I’d like to talk about a time when I helped my little cousin learn English. It happened last year, on a weekday evening after I got home from work. I received a message from my aunt. She told me that my cousin Jessica had just started primary school, but her school wouldn’t officially start teaching English until second grade. My aunt was hoping I could help her get a head start with some basic English speaking skills.

She trusted me because I’ve lived, studied, and worked in Canada for many years, so she believed I would be able to handle beginner-level English for kids quite well. Also, back when I was in China, I used to work as a teaching assistant at a children’s English training center, so I already had some experience teaching young kids.

So starting from then, I began FaceTiming Jessica every Saturday evening. I would guide her to read short stories from her English textbooks or picture books and teach her simple conversations like how to introduce herself in English. Jessica turned out to be a really smart and talented little girl. She listened carefully and repeated everything with great enthusiasm.

Now that she’s in second grade, my aunt told me her teacher often praises her and says things like, “Jessica, your English is really impressive!” That makes Jessica feel so proud and happy.

This experience brought me a great sense of achievement. I was really glad I could help a family member, and it made me realize that language is not just a communication tool — it’s also a way to give knowledge and confidence to others. Teaching her gave more meaning to my own learning, and I felt really fulfilled.

Describe something that made you feel confident at work or in your studies

I'd like to talk about a time when I helped my little cousin learn English, which actually made me feel more confident in my own abilities as well. It happened last year, on a weekday evening after I got home from work. I received a message from my aunt. She told me that my cousin Jessica had just started primary school, but her school wouldn’t officially start teaching English until second grade. My aunt was hoping I could help her get a head start with some basic English speaking skills.

She trusted me because I’ve lived, studied, and worked in Canada for many years, so she believed I would be able to handle beginner-level English for kids quite well. Also, back when I was in China, I used to work as a teaching assistant at a children’s English training center, so I already had some experience teaching young kids.

So starting from then, I began FaceTiming Jessica every Saturday evening. I would guide her to read short stories from her English textbooks or picture books and teach her simple conversations like how to introduce herself in English. Jessica turned out to be a really smart and talented little girl. She listened carefully and repeated everything with great enthusiasm.

Now that she’s in second grade, my aunt told me her teacher often praises her and says things like, “Jessica, your English is really impressive!” That makes Jessica feel so proud and happy — and it made me proud too.

This experience brought me a great sense of achievement and really boosted my confidence. It reminded me that I do have the ability to teach and explain things clearly, and that the things I’ve learned abroad can actually help others. It made me feel more confident not only in my English, but also in my communication skills and patience. That’s why this small experience meant so much to me.