Rania begins swimming lessons at thirty. Simple exercises with her instructor help her notice her own progress over several classes.
01Read the Arabic story
تَعَلُّمُ السِّبَاحَةِ فِي سِنِّ الثَّلَاثِينَ
اِسْمِي رَانِيَا، وَعُمْرِي ثَلَاثُونَ سَنَةً. كُنْتُ أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَسْبَحِ مَعَ أُخْتِي، وَلَكِنَّنِي كُنْتُ أَجْلِسُ لِأُشَاهِدَ فَقَطْ. أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَتَعَلَّمَ السِّبَاحَةَ، فَسَجَّلْتُ فِي دُرُوسٍ لِلْكِبَارِ. كَانَ الدَّرْسُ كُلَّ سَبْتٍ، فَاسْتَطَعْتُ حُضُورَهُ بَعْدَ أُسْبُوعِ الْعَمَلِ.
فِي الدَّرْسِ الْأَوَّلِ، كُنْتُ مُتَوَتِّرَةً. قَالَتْ لِي الْمُدَرِّبَةُ: «سَنَبْدَأُ بِتَمَارِينَ بَسِيطَةٍ، وَأَنَا مَعَكِ». بَقِينَا فِي الْجُزْءِ الْقَرِيبِ مِنَ الْحَافَّةِ، وَشَرَحَتْ لِي كُلَّ تَمْرِينٍ بِهُدُوءٍ. لَمْ أَسْبَحْ مَسَافَةً فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ، لَكِنَّنِي أَصْبَحْتُ أَقَلَّ خَوْفًا مِنَ الْمَاءِ.
فِي الدَّرْسِ الثَّانِي، اِسْتَعْمَلْتُ لَوْحًا لِلسِّبَاحَةِ مَعَ الْمُدَرِّبَةِ. كَرَّرْنَا بَعْضَ التَّمَارِينِ، وَكُنْتُ أَتَوَقَّفُ عِنْدَمَا أَتْعَبُ. قُلْتُ: «صَدِيقَتِي تَعَلَّمَتْ بِسُرْعَةٍ أَكْبَرَ». اِبْتَسَمَتِ الْمُدَرِّبَةُ وَقَالَتْ: «اُنْظُرِي إِلَى تَقَدُّمِكِ أَنْتِ». فِي الدَّرْسِ الرَّابِعِ، سَبَحْتُ مَسَافَةً قَصِيرَةً وَهِيَ بِجَانِبِي.
عُدْتُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ سَعِيدَةً، وَأَخْبَرْتُ أُخْتِي بِمَا فَعَلْتُ. كَتَبْتُ فِي دَفْتَرِي: «فِي الْبِدَايَةِ كُنْتُ خَائِفَةً، وَالْآنَ أَتَحَرَّكُ فِي الْمَاءِ بِثِقَةٍ أَكْبَرَ». لَا أَزَالُ أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى دُرُوسٍ أُخْرَى، لِذَلِكَ سَأَسْتَمِرُّ مَعَ الْمُدَرِّبَةِ. هَدَفِي الْقَادِمُ أَنْ أُحَسِّنَ مَا تَعَلَّمْتُهُ، خُطْوَةً بَعْدَ خُطْوَةٍ.
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My name is Rania, and I am thirty years old. I used to go to the swimming pool with my sister, but I would only sit and watch. I wanted to learn to swim, so I enrolled in lessons for adults. The class was every Saturday, so I could attend after the working week.
In the first lesson, I was nervous. The instructor told me, “We will start with simple exercises, and I am with you.” We stayed in the part near the edge, and she explained each exercise to me calmly. I did not swim any distance that day, but I became less afraid of the water.
In the second lesson, I used a swimming board with the instructor. We repeated some exercises, and I would stop when I became tired. I said, “My friend learned more quickly.” The instructor smiled and said, “Look at your own progress.” In the fourth lesson, I swam a short distance with her beside me.
I returned home happy and told my sister what I had done. I wrote in my notebook, “At first I was afraid, and now I move in the water with greater confidence.” I still need more lessons, so I will continue with the instructor. My next goal is to improve what I have learned, step by step.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| الْمَسْبَحِ | the swimming pool |
| لِلْكِبَارِ | for adults |
| مُتَوَتِّرَةً | nervous |
| الْمُدَرِّبَةُ | the female instructor |
| الْحَافَّةِ | the edge |
| لَوْحًا لِلسِّبَاحَةِ | a swimming board |
| تَقَدُّمِكِ | your progress |
| بِثِقَةٍ | with confidence |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic story when you need a clue. Open the English support if you need help understanding a question.
What to remember
- Follow the first, second and fourth lessons to see how Rania’s experience changes.
- Distinguish a small achievement from the next goal: Rania makes progress and plans more lessons with her instructor.
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