. I shoot at the birds. They fly away. I must watch my field every day.
CHAPTER 16 BREAD I have my first corn at the end of December. It isn’t a lot of corn. I don’t want to eat the corn. I decide to keep all the seeds. My goal is to put the seeds in the ground and have more corn later. I need some pots for the seeds. I look for clay on the island.
I find some clay and I try to make a pot. I have no success at the beginning. But I try again and again. It is long work. But after two months of experiments, I make two pots. I put the pots in baskets. I put dry grass between the baskets and the pots. The dry grass and the baskets protect the pots very well.
I continue to make small pots. Their quality is better and better. I also make long but not very high pots. I put sea water in them. When the water is gone, I have salt. One day, I find a broken piece of a pot in the fire. The fire makes the piece very hard. It is like a stone. The piece is very red too. I have an idea. I take one pot and I make a fire around the pot. The pot is very hard after two hours. I am happy with the result.
I also need a tool with which I can make flour. I take a big piece of hard wood. I make a hole in the wood. I put the seeds in the hole. Then I take another piece of hard wood. I break the seeds in the hole with this second wood. The flour stays on the bottom of the hole. Now, I want to bake bread. I have an idea. I mix the flour with water. Then, I take two stones. I put the stones near the fire. When the stones are very hot, I put the bread between them. Now, I have my first bread on the island. The bread is not perfect. But I like the bread a lot. It is my first bread after a long time. It is during my third year on the island.
I think about travelling around the island by sea. I think that it is possible to make a canoe. I want to make a canoe from a big tree. I find one big tree. I cut the tree. I start to make a hole in it. But after some days, I start to think about something. I start to think how to get the canoe from the forest to the beach. I think about it because I am quite far from the beach. I see that it is a problem. I see a small hill between the forest and the beach. It is not possible to move the canoe over the hill. The canoe is very heavy for it. I am really angry. I have to leave the canoe in the forest. Many days of work are lost. I don’t believe that I can make such a mistake. I have to plan my work better next time.
Chapter seventeen CANOE After three years on the island, my clothes are already very old. I start to use the skins of the animals. I make a cap and other clothes from the skins. I also need an umbrella. I try to make an umbrella from the skins too. It is difficult at the beginning. It takes some time. But I am successful in the end.
After three years, I am quite happy. I have everything what I need for my life. My life on the island continues for the next 5 years. During this time, I decide to make another canoe. The canoe is smaller. It isn’t difficult to move it to the beach. The canoe is finished in June. I want to travel around the island in the canoe. I put food, water and guns in the canoe. I am ready for the trip.
The beginning of my trip isn’t easy for me. I am in danger when my journey starts. I have to go around some rocks in the sea. When I want to go back to the land, I feel a strong current under the canoe. The current is taking me away from the island. The situation is horrible. I am scared. I can’t survive in the open sea. I don’t have enough food and water for a long journey.
I fight very hard against the current for two hours. Then, I am able to get close to my island. I can continue my trip around the island. Now, I know that I am stronger than the currents around the island. I feel good. I feel strong. Soon, I find a small river. I go up the river. But I get nowhere because soon the river is very narrow. Stones block the way. I can’t continue. I leave the canoe where it is.
I want to explore this part of the island. I am not far from the part of the island which I know. Soon, I find the way to my house in the valley. I am very tired from the trip. Soon, I sleep. Then, I hear a voice. I wake up. The voice is saying my name, “Robinson, where are you? “Robinson, where are you?
First, I am scared. But then I see my parrot Poll. He sits on top of the fence. He knows these words from me. And he is saying these words with the same intonation as me. I am surprised when I see him here. I think, “Why isn’t he at home?” But I am happy when I see him. I don’t go back to the canoe. I return home with the parrot. I don’t make such a trip for a year. I stay in my house most of the time. I make more tools and pots. I can also make very nice baskets now.
CHAPTER 18 FOOT It is eleven years after my first day on the island. One day, I see that I don’t have much gunpowder. It starts to worry me. I need gunpowder if I want to hunt animals. My first goat is very old. I want meat but I don’t have the heart to kill her. One day, she dies a natural death. With less and less gunpowder, I have to find another way how to get meat. I decide to make a trap. I am not successful at the beginning. But then I catch three young goats. They are one male and two females. I take them home with me.
