My Year of English at All In One Academy: I was skeptical, Then I started speaking

A Training I Didn't Choose

My training at All In One-Academy started in January 2026 and is still going. It was an initiative from my boss, who wanted all of his employees to be able to express themselves fluently in English but also because the work we do required it. At office, we frequently attend meetings with English-speaking clients and sometimes give presentations. Without a good command of the language, it's hard to make yourself understood, and the workload ended up falling on just two colleagues instead of the whole team. I was very skeptical, because my previous English training had never turned out as effective as I had hoped, but I couldn't turn down this offer. 

The Placement Test: The Cold Shower

As usual in some centers, a test is given to gauge each person's level. Before starting classes, I had to take a placement test. Its purpose was to assess my level in order to place me in a class, identify my weaknesses, and help the teachers give me the right, effective support.

I have to admit that, at the time, I felt frustrated by the results, because I ended up in the Beginner class, the LS101 class. I knew I hadn't been able to answer all the questions on the test, but I also knew my level wasn't really that of a beginner: my real problem had always been speaking in discussion. I remember my colleagues teasing me about it that day, and they were just as surprised as I was. But the results had spoken, so I accepted it.

 Placement test

My First Steps with Mr. Roger

My first instructor was Mr. Roger FASSINOU, who made sure to give me all the information I needed before my training officially began. For my first session, I had to introduce myself following the academy's format, talk about my worries and expectations regarding the training, and take my pledge. That went smoothly, without any issues.

The classes then continued, and I had two mentors to guide me on using the All In One-Academy Board platform and to help me whenever I had trouble with submissions on dashboard. Nadege SODJI, a colleague of mine from work, was one of my mentors. My first challenge was presenting the national flag, which I did proudly.

Dashboard

Flexibility, Discipline, and Cross-Cultural Discussions

What I appreciated most about this training was the flexibility and discipline of the instructors. They made themselves available to everyone, gave us advice, shared tips for practicing the language better, and also knew how to bring us back in line when needed.

Between presentations to prepare, class assignments, constructive videos, games (Yes or No, words starting with specific letters of the alphabet), challenges launched in class by Mr. Roger, the dashboard to complete, the weekly Thursday and Sunday discussions, the cooking project, and the breaking news topics, every condition was in place and aligned to challenge me. These techniques were really useful.

The Thursday discussions were held with volunteer interns from CIPCHICAGO, from different countries: India (George and Parineet), the USA (Fatima and Ben), as well as other students from Nigeria (Hannah) and Guinea. We learned from one another, and about each other's cultures too.

Weekly Discussion with CIPCHICAGO &

Interesting expressions learned.

Breaking News, Sir Roger's Signature Move

Mr. Roger knew how to reward us after putting us through a challenge, especially with bonus points that I loved earning.

I remember the time when there were only three of us in class, including him, and he wanted to test our knowledge of world news. He asked Nadege and me a series of questions, then proposed a bet about the fluctuation in gas prices: if we were right, I would receive an interesting reward transfer and my classmate a bottle of wine. But if we lost, we'd each have to accept a zero on a project unit of our choice. For quick context: the war between the USA and Iran was in the news at the time, and it was affecting fuel prices. Not wanting a negative grade, we didn't take him up on the bet but it was really funny.

Breaking news are truly Sir Roger's trademark! Every chance he got, he found a way to get his students interested in current events. “No wahala!”, “Marilie, you are very funny!”, “Wait and see”, “I can imagine!”, “Practice makes perfect” are all familiar and favorites expressions we associate with Mr. Roger.

A Second Instructor: Welcome to Mr. Eric's Class

And if you've followed along this far, you'll have noticed that in the lines above, I always referred to Mr. Roger as my first instructor. Coincidence or stroke of luck? I ended up with a second instructor and new classmates, because the first class I belonged to had to close. I joined Mr. Eric's class the instructor who speaks like an American. He had a good accent!

I remember that for our project presentations, my first classmates and I, used to hope he wouldn't join the class to watch and grade us. He was often invited by Mr. Roger, and that stressed us out we were so afraid of doing poorly, and we doubted our ability to understand his words. But in the end, it pushed me to grow: I made mistakes, and both he and Mr. Roger would correct me. The pronunciation of the word “details” played tricks on me during my project’s presentations!

Classes with Mr. Eric were marked by discussions about the words we posted on Slack, a topic chosen from his list, advices, smiling and the speed-reading game with scrolling text. Anyone who's taken his classes will recognize this one: Come on, men!

Where I Stand Today: Practice Above All

Today, I'm not yet fluent in English, but I've improved a lot. I'm no longer shy or afraid when I have to speak. I know how to introduce myself, but also how to give structured presentations in front of an audience in English. I still sometimes doubt myself, but when I trust myself, the words come and I can carry on a conversation for a long time without even realizing it mistakes and all.

I'm currently working on my accent and my grammar when speaking, practicing more, and learning to fully trust myself so the words come more naturally. All In One-Academy really gives us every tool we need to succeed. The key is simply practice. This quote from Michael Jordan highlights it up perfectly:

“The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle!”

Watch my Testimonial

I recorded a short video testimonial sharing this journey in my own words with my spelling mistakes, in English. It's proof, better than any paragraph, that the shy “Beginner” from that first placement test can now speak with more confidence. Click on testimony to watch and do your comments.

Aiming for the TOEFL

I'm still taking classes in Mr. Eric's group, and my goal is to one day take the TOEFL. And on that note, Mr. Roger has often encouraged me to go for it. He often says: “Marilie is a very good student, and every instructor would want studious students like you.” To me, those aren't just words they're the words of someone who believes in my abilities. Our instructors managed to create a learning environment full of laughter, joy, and genuine human connection. For that alone, my gratitude will never run out.

Find here some videos of my presentations: 

 

   

A little message for All In One-Academy: if any language-immersion opportunities come up in English-speaking countries, please think of me.

And to everyone who wants to learn English at a center known for real results: choose All In One-Academy.