Learning a new language is like being in a maze connecting all sorts of phrases, which to me all sound the same. Balancing the practice of two languages was very challenging growing up in the way that I couldn’t speak English properly like my other peers in school. I blamed myself for not understanding the same. I thought maybe I should focus on English, but I believed everyone would confuse that with me being lazy instead. It was later revealed to me that I would have an IEP which stands for Individual Education Plan. I was given this plan because I’ve always had a learning disability but wasn’t always aware of it. There were many challenges I faced due to struggling to learn a new language. For example, one challenge I faced was having to take exams. I would always be the last person in the room to finish last, therefore I would need extra time to complete my exams. Communicating with my peers was complicated, as some students would make fun of my accent. This was quite difficult for me because I felt as though I couldn’t do anything without making a fool of myself. I was determined to improve my English, So at one point, I thought it would be a good idea to quit speaking Spanish at home and solely try to communicate in English instead. I explained to my mom why I wanted to make this decision. My mom only spoke Spanish at the time, and she told me that it was the language we use to communicate and that if anything we could learn together. My mom also reassured me and let me know I shouldn’t feel ashamed of the way I speak because it’s a reminder of where I come from. I also told my mom about my struggles in school with how I was adjusting to learning a new language and how I didn’t feel smart enough because I was so behind. My mother, of course, comforted me , but also wanted to talk to my school in a way where I could receive the help I needed to succeed.
A few days after that conversation with my mom, she went to my school to have a conversation with my teachers to tell her what was going on with my education. My mom didn’t forget to mention that I was being bullied in school. The teachers, of course, spoke to their parents and then eventually stopped right after. My mom also communicated to the teacher how I was being left behind because I couldn’t grasp the material due to me not understanding English. The next day, I found out I was going to switch my class. I went from being in a class with 28 students to being in a class with less than 15 students. In a way, I did find it more helpful because there were 2 teachers, and they both spoke Spanish, so I was able to feel more comfortable telling them things I didn’t understand. I was in a class with students who were just like me, who were in the same situation. Not only that, but my mom enrolled me in English courses after school, where they would give us options to pick a book and read it for 30 minutes every day and then write about it. It was hard to choose a book at first, but the teacher from my program recommended a series called “ Diary of A Wimpy Kid.”” At first, I was unsure I would like the series because I would mainly read books in Spanish, but I knew I would do whatever it took to improve my English.
The both programs I was in really helped me develop my reading and writing skills. Slowly, I was able to say certain words in English. I like writing more than reading, I’ve always felt like writing was a way to express my thoughts on paper. I also feel like reading does take me out of my reality, I enjoy the books I can relate to or the type of books that make me feel like I’m living through their eyes. A book I will always love is a book that is called “Uglies” by Scott Westerfeild. One thing I love about the book is that it connects to our society when it comes to beauty standards. It also showed me a lesson I can always take with me, which is not to change myself to fit into a society. It’s better to embrace myself than to copy what’s not original. This book connects my life with Literacy and Language, because at a certain point I felt like I was ashamed of my roots as a young latina woman. Especially because I was being made fun of because I didn’t speak,write or read the same as other people in my grade . This book was another reminder that I needed to tell myself once again that although my English accent isn’t like everyone’s, that’s perfectly okay if anything. I am proud coming from a hispanic background and also proud to say I now learned both languages.
My IEP continued all the way through high-school, of course I would have a meeting every year with the board of education and teachers to discuss if I have made progress. There were times where the teachers felt like I didn’t need to be enrolled into the program anymore. I always said that I wanted to keep continuing with the program because there will always be a moment where I get stuck. Till this day I am not perfect. I will always make mistakes and that is okay. My goal is to just to improve everyday. Learning a new language has impacted my life in a good way where now I feel like I’m at the point in my life where I feel like my communication, writing and reading skills have improved. I’m honestly so thankful for my mom because anytime I felt like giving up she was always there, and I am so thankful for the teachers who have also supported me and also not giving up on me.
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