A Marble Company

              At the end of 2013, I went back to Turkey from Malta. After one month, at the beginning of 2014, I started to work for Dimer Marble which is one of the biggest marble company in Turkey and also they were the best exporting company of previous year. They have customers from all over the world, but their best customer, without any doubt, is China. They also have an office there and four Chinese workers.
             I found that job via one of my friend who had worked there for 2 years. His girlfriend was working there as Human Resources. They told me that they needed someone who can speak English. I went there, attended an interview and they accepted me as an Foreign Trade Operator. I was responsible for organizing papers between vendors and purchasers. I was also responsible for exchanging mails with purchasers, operators, banks of Turkey and bank of other country and customs. I did not like that job due to many papers. I worked there about one year and at the end of the year, they promoted me as a salesman. Now my responsibility was selling marbles to overseas countries directly. I was happy that time because I did not have to struggle with many papers.
               While working there, I realized one more time that I don't like trade and money issues. I cannot be happy there as I always woke up early, worked until 5, and tried to sell stuff to someone. That's why I decided to follow my dream which is being a teacher. I started to search for a way to be a teacher, but there is only one way which is studying ELT(English Language Teaching).
                It was difficult to decided to start a new university and new department which is 4 years as I was 28 years old. I made my mind, took the exam and entered university as ELT student. as for living, Education in public universities in Turkey is free. I also found a job for my little expenses. I was working as an English teacher for a private English course.
                I am very glad to make that decision. I am studying in a department that I like and doing a job that I like. I know I am old to be a student but anyway, I like the situation I am in now.
            

In Malta

             I wrote how I managed to go to Malta in the previous post and now it is time to speak about what happened there.
             I arrived and I was very happy. I saw a taxi driver waiting out side of airport with a paper in hand written Chamber College with capital letters. It is the language school that I registered. I got in the taxi. I wasn't alone. There were 7-8 other students came from Turkey.
            The driver started driving car but there was something wrong. He was sitting on the right side of car. Traffic in Malta is on the right side. It was very difficult for me to get used to it. We arrived at the apart and next day went to school. I was disappointed that There were too much Turkish in Malta. We were 11 in class and 7 of them were from Turkey. We were 6 at the apart and 4 of them were Turkish. It wasn't good for me as I wanted to improve my English. And I also had many challenges to come here, so I decided not to speak with them.

           The Chamber College was very good. We had different teachers from different English speaking countries but mainly from Malta and England. I attended almost all lessons and some of activities. The classes were changed every week. Every week some new students were coming. I learned a lot there. My friends were mainly from South Korea, Spain, and Japan.
            To be in Malta contributed a lot to my English. I become more fluent and gain self-esteem. In addition to that I learn many new cultures that extended my horizon. The only think that I regret was not to pay attention to my pronunciation. I had never care about it, because I always think that the fluency and gaining the habit of language are more important.
             Actually there are a lot I have to say about Malta, but it is difficult to organize all of them.  To make it short, I would like to say that Malta is very good place to improve English as English is official language with Maltese.

First Abroad Experience: Malta

              After the bad mark from YDS, I decided to go abroad to improve my English. I was about about to graduate from university. I needed to be quick as students have better opportunity to gain visa for abroad.
              I started to search countries. The first one was England but too expansive just like America and Australia. New Zealand was cheaper but very far. The best option was Malta. Cheap and near. It is cheap to compare to other countries but still expensive for me to go. Expenses of school and accommodation were about 3.000 euros. adding visa and flight expenses, it became more expensive. Apart from that, I had to pay for food. Those all were difficult for me as I was a student but the most challenging one was that Malta wanted to see about 3.000 euros in my bank account as a proof that I have enough money to survive in Malta for 3 months. Shortly, I need 6.000 euros. 3.000 for school and accommodation, other 3.000 for account.
                 How did I find that money? Firstly, I was running a small shop, a tradition food shop: Çiğköfte, with my 3 friends and I sold my share. Secondly, I made a list of friends and other people who I can barrow money from them around me and I borrow from almost all of them with small amounts. Thirdly, I was working for a company previous summer and I made an agreement with them that they employed me for 1 month and pay my salary in advance. In addition to that the boss of that company, who is one of the richest man in the city Bolu, gave me one extra salary. With that extra salary, I managed to collect enough money for school and accommodation and now, time to find other 3.000.
             I didn't have that amount and I couldn't find it.  Therefore, I needed to find another way. I came up with an idea and share it with my education counsellor: I called him  and told him that I had 3.000 euro and I would take loan from a bank and then put all money in my account. I took my bank statement with 6.000 euros and put it to my visa paper. After I took the visa, I would take the money from my account and send back half of them to bank and other half to my counsellor for paying for school and accommodation. At first he said no as the expense of school and accommodation needed to be paid earlier, but in the end he accept as I insisted.
              I called my brother and told him to take 3.000 euro from the bank and sent it to me. He did and I applied for visa. The result came after one week: Reject because a student account cannot have that big amount of money, So I sent all money to my father account and took a letter of attorney from him. I applied again and this time they accepted. I managed to overcome difficulties and so my first abroad adventure started.
                 