I keep the goats inside a small area. I make a fence around the area. But the area is too small for three goats. So I make a fence for them around a bigger area. It takes me three months to build this fence. But the area is very nice. There is a lot of grass and water for them. After some time, the young goats are very calm. Soon they eat from my hand. In two years, I have twelve goats inside my fence. And in three years, I have more than twenty goats. I have a lot of milk and meat thanks to this. I experiment a little, and after some time I am able to make cheese and butter. My table is full now and I have a lot of animals around me. I have my old dog, goats and my parrot. The only thing which I still miss is somebody for a conversation.
One day, I go to the part of the sea where the strong current is. On the way there, I think about how strange I look. I have a big hat, a short jacket and short trousers. They are all made from animal skin. I don’t have socks or shoes but I put some goat skins around my feet. I have two belts. One belt is for the gun and knife, and one belt for the gunpowder. I also carry a basket on my back and an umbrella above my head. My beard is very long. I see that after eleven years on the island I don’t look like an Englishman. I am a different person.
One day, I am walking on the beach. I am going to check my canoe. Then I see something surprising. I see a mark of a human foot on the sand. I look around but I see nobody. I am scared. I run back to my house. I am so scared that it is difficult to sleep at night. Then, I think, “Maybe it is all only my imagination. Or maybe it is the mark of my own foot and it is stupid to be scared. ” After this thought, I feel better. I leave my house. And I go look at the mark again.
CHAPTER 19 – CANNIBALS When I come to the mark of the foot, I see that the mark is much bigger than my foot. It’s impossible that it’s my foot. I’m scared again. I start to panic. I want to destroy my corn fields. I want to destroy my valley house. I need to hide my activity on the island. I’m so afraid that I can’t sleep the whole night. Finally I sleep a little in the morning. My head is clear when I wake up. Now, it isn’t so strange that people live on the islands around. I think, “Maybe this is their first visit here. Maybe this island is not interesting for them. Maybe it’s also their last visit here. ” I feel better after these thoughts. But I want to do something for my protection if the people come again.
During the following month, I make another fence around my house. I make holes in the fence. Through these holes, I can easily shoot from guns if I’m attacked. Now, I have a house which is very well protected. Nobody can come easily near me. I also worry about my goats. I divide the goats in two groups. I built a smaller fence in another part of the island. I put one group of the goats there. It takes me a lot of time, but my animals are safe.
After sixteen years on the island, something very sad happens. My dog dies. I cry for three days. It’s my worst day on the island. Fortunately, I have my goats. I go to them and I tell them how sad I am. They don’t understand my words but I feel that they understand me. They feel my emotions. They are unusually calm and quiet.
It’s now two years after the foot in the sand on the beach. One day, when I’m walking on the beach, I think that I see a canoe far in the sea. I’m not sure, so I continue to walk. Then I see a thing which shocks me. The beach is full of parts of human bodies. Heads, hands, feet, fingers and teeth are everywhere. There is a black place after a fire. I’m angry but also scared. I can’t look at this horrible scene for a long time. I have a horrible feeling in my stomach. I go back home and I think about what to do.
Now, I can’t go out to sea with my canoe. I have no chance against a group of cannibals in the open sea. I also can’t use guns because the sound of a gun is very loud. But I always have guns with me for protection. I think that maybe in the future, I can kill some cannibals. And I can save their prisoners. I look for a place near the beach where I can hide and prepare for the attack. Then I change my opinion. I think that it’s not good to fight the cannibals. I don’t know these people. They don’t attack me. Maybe, it isn’t good to attack them. Finally, I stop the preparations for the attack. I decide to attack them only if they attack me first.
CHAPTER 20 CAVE I’m hiding my activity on the island. I’m very careful. I try not to be loud. I’m worried when I make a fire. But I need fire because I need to cook. So when I make a fire, I try to make only little smoke. Smoke can go very high. People can see smoke from a big distance. One day, I discover a small cave in the forest. The cave is near the beach. I go inside. When my eyes are OK with the dark, I see two eyes. The eyes are looking at me. I jump outside. I’m scared to death.
I wait but nothing happens. I go slowly to the beginning of the cave and I listen. I hear something. It hear some animal. I think that the animal is injured. I take my gun and I go in the cave slowly. When my eyes can see again, I see an old goat. The goat is dying in the cave. I return to the cave the next day. I see that the goat is dead. I look around the place. I see that the place is very safe. It’s a good place near the beach where I can hide. So I bring some guns and some gunpowder there.
