Manny Pacquiao's quote “Life is meant to be a challenge because challenges make you grow” makes me recall a certain part of my life when I had to learn English as a second language. Moving to the United States of America at the age of seven and spending my early development age learning a third-world language and culture instead, Urdu, molded me into the person I am today. My family and I moved here back in 2009 for better opportunities and lifestyles. Technically, I did learn some basic English back home in Pakistan, but not fluent enough where I could converse with another person more so write a complete sentence. It is self-evident that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to English or any other subject for that matter, but I will share my story of the struggles I faced learning a new language in a foreign country.
I remember the days when, as a second-grader, I would be in recess sitting by myself and I could not tell my peers that I wanted to play with them too because of the language barrier. I did not understand the culture. I did not know what ‘tag’ was or what a ‘duck goose’ game would be. After many lonely class periods and with the help of ESL classes, it was not until later that I gained some confidence in speaking English and also being able to write basic sentences. It wasn’t until my middle school years that I realized that I am fortunate enough to have learned English as a second language. In the beginning, as mentioned previously, I struggled to speak even the most basic words in English. I did decent in all other subjects, except English, in which I received a below-average grade. I can’t recall most of my elementary school years, but from what my parents tell me, I was a struggling student, trying to make ends meet when it came to grades. However, a rewarding scenario that I do remember is when my teacher nominated me as the best-improved student in the class. The feeling of achievement I felt then is indescribable. I finally felt a confidence boost and could initiate a few conversations. Fortunately, the friends I made then were reliable and trustworthy and became one of my main sources of help and self-improvement, besides the teacher.
Language is the sole way to interact and display our thoughts and passions with others. It is a heated discussion about whether children demand to study a foreign language. I concur with this way that children need to acquire a foreign language in school. In my belief, this trend has more benefits than negatives. To open with, children produce very well during their later studies if they know a secondary language. To quote an example, some researches show that children who inquire a foreign language can study academic subjects rather promptly than bilingual students. Furthermore, students show multitasking techniques if they comprehend another language. As it is obvious that bilingual students never encounter a language difficulty when they opt to study abroad. Moreover, from a global viewpoint, people with superior communication abilities are preferred by employers. For instance, If somebody can speak a foreign language like English, the possibility of obtaining a job abroad is significantly higher. Another fact is that children learn very quickly, and acquiring another language makes them consider this world as a global community. This additionally aids them to experience the culture and traditions of a different country. This supports them to sustain strong contact with others when they work in a foreign country. Summing up, it is always more beneficial to prepare children with a secondary language in school. This accommodates them in several aspects of life. Global travel is frequently apparent, and studying another language other than their national language would benefit them in their succeeding life.
My learning of English started at home with my parents interacting with me in English or at least attempting to. While my mom was a full-time housewife, my dad was a doctor in Pakistan, but not when we moved to America. Since my mother spent most of her time at home, I was capable to study English literature more from my mother. My father, on the other hand, was the only person making income for our family. Nonetheless, whatever point he could gather from his hectic schedules, he applied that to schooling me in the English language. This was certainly supported by me as I was capable to discover the English language from them throughout our discussions and by listening to the words they spoke to me. Therefore, both my parents were accountable for exposing me to the education of the English language to me. Thus, I consider it a blessing to be born and raised in a somewhat educated family when it comes to previous knowledge of English.