Foreing Language Exam (YDS)

             Maybe the most difficult exam in the world for English language is YDS ( in Turkish: Yabancı Dil Sınavı, in English: Foreign Language Exam). That exam doesn't include anything about speaking and listening. However; reading, grammar and memorizing vocabulary are the most important parts. I know some English people who say that exam is the most difficult English exam and most of native English speakers can't do well at that exam. To do well in that exam, one must study hard on it. I am not saying " one must study hard on English" I am saying " one must study on that exam" because that exam is something else. I know many people who can do well in that exam but cannot speak English. Nevertheless, that exam is important because it is simply a national exam and most of academic department demands a good point from it.
               After introducing that exam, let's mention about my story with it; the year was 2013. I was about to graduate from university. After university, students have three choices: one is to take the exam called KPSS to find an official job. Second is to take LYS along with YDS to start a post graduate study. As for last choice, they can try to find a job in private sector which is not good compare to public works.  I chose LYS and YDS because I was good at maths, Turkish and English. However, I couldn't make good at LYS which is include maths and Turkish, but I had still kept my chance which is taking a good point from YDS. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. I couldn't get a good point. Even worse, I got a very bad point: 27,5 out of 100.
              The moment when I learnt my point was one of the unforgettable moment for me. I cannot explain my feeling with words. I felt really bad and I thought I was on the ropes. However, I didn't give up. I was trying to find a way to set the things right. And finally I found a solution which is going abroad to improve my English.

International Realtion 1. Grade

                   
                As I said before, My department was Internatıonal Relations. It is all about politics and also English is an important part of it. we had some English classes which made us keep up with English. That's why, I didn't need to attend another English course.
              I would like to mention about Ms. Fatma who was My teacher at preparation class  and following year at first grade. She helped me a lot.
In addition to normal classes, she would give me some extra papers. I would study on them and bring them to her in order to take feedbacks from her. I had good relations with her at preparation class but I can't say the same for first grade. We didn't have any problems but we didn't have some relation compare to previous year.
            The class was very crowded. I think more than a hundred. From variety cities. Most of them were very bad at English and that was very challenging for Ms. Fatma. According to her, Turkish should be used in the class and the lesson should be thought over political situation of world. Of course she was right, but the students weren't that good. Most of them did not know anything about English, so they couldn't understand the lesson. Ms. Fatma insisted on her opinion and continued like that until the end of the year. Her exams also were very difficult. You had to have knowledge about political situation and write them down in English. I remember two of her question:
              1. What do you think about the law on Armenian Genocide in France?
              2. Write down 5 important industrial elements that Spain export.
              When you think about the level of that student, you can easily understand how it was difficult. As a result, Many student failed. As for me, I did not failed but I couldn't get high scores. My grades were DD, DC, FD, CC. I didn't want to graduate with that grades. After two years, Ms. Fatma went another university and another teacher came instead of her. I took advantage of that and retake those lessons again. I passed all of them with very good scores: 3 AA and 1 AB.
              

First Private English Coourse

         
               It was summer time of 2009 when I came back to my hometown, Diyarbakır after entering university. I had 3 free months ahead and thanks to my previous job in Alanya, I had enough money. I spent first weeks with my friends doing what we like to do. However, I couldn't spent my summer like that. I felt that I need to do something to improve my English while I have time and money. That opinion leaded me to go to a course. I went a course to enroll. I took an exam to determine my level in that course. 2 days after exam, I went to the course to ask when we start but the answer they gave me stunned me. They said that my level is B1 and they don't have a class for B1. They have class just for A1 and A2. I tried other courses and heard same things: no class for B1. I was shocked because I didn't know that huge city is that bad in English.
              I stopped searching for courses, but one of my close friend offer me to enroll to the course that he already enrolled. The level of their class was low but he said that we can have good time there, It is better than nothing. I accepted his offer and enrolled that course.
              I really had good times and made good friends there. Our teacher was very good. She always praised me for my English. That course lasted for almost 3 months. in the end of it, we went to Eğil. It is a town of Diyarbakır and also it is the place where I was born. we went there for picnic and having good memories because that place has a lake and green environment.
              That course might not improve my English so well. However, it didn't let me stay away from English.  After that course, I come back to Bolu to resume my university education.

A Touristic Place: Alanya

   If you read my first post which is "First Adventure With English", You know that my first English education was interrupted in the halfway. Thus, I had plenty of time: a semester plus summer holiday. I couldn't waste that time without doing anything. I should have done something not to forget English, which I had just started to learn, and I decided to go to Alanya (It is a touristic town of Alanya. see the picture). I might work there in order to improve my English and earn some money.
              There were some friends from Antalya in the university. I spoke with them about my wish and asked for help. Uncle of ones was working in Alanya. With help of him, I found a job in Alanya. I was working as a waiter for a restaurant bar called "Malibu". I could work there about 2 months, because I didn't find what I was looking for. I wanted to improve my English but I couldn't improve it due to too much work I had to do. Apart from that, I couldn't get well with one of waiter.
              Even I made good money, I left that job and the city. I went back to Diyarbakır and enrolled to an English course with the money I earned in Alanya. I continued that course until the end of summer and then I went back to Bolu to resume my education.

First adventure with English

              My first adventure with English started in 2008 when I started my first University which is "Abant İzzet Baysal University". It is in a small Turkish city, Bolu. My department was "International Relations". The reason why I need English was my department. As you understand from its name, English is essential for that department. Fortunately, That university had one-year compulsory preparation class to learn English. That class was wonderful. We had 30 hours for English. 6 hours a day. 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon. And also we had 4 different teachers for 4 different skills which are speaking, listening, reading, and writing. we were thought grammar and some rules for writing as well.
                  Almost everything was good until that problem occurred: The education was compulsory in the beginning, but that rule was changed and it became optional. The compulsory education lasted just one term and second term it was removed. Students said that ' If it is not compulsory, why should I stay and study that language in this hot weather." That opinion leaded student to leave. As a result, my first English education became left half finished.