Language is the symbol we use in order to communicate with one another; it is the expression that human communication through knowledge, idea, and performance can be experienced. Animal and even plant species could communicate each other. As for human species, language is the power which allowed us to be a dominant species on earth. Languages come in many shapes and sounds. At the same time, Language is a physical process and a way of sharing meaning among people. We all learn different language, but there is something profoundly mysterious about language even though we can learn to use it.
When I first moved to the states, I knew little English to use for daily life. That was my struggle when I started middle school at the age of twelve. Entering eighth grade was intense and terrified me, because of a new school, new culture, and new language. It was tough for me to adapt to the new world, everything was strange and mysterious to me. This was a new beginning for my future and biggest challenge that I had to face from that day on. The first day of school was something that still sticks with me till this day. Here I was about to embark on my new life. As I entered school, I grasped that this was a new environment I had never seen before. Finding my classes was a huge challenge for me, because I had to figure out where to go to get my class schedule. I was too scared to ask, because I have a fear of speaking due to my shyness and English. Eventually, a teacher pointed me to the right direction. Then I quickly walked in to my first class and sat in the back of the class because I was shy and too scared. I was excited of my first day of school and anxious to learn but at the same time I was fearful of coming out of my shell. I was frightened because of my lack of English skills. The teacher introduced me to the class as an exchange student, I stood up but the fear of talking had paralyzed me. So all I said was “Hello” and sat back down. But the class seemed to welcome me and this make me feel relaxed. This fear was haunted me every day when I come to school. The day was moving slowly at a snail’s pace and I just wanted go home.
At recess, I was walking around looking for something to do. Then I saw a couple of kids playing basketball and I asked if I could join. They said yes, and I impressed them with my hoop skills. They asked me where did I learn to play basketball. Without realizing my lack of English, I told them it was my first time playing the game. I discovered that being reclusive and scared was not an option. So I started making friends with them without even thinking about my fear of talking. Then my English started slowly improving as I began talking to all the other kids playing basketball with me. I finally broke out of my shell when I continued participating in fun activities at recess. As for reading and writing, I had an after school class help me to learn. The teacher was really nice to me and I felt comfortable talking with them with no problem. I finally had overcome my fear of shyness and speaking English. I become more socialized and began meeting new friends.
This is a fantastic story. I love your openness and honesty. You also do a very good job with pacing. The story never seems too rushed or too slow, it unfolds at just the right speed. You also do a very good job giving relevant details in your story. I felt that I could identify with the way you felt even though it was different reasons. I think you have been able to learn to write in English very well. Your opening paragraph needs a little bit of work though. It expresses some really interesting concepts about language, but some of your thoughts get lost in run-on sentences. Also be careful to watch out for minor grammatical mistakes; a good way to do that is to have someone else read your paper out loud to you. I also think you could incorporate some of the ideas from your opening paragraph into the rest of the blog. Try also to add a conclusion at the end of the piece to tie all your points together. Remember to ask yourself "so what?" at the end to make sure your blog has a specific purpose and that that purpose or message is clearly communicated. Good job and I look forward to reading your next blog.
ReplyDelete- Ben Andrews
I strongly agree with you. English is not my mother tongue, and I also felt very shy and scared to talk in English at the beginning. As you said, “being scared is not an option”; it is very true. That is what we have to overcome somehow. I am glad that you had connection with other kids with Basket ball. I strongly believe that playing sports is one of the ways to get new friends because it can be played without talking same languages. Eventually, the friends acquired by playing sports will be the window to the new language. I am glad that you came here when you were young. I see many older people struggling with the new language because it is harder to adapt or learn it since their brains are not that flexible as younger people. They even become shyer because of being afraid of rejection with their pride. I strongly believe that having friends is one of the best ways to learn language as you experienced. Because I wanted to communicate with them, I learned new language quicker; they helped me so much with explanation; even talking to them was a great practice. Hopefully you can use your experience to help someone who struggles with English to advice to lead to a right track.
ReplyDelete