文：邵盛甫 啟英學校財團法人桃園市啟英高級中等學校

　　一開始參加四健筆友計畫時，我其實很緊張，也很擔心會不知道要和筆友聊什麼、沒有共同話題，甚至會因為英文不夠好而讓聊天變得很尷尬。不過，真正開始交流後，發現事情並沒有想像中那麼困難。我們從自我介紹開始，再依照每次不同的交流主題分享彼此的生活、學校以及未來的夢想，慢慢地完成一封又一封的信。

　　透過這次的交流，我認識了美國和臺灣在學校生活上的一些差異，例如上課時間、課程安排等，也因此對不同國家的文化有了更多了解。每次收到對方的回信，我都會很好奇她會分享什麼新的事情，也讓我更期待每一次的交流。雖然我們聊的大多是生活中的小事情，但正因為這些平凡的分享，讓我更能感受到不同國家的生活方式，也發現其實大家都有許多相似的地方。

　　這次活動讓我最大的收穫，不只是練習英文，更是讓我有勇氣用英文和外國人交流。一開始我很怕沒有話題可以聊，沒想到實際寫信之後，比我想像中順利很多，也慢慢建立了自信。雖然我知道自己的英文還有很多進步空間，但每一次寫信、回信，都是一次很好的學習機會，也讓我更願意主動用英文表達自己的想法。

　　除此之外，我也發現，和外國朋友交流並沒有想像中那麼遙遠或困難。即使生活在不同的國家，有著不一樣的文化背景和生活習慣，仍然可以透過分享自己的日常生活，慢慢認識彼此。我覺得這是一件很有趣，也很有意義的事情。

　　很開心能參加這次四健筆友計畫，希望未來還有機會參加類似的國際交流活動，認識更多不同國家的朋友，累積文化交流的經驗，也讓自己的英文和溝通能力越來越進步，讓自己變得更加勇敢、更有有國際視野。

At first, I was a little nervous about joining the 4-H Pen Pal Program. I was worried that I wouldn't know what to talk about, that we wouldn't have many things in common, and that my English might make our conversations awkward. However, once we started writing to each other, I realized it wasn't as difficult as I had imagined. We first introduced ourselves, and then continued sharing about our school life, hobbies, and future dreams through different topics each time.

During this program, I learned more about the differences between schools in the United States and Taiwan, such as class schedules, school life, and future goals. These conversations helped me understand another country's culture better. Every time I received a new letter, I was curious to see what my pen pal would share next. Even though we mostly talked about simple everyday things, I found those conversations interesting because they showed me how people in another country live and think.

The biggest thing I gained from this program was not only the opportunity to practice my English, but also to become more confident in communicating with someone from another country. At first, I thought it would be difficult to keep the conversation going, but it turned out much better than I expected. I also realized that communicating in English doesn't have to be perfect. As long as I was willing to try, I could still express my thoughts and connect with someone from a different culture.

I know my English still has a lot of room for improvement, but every letter became a valuable learning experience. Writing each reply encouraged me to think carefully about how to express myself, and I gradually became more confident. I also learned that even though we live in different countries and have different lifestyles, we can still find many things to talk about and learn from each other.

I'm very happy that I had the opportunity to join this program. I hope I can participate in more international exchange activities in the future, meet more friends from different countries, and continue improving my English and communication skills. This experience has encouraged me to be more open to communicating with people from different backgrounds, and I hope to have more opportunities like this in the future.