#145 How Learning English Helped Me Find My Voice and Confidence | Personal Story

⭐️ご質問やリクエストをお気軽にお寄せください▶︎番組へのご質問やリクエストはこちらhttps://forms.gle/yRFTjj3XUVc9AxhFA▶︎公式ホームページはこちらhttps://englishwithwacaco.com▶︎LINE公式アカウントはこちらhttps://lin.ee/cSBW4w4▶︎ Instagramはこちらhttps://www.instagram.com/eigoconsultant?igsh=MTRvdHhkYWQ0N295bg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr*************☀️ いつもお聴きいただき本当にありがとうございます。心からの感謝を申し上げます平日毎日更新しているこの番組ですが9月末まで遅めの夏休みをいただきたいと思います。夏休み期間中は不定期で更新する予定です。10月からは第3シーズンをスタートします！またお聴きいただけると幸いです😊よろしくお願い申し上げます。***********🌿 All English Friday — Intermediate VersionHi everyone, and happy Friday!Welcome to All English Friday.Today, I want to share something very personal — one of the main reasons why I wanted to speak English.Let me take you back to when I was about 10 years old, in elementary school.Do you have special memories from that time?I enjoyed spending time with my friends, but I had a difficult experience with one of my homeroom teachers.My third and fourth-grade homeroom teacher didn’t seem to like me very much.She never said it directly, but I could feel it in how she looked at me and treated me differently.Even as a child, I noticed those feelings.One day, we had to write a personal essay — a sakubun — for school.I wrote about my trip to see my grandparents and I was proud of my work.The teacher chose my essay to read in front of the whole class.At first, I was excited and proud.But after reading it, she said,“This is a bad example.”That moment changed something inside me.I didn’t lose my confidence completely, but I lost some trust.I started to think, “If I speak my truth, people will reject me.”Now, I know that is not true.But when you are 10 years old, school feels like your whole world.Years later, I found English.Learning English became a new space where I could truly be myself.I could say what I really thought without fear.I could explore new ideas and feelings.Speaking English helped me find another voice —a voice free from old rules and fears.A voice that could be fully mine.If you feel the same — like you want a safe space to be yourself —maybe English can be that voice for you too.Thanks so much for listening.Now, let’s move on to the advanced version.⸻🌿 All English Friday — Advanced VersionHi again, and thanks for staying with me for the advanced part of today’s episode.I’d like to share my personal story today. When I was around 10 years old, something happened that shaped how I feel about expressing myself.My third and fourth-grade homeroom teacher didn’t like me.She never told me directly, but I sensed it in the way she spoke to me.One day, we had to write a sakubun, a personal essay. I wrote about my trip to see my grandparents. I submitted my essay and the teacher read it aloud to the class! I felt proud and excited.But after finishing, she said,“This is a bad example.”That sentence changed something deep inside me.I didn’t lose my self-worth, but I lost a sense of safety.I started to believe that if I expressed myself honestly, people would reject me.It’s a heavy feeling, especially for a ten-year-old.At that age, the classroom can feel like the entire universe.Years later, when I began learning English, it felt like discovering a secret garden — a place where I could breathe freely.English gave me a different rhythm, a different mindset — and most importantly, a voice free from the fears and expectations I had known.It allowed me to say things I could not say before. If you’re listening because English feels like that kind of space for you, I want you to know you’re not alone.Your voice matters. Your story matters.English can be more than a language — it can be part of who you are becoming.