Reflection on developing Academic Writing, Reading, and Listening Skills.

Reflection on my First Academic Essay, Reading, and Listening Experiences at Otago Polytechnic.

During this course, I have developed several important skills that have helped me become a more independent and confident learner. In this reflection, I will share my experiences of writing my first academic essay, passing my reading exam, and taking my first listening exam, following guidance from Te Matapuna Library and Learning Services (n.d.). This reflection focuses on what went well and what could have been better.

Improving my academic writing was important area of learning. When studies at Otago Polytechnic began, the first academic essay in English had to be written. I learned that speaking English and writing in English are very different. Moreover, paraphrasing turned out to be less difficult than expected. After reflecting on this experience, I know that practising writing more essays, even outside of Polytechnic, in my own time, will help me become more confident. The main goal is to write essays without mistakes and to keep my writing clear and logical.

A key skill was further developed through the reading exam at Otago Polytechnic. This experience showed my difficulties and my motivation to improve. At first, there was a lot of nervousness about the reading exam because understanding the text and questions seemed difficult. However, once reading began, I realised that text was not too difficult to understand. The main challenge for me was to make sure I fully understood what each question was asking, because sometimes the words can be difficult. Moreover, having already completed my writing portfolio by researching articles, so I had some idea of how to approach this type of reading task. That experience helped me to stay calm and focus on finding the right information in the text. Overall, I think this reading exam provided valuable practice and preparing for future real reading exam.

Listening skills were also developed during the Listening Exam at Otago Polytechnic. When the exam began and the questions were received, it became immediately clear that the task would be difficult. A table needed to be completed, like the Listening Profile used before, and I knew this type of task was always a challenge for me. During homework practice, it was possible to pause audio, replay parts, and take notes slowly. However, during the exam, there were only two chances to listen to the recording, many details were missed. Another difficulty was taking notes while listening, that we were allowed to make notes. Sometimes, notes were written in Russian because it was faster for me to capture the information that way. I find that listening is probably my most difficult skill to have compering to writing or reading. In reading and writing, there is always a text in front of me and allows checking vocabulary and paraphrasing sentences. However, during listening tasks, I have only limited information, and once the audio ends, it cannot be reviewed. Still, it feels that improvement is possible in the future. Because, that I understand the format of the exam and what to expect will help to prepare better and do well next time. With more practice, listening results will become stronger.

In conclusion, to keep improving, regular practice and building confidence very important. Believing in personal progress will help to succeed and continue learning. The skills gained in writing, reading, and listening will be useful not only for university studies but also for future work.

Written by Alina Polkova (2025) "A reflection on my learning experience, hoping it may inspire and help others".

References

Te Matapuna Library and Learning Services. (n.d.). How to write reflectively. Auckland University of Technology. https://library.aut.ac.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/779206/Reflective-writing.pdf