I want to share with you a little of my own story. I grew up not speaking a single word of English. You can therefore imagine what an uphill struggle I had going to school and coping with what had to be done there. Every day was a misery. It might have carried on like that up to the present time. Fortunately, something happened that changed the course of my life.

What happened was no more than a small intervention of fate. A cousin of mine who had just qualified as a teacher was appointed to teach English at our school and he spent time in our English class reading stories to us. I didn't understand everything that he read but I grasped the stories well enough. I was enchanted. 

When I was taken to the library for the very first time in my life I was lucky to have Roy Rogers given to me. That was the very first book I read. After that I really hungered for stories of cowboys and their adventure. Which boy wouldn't want to be a cowboy?

As I read more and more, trying to borrow a book here and a book there, my vocabulary grew. Little by little I prospered at school.

After that initial stage not all of my problems were solved. My new struggle was with spoken English and particularly with pronunciation. I did not have any model to follow seeing that I only spoke vernacular with all the members of my family.

Again I was fortunate that the rector of the college where I went to train as a teacher was worried after the completion of my course that I was still an 'unpolished diamond'. I needed to earn money and I was keen to get a post and begin my career. He prevailed on me to enrol for a higher diploma and to spend another year at College. I wasn't sure that coming back for another year would address my many deficiencies in spoken English. I said as much to him. After some moments he asked me what would change my mind. I suggested that in view of his observations it would be absolutely necessary for me to have Speech and Drama as a course. No such course was offered at that time. He considered the suggestion and said to me: "Get me 17 others who will sign up for the course and you'll have your wish'. Within an hour it was done and I returned for an additional year of training.

Speech and Drama was no walk in the park especially for someone who was so self conscious and stiff. I applied myself like I never did before or since and then a new chapter opened up in my life.

After that things got better and better and in time I really succeeded in getting to grips with English. I enjoyed literature immensely and while I intended to become an economist, my studies took me deeper and deeper into English literature. I finished with an MA in English.

In many ways I am delighted at the way things turned out. English is not my language but I continue to find in it much that is of immense benefit to me. I am still learning English and the best way of learning is by teaching. That is what I am doing right now.

I trust that you will benefit from the material that is offered on this site and that it will be possible for you to get both of my books which I am offering to you at a very special price.