I had my first contact with English when I was six. My dad inspired me to listen to the Beatles. I listened to them every day for the next seven years. In the beginning I could grasp nothing of what they were singing. But soon I started to understand isolated words, especially the ones that appeared in the song titles. 　

　Later I got a book with the words of all the songs. I read the book many times. I learned many songs by heart. I sang the songs to myself. Still, I scarcely understood the meaning. It became my dream to learn English so well that I could achieve comprehension of the Beatles. That is how I started my way toward English. 　

　Today, I can under-stand the Beatles very clearly. Each time I hear a Beatles song, I am delighted and proud because I have made my childhood dream come true. I listen to many rock bands, all in English, and I listen every day, sometimes for over seven hours a day. I am constantly aware of my success with English because I can understand the lyrics of the songs I listen to. And that gives me pleasure and satisfaction for many hours every day. 　

　 When I was 13 years old, I started reading science fiction books. This decision guided me for many years. I learned every new English word that I encountered. With each new word I felt closer to my goal. With each word I felt that my reading ability was increasing. Each word added to my sense of power. 　

　 At some point I read my first whole book in English and I understood it. That moment was a crucial breakthrough in my life. I knew that I had broken a barrier, revealing a new linguistic world. I found that reading English is much more exciting. For the last four years I have read books only in English, with very few exceptions. 　

　 I have read many pop-science books in English. Some of them are still not available in my native language. My knowledge of English allowed me to get in touch with the current state of evolutionary theory and cognitive science of the mind. When I learned English well enough to read pop-science books, I discovered that English is a very important tool for learning science. 　

　 Over a year ago I decided to use only English in my mathematical notes. I read and write mathematical materials in English, like most professional mathematicians. I have become part of the international mathematics community. I can read about mathematics on the Internet and I can publish my own materials, with no language barriers. I feel free and powerful!　

　 English has given me much satisfaction and pleasure. Also, I find English very useful in my scientific career. That is why I hope other people can benefit from my experiences. 　

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