“I love learning languages and am passionate about scientific research, namely biomedical research. My presence in Egypt has played a role in increasing and developing my passion by attending several courses and events related to both language learning and scientific research, and building a network of relationships with colleagues that are better experienced in these two fields. I am in my fourth year of studies, Faculty of Human Medicine in Al-Azhar University. I have chosen the Faculty of Medicine because it satisfies my desire to study sciences related to the human body, but also because the medical field encompasses a humanitarian aspect. After I graduate, I plan to pursue higher studies in an international university, and I hope I will reach this with the help of scholarships. I also seek to move forward in medical scientific research and publish international scientific journals. I faced some difficulties when I first started developing my English language skills, in improving my speech fluency or my English accent as correctly as possible. Language is important because it allows the student to keep pace with modern sciences and new scientific research studies, and to communicate with colleagues in universities and different States. It also gives him self-confidence when he feels able to express his ideas in many languages. The HEEAP course offered by the HOPES project has helped me overcome the language barrier in terms of speech fluency through interaction between the students and the supervisor. In addition, it helped me improve my listening skills through audio clips of the book CD. In the framework of the course, I took the IELTS exam and got a score of 7, which qualifies me to apply for higher study scholarships or student exchange programs where the language is a requirement. My message to other students facing the same difficulties is to seize the opportunity, available resources and websites that help them improve their language skills, to join conversation clubs that gather students to discuss different topics in the desired language.”
By Sara Al-Maarrawi
2019
