First time in the usa

Sarah was the turn around in my language proficiency. I must admit that I may not be very good in the language like the native speakers, but I have reached a decent proficiency level that has enabled me to pursue my course in electrical engineering with fewer difficulties. On this day, Sarah noticed that I could not answer the questions she paused to me while I was in class.

The students laughed when she joked at my being dumb. She saw the embarrassment written all over my face at that moment. She immediately realized that she had hurt my confidence and this would affect my mastery of the language. However, she pressed on as a way of challenging me to rise up and make attempts that would change my process of learning English.

I slowly began to murmur something inaudibly under my breath. She urged me to speak up and that I was making some good progress by attempting to speak. What followed was even more shocking to me. Sarah called me to the front and took her place in my seat. She told me to tell a story from my country in the language that I understood best. I used my national language and there was applause from the class. She then asked a student in class who knew what I had said to volunteer to help me translate the story. Luckily, there was one who stood up and joined me. He told the class the short summary of the story albeit in broken English. I was asked to state the major outlines of the story which he interpreted.

I picked a few words from the translation of that student. Because of what I went through that day, I was determined to improve my literacy level. I decided that one day I will tell my story in English without the help of anybody. When the bell rang to signify the end of the lesson, teacher Sarah called me and my translator to follow her to the office. She talked to us more about our language skills and how to improve them.

She identified the areas that usually pose challenge to foreign students and the best way to go through it. She urged the two of us to prepare a program for a joint study and dedicated herself to assist us through the process. She apologized for any discomfort she may have caused me during the lesson. She also commended me for cooperating and assured me that I will be good in the language sooner.

I was motivated to learn that she too was not a native. She had come from France to study in the US with just a little knowledge of English. She ended up as an English language teacher. Before we left her office, she told me that in a week’s time, I would have to repeat my story again in English without assistance. This was a huge challenge for me since I barely knew that language. She assured me that she work with me through the script. She also asked the other student to help me with the story and the translation after school. This was the origin of my language proficiency after which I was able to study English and Electrical Engineering without the difficulty of language barrier.

After the incident in class, I dedicated myself to dealing with any issues that would make my stay in the US troublesome. Language is a vital factor in the process of integration into the American society. The US multicultural and multiracial composition requires that the citizens develop a common culture that all would fit in. The cultures that make up the country have integrated to form a unique identity for the inhabitants. Use of a common language is one of the motivators of socialization and understanding each other. The next step of learning the American culture would be made easier after I had mastered the English language.