It’s twenty-three years after my first moment on this island. I live comfortably now. I have many animals around me. Poll is repeating my name and some other words very nicely. I have two other parrots. I teach them how to say my name. I have more than thirty goats. One day, I’m walking to my fields in the morning when I see fire on the beach. I quickly return to my house. I prepare all my guns. I take my telescope. I go close to the beach. I hide behind a tree. I watch what is happening on the beach.
I see nine naked people. They have two canoes. And they are leaving. When they leave, I go to the beach. The beach is full of blood and bones again. I’m angry again. I decide to kill them if I see them again. But they don’t return for a long time. One day in the evening after a big storm, something strange happens. I hear the sound of a gun at sea. I go to the beach. I see a light. The light is coming from the sea. But it’s very far.
Then, I hear the gun again. I know that some ship is near my island. The ship is in danger. The ship is asking for help. But it’s very dark. I don’t see the whole ship. I take a lot of dry wood. I make a big fire on the beach. The men on the ship probably see the fire because they shoot again. I think, “I can speak to somebody tonight. This is great. ” I keep the fire until midnight. But nobody comes to my beach. It’s very strange. I don’t understand it. I think, “Where are the men from the ship?”.
CHAPTER 21 – VISITORS The next day in the morning, I see the ship. The ship stops very far from the beach. The ship looks empty. I don’t understand it. I expect the people from the ship. I really want to speak with somebody. I miss communication with real people very much. I take my canoe. I go to the ship. I want to see if somebody is alive. The ship looks Spanish. The ship is completely destroyed. When I’m close to the ship, I see a dog. He is very happy when he sees me. I give him bread and I give him water. He is hungry and very thirsty.
I find nobody on the ship. “Where are the men from the ship?” I think. It’s very strange. I don’t have an answer to this question. It’s a mystery. There are many boxes with different things on the ship. Some boxes are small, some boxes are big. I find bottles with alcohol in some big boxes. But these boxes are too heavy. I can’t take them on the canoe. I find guns and gunpowder. I take them to the canoe. I also find some other useful things.
I return to the island in the evening with some small boxes on my canoe. I have some new shirts and also gold, silver and a lot of gunpowder. The gunpowder is important for me. On the island, gunpowder is more useful than money or gold. There is something else what I need very much. I need shoes. I find two pairs of shoes on board the ship. I take them with me. I put all my new things in the cave. I make five trips to the ship. I take everything useful for me. Then I hide the canoe. Everything goes back to normal.
Time goes quickly. I often think about the men from the ship and the cannibals on the beach. One night in March I have an interesting dream. In the dream, I see 2 canoes with cannibals who come to the beach. One of their prisoners runs away. He comes to my house. I save him. Then he becomes my friend. He helps me go through the dangerous waters around the island. I wake up, but the dream stays in my mind. I believe that if somebody helps me, it’s possible to get away from the island. Maybe I can save one of the prisoners of the cannibals. I decide to watch the beach more. I go every day around the beach for the next two years. I hope to see the canoes.
My wish becomes reality one afternoon. I see 5 canoes with more than thirty men on the beach. I can’t attack so many men. I have to wait. I watch them with my telescope. The visitors make a fire. They dance around the fire. I also see two other men. They are tied. They are prisoners. After some time, the cannibals take one tied men to the fire. They kill the man. The cannibals paint their bodies with his blood. It’s like a theatre. But this isn’t a theatre. It’s real. It’s horrible. But I can do nothing. There are too many cannibals. The second man is waiting on the side. When the cannibals don’t look, the second man jumps up. And he starts to run away. He is running in my direction. I run to the beach and I hide behind a tree. I see that only two cannibals run after him. This is the right moment to save the prisoner. The man runs fast but the cannibals are faster. They are closer and closer to him. I prepare two guns and I’m waiting behind the tree.
