Laith “Leo” Al Saifi – Learning English to Improve My Life

Dive: Linguist - English
Description: Can read, write, speak, and understand English
Level: Level 1
Level Requirements: Can read, write, speak, and understand English at a basic level
Certified On: Apr 30, 2020

Editor’s Note: On all dive certifications, we try to edit the writing as little as possible to preserve authenticity, personality, and writing style. We typically fix spelling errors, but minimally modify grammar and sentence structure (just enough to ensure readability).

Name: Laith Al Saifi Break Diving Level: Recruit Number of Certified Dives: 4 From: Jordan In: Jordan

1. When and Why Did You Decide to Pursue This Dive At This Level? What was your inspiration and motivation?

I started to learn English a while ago. The reason why I decided to learn English was because I love learning new languages, and because learning a new language can break down all the barriers that keep you away from communicating with others. Learning another language (especially English) helps me in discovering new cultures, getting closer to new people, and most importantly since I am a nurse, in communicating with patients. One of the most important skills for my profession is the power of communication, and the core of this power is learning more languages.

2. How Long Did It Take For You To Accomplish This Dive At This Level From The Day You Decided To Pursue It, And Why Did It Take That Long?

It took me three months of hard work to to learn the basics of English by myself. It took that long because, in my country, English is not considered as an important language for most people and the English classes at my school weren’t that good. Even in our daily life, we do not use it unless we are university students. At university, our subjects and exams are in English so if you are not good enough at English, you will fail, and sometimes most of the jobs opportunities are based on your fluency in English.

3. What Was The Hardest Part About Achieving This Particular Dive Level?

The hardest part was learning the spelling and the pronunciation. When you learn English, you will find words that are very long with letters that you have to read in a specific way. It will take time for you to learn all these words. Therefore, the spelling part will be hard too because you have to write the words that you want to learn over and over to make them stick right inside your brain. You have to regularly put the words in sentences to make it easier for you to remember.

4. What Was The Easiest Part About Achieving This Particular Dive Level?

The easiest part is that I can speak English everyday, because my friends are very good at it. This gave me a chance to improve it every day. Watching movies, series, listening to music, and reading books helped me too. Also, when I started to play online games, I met a lot of people who helped me a lot to improve my English.

5. What Is Your Advice For Someone Who Is Pursuing This Dive And Level?

Don’t give up. Just keep up the hard work. You can begin learning English using applications that you can download to your phone. Those apps can help you with the basics and leveling up in the app means that your English is improving. After that, you should watch more movies and series, and learn more songs lyrics. This will expand your dictionary and help you to know that culture much better. The most important thing that you have to do is seek out more conversations as much as you can. This will help you to get used to using that language and make it easier for your tongue to pronounce it.

6. What Are Some Of The Best Resources You Recommend to Those Pursuing This Dive At This Level, And Why Do You Recommend Them? Please Include Relevant Weblinks, If Applicable.

Google Translate. https://translate.google.com. You should rely on Google translation to help you with the pronunciation and the spelling. Google translation will help you to see the similar words that have the same meaning and the opposite meaning [Editor’s Note: synonyms and antonyms]. This will help you to memorize words more easily and to see the differences between them.

Duolingo. https://duolingo.com. Also you should use Duolingo. It is so amazing, so helpful, and it also encourage you to continue the hard work to improve your language. This app will help you with everything that you need. As long as you level up, this will give an advantage to you, as you learn new skills and new words.

Resource 1: Break Diving - Come join this awesome place to practice your English.

Resource 2: Google Translate - An excellent tool.

Resource 3: Duo Lingo - A great tool to help you get started improving your language skills.

Resource 4: -

Resource 5: -

7. Tell Us A Story Of One Of Your Adventures While Pursuing This Dive (At This Level).

When I first started to learn English, I was so depressed because I didn’t even know how to introduce myself. Back then, I was trying to read some novels for Agatha Christie in English. I had already read her books, but the ones that were translated into my native language.

The funny part was when one day I told my friend that I was into Agatha Christie’s books, so she gave me one from her collection and for sure it was in English. My face turned red. I couldn’t tell her that I was bad at English, so I just took the book from her and went home.

When I arrived at my room, I just stared at the book for a long time. I felt so curious about what the story plot would be about and I was so craving to read this book! So… I started to read it. I was using google translation to help me to understand the words on every page. It was working! It was insanely amazing, so I kept doing it the whole month. That was so useful for me.

The truth? I didn’t understand what the story was about exactly, but on the other hand, I learned a lot of new words, grammatical stuff, and it was really fun.

And for sure, after my friend found out about what I was doing, she just fell apart from laughing at me. I was so embarrassed. But… look how far I have now come!

8. What Evidence Did You Submit to Prove You Met the Requirements for This Dive and Level?

My fellow Break Divers have confirmed my reading, writing, speaking, and understanding via numerous live chats, video chats, and other communications. I also wrote this essay about LGBT people.

LGBT IN JORDAN
(Not edited by Break Diving staff)

Here in Jordan, LGBT people doesn’t have any rights but on the other hand laws here don’t criminalize it, since 1951. But don’t feel relieved about that all the people here believe that this is a big sin because of their religion their cultures and their traditions. Straight people could do ‘SCARY’ things to homosexual people like throw them from a building burned them alive or even shoot them to death. There is no law to protect us either. So even if you run toward a police station and do a report about that, they will shut you down. Your family will kick you out of their house, and if anyone at your university or your school does know about that they will beat you, insult you and even called you a faggot, a psychologically ill person, they will call you girly and treat you like you are no man anymore. Then this will be the end of everything for you.

9. Will You Be Pursuing The Next Level For This Dive? If Yes, Why? If Not, Why Not?

Sure! I will continue to learn this language, because it was so fun to learn and it will help me with my life, with getting closer to other people, with understanding them more, and for sure, helping me with my nursing job.

10. What is the Break Diver's Creed?

No Rules. No Excuses. No Regrets.

Certificate photo:

And having made this post, and provided adequate evidence to the dive committee, Laith Al Saifi is now hereby certified by Break Diving, Inc. as: Linguist - English - Level 1. Congratulations ! Thank you for being an inspiration to others!

Certificate number: 35

The author above wrote this WYSEguidance post as one of the certification requirements to become certified by Break Diving, Inc. for a dive completed. Would you also like to find greater success, happiness, and friendship, and make genuine supportive connections with others around the world pursuing your same dreams? Come join us at Break Diving and soon your story will be the next one you read about on this site!

Read More Stories on the WYSEguidance Homepage