needed to be corrected

My Literacy Experience

Literacy is defined as the ability to read and/or write efficiently in any given language. It can be used to classify societies based on their abilities to read and/or write. In fact, a world wide numerical figure, known as the literacy rate, is commonly used to reveal different things about any country, the population, standard of living, political influence, and even economic status. This is because the literacy rate is associated with a gamut of factors that go beyond one’s culture. Personally, I am blessed for the ability of being literate in Arabic, which is my mother tongue. However, my journey towards becoming literate in English, as a second language, has proven to be a challenging and interesting journey. Growing up in Kuwait, I was raised in a society that was blessed with an abundance of Oil. This resulted in an economic boom for Kuwait and the country experienced speedy development during that time. Arabic is the national language of Kuwait as well as the language of Islam, the religion under which Kuwait follows. Therefore, reading and writing in Arabic is an essential requirement for any and all academic institutions in the country. By focusing on education and development of the Kuwaiti youth, emerging generations are associated with a high literacy rate. As a Kuwaiti national, I am proud that the overall literacy rate for Kuwait’s population lies at 93.8%. Luckily, reading is one of the habits supported within my immediate family and friends. This was sparked when my older sister saw the movie Matilda. She was so infatuated by it and thus, I was curious to know about this movie myself. After watching Matilda, and with much explaining from my sister, my childhood had just begin. As children, we would sit and read wonderful stories with happy endings, heroes, and positive takeaways. One of my favorite pastimes, once my parents have gone to sleep, is staying up after bedtime to continue reading with her. I used to read all sorts of stories that were based on cartoons, religion, common tales, and imaginary fantasies. This variety of books during my early years sparked my interest to learn unique and new things. I had noticed that my academic performance was positively impacted from my habit of reading. Aside from school, reading allowed me to transfer my emotions and internal thoughts through words. I can also clearly read and understand difficult Arabic text. Difficult Arabic text here implies the formal Arabic style of writing. This style of Arabic is not used for common speech; yet, it is the language in which our Holy Book is written. Deep down, I was also still waiting for my super powers to come. As I grew older and became a teenager, the types of books I read expanded and my parents encouraged me to read books with morale lessons, ethical dilemmas, and realistic outlooks on life. Their reasoning for this push was to help me build my character and shape my personality. Being a teenager also made me realize just how fast our world is changing. In fact, technology is driving us forward in ways humans never thought would be possible. In order to keep up, we must be well equipped to understand and adapt to such changes and progress. This includes what we learn, the devices we use, the systems we operate, and the people we meet. It was as simple as buying my first cell phone. I was exposed to several English terms and had slowly adjusted myself to identify them and interpret their meanings in due time. Unknowingly, I started my journey towards learning English. After all, almost every movie, cartoon, or other types of media had been translated into Arabic during my childhood. Up until my teen years, I did not think I would one day shift to watching, reading, and writing in English without Arabic subtitles or translations. When I was asked by my parents about my next steps beyond high school, I knew that the time to be literate in English arrived. I needed to efficiently and effectively utilize the English language to read and learn about different majors, schools, programs abroad, and certifications necessary to achieve any career I aimed to pursue. This meant that I had to have a high literacy rate in English, which is not as heavily taught or supported when compared to Arabic in Kuwait. I resorted to everything I knew from reading during my upbringing, my teenage years, and the opportunities that lay ahead to come to the conclusion of becoming an Engineer. If I had not stepped out of my comfort zone and taken on the challenge of learning English, I could not have enrolled in any U.S. academic institution. Nor am I able to pursue any accredited degree elsewhere beyond the Arab World without efficient English literacy. I am curious as to whether or not I would have pursued a degree in Engineering had I not taken on English?