CHAPTER 22 – FRIDAY The prisoner is running directly to my tree. But he doesn’t see me. I don’t move. Then he runs around me. I’m still behind the tree. When the first cannibal runs close to me, I jump from behind the tree. He is shocked. I shoot him. The second cannibal sees this. He tries to shoot an arrow at me. I have to shoot him too. The prisoner stops when he hears the gun. He turns. He is scared. I smile at him. I show him that it’s OK to come closer. He comes to me. He goes down to his knees. He puts his head on the ground. Then he takes my foot. He puts my foot on his head. I show him that he can stand up. He stands up. He looks at the dead cannibals. He goes to their bodies. He looks at the holes in their bodies. He probably can’t understand why the canniblas are dead. It’s unbelievable for him.
He takes the arrows from the dead men. We take the bodies of the cannibals. We hide the bodies in the forest near. Then we go to the deeper forest. I take the man to my cave. The cave is my secret. Nobody can find us there. I give him bread, meat and some water. He is very tired. He sleeps immediately. I have an opportunity to look at him. I see that he is young, slim but very strong. I think that he is about 25 years old. He has long black hair, dark skin and a pleasant face. I let him sleep and I go outside. I sit near the cave. And I watch the space around the cave. Some canniblas can come and look for us. But they don’t come.
Three hours later, the man comes out of the cave. He shows me how happy he is that he is alive and safe. I speak to him. I give him a name. His name is Friday because it’s Friday today. I tell him my name and I teach him “yes” and “no”. We stay in the cave at night. The next day, we go on top of the hill. I see through my telescope that the canoes are gone. We are alone on the island. We go carefully to the beach. First, we go to the place with the bodies of the dead cannibals.
When we find them, Friday wants to eat them. I’m angry. I show to Friday that it’s not good to eat them. Here I understand that Friday is also a cannibal. We bury the cannibals. Then we walk to the beach. What we see is horrible. There are human bones on the sand. The sand is red with blood. We collect all the body parts. We prepare a big fire. I want to burn the body parts in the fire.
We go to my house. I make a little tent for Friday. The tent is between the two fences which are around my house. I’m a little scared. I don’t know if Friday can hurt me. After some time, I see that I don’t have to be scared. Friday is a very good man. He is like a son. And I’m like a father for him. In many situations later, he shows me that he wants to give his life for me. I’m very happy that I have Friday on the island. I begin to teach him. I teach him what he needs to know about life like a European. First, I teach him some new words. I start with hi, hello, bye, thank you. It isn’t easy at the beginning. But I’m patient. I’m happy that I can speak to somebody.
CHAPTER 23 – CONVERSATION I’m happy that Friday is on the island. I want to show him what I eat. I shoot a young goat. Friday is scared of the gun. He doesn’t understand how such a small thing can kill a goat. He doesn’t want to touch the gun. We make a soup. When I cook the soup, Friday goes to the forest and he brings some herb. He puts the herb in the soup. The herb is similar to pepper. The soup smells fantastic. The soup tastes fantastic too. The next day, we cook goat meat with sauce. Again, Friday brings some herbs and also plants. The herbs make the sauce taste great. We make a nice salad from the plants. I teach Friday how to prepare corn and bake bread. Soon, he can bake very good bread. Then, we make my field bigger because we want to have more corn. In all activities, Friday helps me a lot. He can also catch fish very well. Our cooperation is simply great. We are a good team.
I want to teach Friday English. I want to teach him fast. I want to be a good teacher. I take my role very seriously. I think about the best method how to teach Friday English. When I speak fast, Friday doesn’t understand. So I try to speak slowly. I also speak only in the present. And I use simple words. I also say only short sentences. Now, Friday understands more. We speak about many topics. When Friday doesn’t understand something, I point at it. Or I explain the word to him. If it doesn’t help, I make a picture in the sand.
Soon, Friday starts to understand many sentences in the present. He also starts to use some words. His pronunciation is very bad at the beginning. But it isn’t important for me. I understand him. And I’m very happy that somebody speaks to me. Friday is a good student. He is clever. He improves quickly. Soon, he can say some words like an Englishman. Of course not all words, but the words which he says correctly make me very happy.
I see that Friday very often repeats aloud what I say. I think that it also helps him to learn so fast. I think, “Learning a language is quite easy. You only need to copy what you hear and if you don’t understand something, you need a picture. Then, you need a lot of practice. This is the best system. ” Friday’s progress is fast. He is able to talk more and more every day. In a couple of months, we can have a nice conversation.
