Whenever I tell people that I teach English at the Berlin Zoo, I almost always get a questioning look. Behind it, the person is trying to figure out who exactly I teach…the animals?

Since June 2017, right before the     1     (arrive) of the two new pandas, Meng Meng and Jiao Qing, I have been helping the panda keepers at the zoo to feel more comfortable and     2     (confidence) speaking English. And who do they speak English     3    ?

Not the pandas, even though     4     language used for the medical training instructions is actually English. They talk to the flood of international tourists and to     5     (visit) Chinese zookeepers who often come to check on the pandas, which are on loan from China. They also need to be ready to give     6     (interview) in English with international journalists. This is     7     they need an English trainer.

So, what are they learning?     8     (basic), how to describe a panda’s life. It’s been an honor to watch the panda programme develop     9     to see the pandas settle into their new home. As a little girl, I     10     (wish) to be a zookeeper when I grew up. Now, I’m living out that dream indirectly by helping the panda keepers do their job in English.

Learning a new language is not easy for most people. However, you can always make learning fun as long as you show enough interest     1     it.

Motivation is     2     you have to achieve as a goal. If you study a foreign language just     3     (pass) your school test, you cannot learn it well. Besides, you should also be a good observer. Practice makes perfect, but if you have been practising incorrectly, your mistakes     4     (become) permanent. Therefore, it’s of great importance to be a good observer. Your practice of accent will be much more effective if you closely observe your     5     (pronounce), mouth and lip movements.

Last but not least, you should have confidence in yourself, too. Confidence can smooth your way of learning a foreign language. Don’t believe those     6     say it’s impossible for you to master a new language. As a matter of fact, it’s no good     7     (practise) if you believe deep inside your heart that speaking a foreign language perfectly     8     (be)an extremely difficult goal to achieve. Don’t say you have no     9     (nature)talent for learning a new language well.     10     (actual), when you have finished reading this essay, you have certainly gained enough inspiration to improve your English.