Yang Wenyi
COSMOTOTS’ Graduate

Like any mother, my mother wants the best for me. Understanding well the importance of the English language, my mother sets me off to COSMOTOTS at age 5. It was 1997 and I recalled going into a cozy little office in Damansara Uptown with my mother to access my language ability. During the assessment, I struggle with alphabets and basic vocabulary. It was then determined that I should start from basics.

My mother recalled how happy she was when a year later, I was able to read simple reading materials. She was truly amazed when she observed that I have found my love for reading. I could remember vividly my obsession with Enid Blyton’s short story series as a child and slowly shifted my love to Nancy Drew series and classics. Till today, I can still remember parts of my initial phonics lessons and eventually reading storybooks like Don Quixote, King Solomon’s Mines and Gone With The Wind during lesson-time. Those lessons were engaging and interesting, especially when spliced with debates and role-plays.

I believe the solid foundations which I acquired at COSMOTOTS has contributed to my ability to read, and developed my love for reading. By age 6, English was no longer frightening and very quickly, I began to develop my language skills. Moreover, during my 8 years at COSMOTOTS, every lesson provided me with ample opportunities for me to express opinions, argue and listen to other perspectives. I truly appreciate those years in COSMOTOTS, for not only helping me gain confidence and proficiency in the English language but also for giving me a great childhood. Thanks to COSMOTOTS, I am now a lot more ready to navigate the rapidly changing 21^st Century.