Friday likes my tools. They are very interesting for him. He especially likes the telescope. He borrows the telescope very often. He goes to one hill. And he watches everything around. One day, we speak about Friday’s people and why they have enemies. He says, “There is a war between two groups of local people. We are neighbours but we don’t like each other. We have many conflicts. There is never peace. We kill each other whenever we can. ” Friday tells me that they eat human meat like their enemies. They also do rituals when they catch their enemies. Friday tells me about the sea and the currents in the sea. Thanks to Friday, I know more about the history, culture and traditions of his people.
كان هناك طالب من كوريا الجنوبية , يقول أن لديه مشكلة كبيرة في النطق. إنه يعلم أن نطقه ليس جيدًا ولكنه لا يعرف كيف يجعله أفضل. لا يتكلم كثيرا لأنه لا يحب طريقة نطقه.
يقول إنه يقرأ ويسمع اللغة الإنجليزية و يفهمها جيدًا ولكنه يريد أيضًا التحدث جيدًا. يسأل عما إذا كان هناك شيء يمكنه فعله لتحسين نطقه.
قال له المدرس، "حسنًا ، يمكنني إخبارك بشيء عن النطق وكيفية التدرب عليه. أريد أيضًا أن أعلمك تقنية يمكن أن تساعدك في تحسين النطق.
أولاً ، علينا أن نعرف سبب معاناة الطلاب من مشاكل النطق. عندما نتحدث ، علينا أن نحرك أفواهنا. علينا استخدام العضلات في أفواهنا. المشكلة هي أنك عندما تتحدث الإنجليزية ، فأنت تستخدم أحيانًا عضلاتك كما في لغتك الأم. إذن فإن نطقك للغة الإنجليزية يشبه النطق بلغتك الأم.
يحدث هذا للعديد من الطلاب الذين يتعلمون اللغة الإنجليزية. كل طالب تقريبًا لديه نطق مختلف قليلاً عن المتحدثين الأصليين. إنها ليست مشكلة كبيرة لأن الناس عادة يفهمون ما تريد قوله. أنت طالب ومن المنطقي ألا يكون نطقك مثاليًا عند دراسة اللغة الإنجليزية.
ولكن يمكنك العمل على نطقك وتحسينه. هناك تقنية رائعة يمكن أن تساعدك كثيرًا.
اسم هذه التقنية هو التظليل (shadowing). هذه التقنية بسيطة للغاية. عندما تقوم بالتظليل(shadowing) ، فأنت ببساطة تنسخ الصوت الذي تسمعه. عندما يتعلم الأطفال لغتهم الأولى ، فإنهم يقلدون أيضًا ما يسمعونه. ينسخون مايسمعون من ابائهم مرارًا وتكرارًا وبعد فترة من الوقت يكون نطقهم مثاليًا. يمكنك تعلم نطق اللغة الإنجليزية بنفس الطريقة.
يمكنك اخد بعض المقاطع التي ليست سريعة جدًا والتي تفهمها جيدًا. أنت تستمع وتقوم بنسخ ما تسمعه عندما تسمعه.هذا كل شيء ".
ثم قال ، "التظليل (Shadowing ) مفيد أيضًا عندما تستعد لعرض تقديمي وترغب في الحصول على نطق جيد. قبل العرض التقديمي ، يمكنك الذهاب إلى مكان ما حيث تكون بمفردك ويمكنك التظليل (Shadowing ) لمدة 10 دقائق تقريبًا. سترى كيف يساعدك ذلك على الحصول على نطق أفضل أثناء العرض التقديمي ".
عندما تريد أن يكون لديك نطق جيد ، كرر ما تسمعه بعد المتحدثين الأصليين.
مونيكا هي طالبة من ايطاليا. سألت المعلمة مونيكا بعض الأسئلة. المعلمة تعرف مونيكا لأن مونيكا كانت في فصلها قبل عام . كان فصلًا للمبتدئين ولم يستغرق سوى أسبوعين خلال العطلة الصيفية.
عندما تحدثت مونيكا ، كانت لغتها الإنجليزية جميلة. نطقها كان جيدا . وكانت تتحدث بطلاقة .
كانت المعلمة سعيدة للغاية وقالت لمونيكا ، "يجب أن تكون مدرستك في إيطاليا جيدة جدًا."
قالت مونيكا ، "أنا لم أذهب إلى أي مدرسة. أتعلم اللغة الإنجليزية في المنزل. أنا أستخدم التقنيات التي تغلمتها منك. أقوم بالكثير من القراءة وتكرار الكلام اللذي اسمعه بصوت عال (shadowing التظليل ) والتفكير بصوت عالٍ. أحاول التفكير باللغة الإنجليزية أكثر من الإيطالية.
هذه هي الطريقة التي أعمل بها على تحسين لغتي الإنجليزية. لقد ساعدني الأسبوعان اللذان قضيتهما في الصيف الماضي في صفك كثيرًا. لقد أظهرت لي الطريق. أعرف كيف أعمل على تحسين لغتي الإنجليزية كل يوم. هذا هو سبب رغبتي في المجيئ إلى صفك مرة أخرى لأنه قبل عام ، كنت مبتدئًتا ويمكنني الآن التحدث باللغة الإنجليزية. أريد أن أتعلم منك مرة أخرى ".
كانت المعلمة سعيدة لسماعها هذه الكلمات و شكرت مونيكا على عملها الشاق.
تقول المعلمة ، "إن تقنية " التفكير بصوت عالٍ " فعالة للغاية. يجب أن يكون لديك دافع قوي لتعلم اللغة الإنجليزية إذا كنت ترغب في الاستفادة من هذه التقنية.
من الجيد أيضًا معرفة أن هذه التقنية مجنونة بعض الشيء بالنسبة لبعض الناس. ولكن عندما تبدأ في التفكير بصوت عالٍ ، يمكن أن تكون لغتك الإنجليزية أفضل بسرعة كبيرة ".
"حسنًا ، إنه في الواقع امر بسيط للغاية. أنت تفكر بلغتك الأم طوال اليوم كل يوم. هذا طبيعي. الآن ، يمكنك البدء في التفكير باللغة الإنجليزية. وعندما تبدأ في التفكير باللغة الإنجليزية ، يمكنك التفكير بصوت عالٍ. أنت ببساطة تقول ما تعتقده بصوت عالٍ. هذا كل شيء ".
ثم سألت المعلمة مونيكا إذا كان من المناسب لها التحدث عن تجربتها في التفكير بصوت عالٍ.
قالت مونيكا ، "عندما بدأت بهذه التقنية ، لم يكن الأمر سهلاً. لقد بدأت بجمل بسيطة للغاية. على سبيل المثال ، "يمكنني التحدث باللغة الإنجليزية. من الجيد أن أتحدث الإنجليزية. أريد أن أكون أفضل. أنا بحاجة إلى الممارسة كل يوم. لا أعرف الكثير من الكلمات. لكن يمكنني استخدام هذه الكلمات جيدًا. أستطيع أن أقول أفكاري بهذه الكلمات. أستطيع أن أفعل ذلك. هذا عظيم.'
كانت الجمل بسيطة حقًا. لكن في البداية كانت هناك مشكلة واحدة. كان تفكيري باللغة الإيطالية طويلًا ومعقدًا. لم أستطع أن أقول باللغة الإنجليزية بالضبط ما كنت أقوله بالإيطالية. كنت بحاجة إلى إيجاد نموذج أبسط للغة الإنجليزية. كان التفكير بلغة إنجليزية بسيطة هو الجزء الأصعب. لكن بعد مرور بعض الوقت كان من الطبيعي بالنسبة لي أن أفكر باللغة الإنجليزية.
ثم حدث شيء مثير للاهتمام. التقيت بفتات من استراليا. كانت في إجازة في إيطاليا. كنت ما زلت مبتدئًتا ، لكننا بدأنا في التحدث باللغة الإنجليزية. استطعت أن أرى أنني تمكنت من التحدث معها دون مشاكل كبيرة. كانت جملي بسيطة وقصيرة ، لكنني كنت قادرًتا على التحدث. لم أترجم الكلام في نفسي من الإيطالية إلى الإنجليزية.
بعد الالتقاء مع هذه الفتات من أستراليا ، بدأت في استخدام التفكير بصوت عالٍ أكثر. ساعدني هذا الأسلوب كثيرًا في حديثي. ما زلت أستخدمه كل يوم. إنها حقًا تقنية فعالة للغاية ".
ان كنت تريد التحدث باللغة الإنجليزية بطلاقة ، فكر بصوت عالٍ.