Personal Narrative: My Experience With A Language Barrier

My experience with a language barrier was the most difficult, clear and present danger of my first year at an American high school. There was a huge difference between what I expected my experience would be and reality. At my American school, I understood a good amount of what was happening, but hardly everything, because I was not comfortable with the quick tempo that teachers spoke in. To be honest, sitting in my classroom for a lesson for the first time was also the first time I had heard so much English! Every day I found myself guessing my teacher’s meaning about the content or assignments, and when it came time for a group discussion, I was afraid to talk about my opinions because I thought that maybe I spoke weird English.

During this time I realized that I was totally sealing myself off from the outside world, and as a result, my grades were much worse and I made no friends at my school. I felt I was in the end of the world, an

apocalypse, and my travels abroad had represented the biggest failure I’ve ever undergone.

Nothing hurts as much as loneliness does.

I began to watch movies to entertain myself and there was always something new that I learned from each movie. I figured that life was a gift and I didn’t intend on wasting mine. From the movies I learned that in life you never know what hand you’re going to be dealt next. I learned to take life as it came at me. I started to ask myself if this was the life I chose to live in America and I wondered if I should try and walk out of my comfort zone.

I began talking to my teachers about our classes and asked question upon question everyday after school. I joined soccer and cross-country teams to be more social. When I really opened myself to people I realized that people were helpful and willing to listen. I smiled more than before and then I really started to experience this different culture! The biggest reward for my change is that I was actually accepted into the National Honor Society. This honor was huge for me in confirming the value of the things I’ve done to make myself

better.

I now realize that the conditions that drain us and fill us are as varied as our personalities. But unavoidably there are some times we are at ebb. Every man has a tank. Our tank is filled—or drained—by the activities, relationships and requirements of each passing day. Most of us are drained by things like pain, stress, or tension. Some of us refill our tank through laughter, friendship and times with God, convinced by the beauty of nature. And yet, no matter how a man ends up empty, every man needs to be filled up once a while.

I feel it is noteworthy how the Bible recognizes that humans do fail. In James 3:2 it is stated, “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” Although all men stumble, the most important thing is how each of us handles our failure. Some men can get up again very quickly and learn from the past. Contrariwise, some men just stay where they are forever.
Studying abroad has been an exciting but, admittedly, a spiny adventure. This year is my third year study in the United States, I have had a taste of the vast Midwest and I have become fascinated by the countryside and the modest people. And I have experienced the distinctiveness of the West Coast. In my journey I have met so many people who were willing to give me a hand while I was in trouble. People who tried their best to help me adapt to the cultural differences between us.
The lessons I have learned from my failure should make me better able to handle the situation the second time around. I have also learned when others failed; I can give them a hand to help them out when they are experiencing failure. Now I am willing to listen to other international students about their hard times and use myself as an example to encourage them to evaluate themselves.
I can still remember my first cross-country meet. Before the meet I was so nervous that my hands were shaking, and I had never run that far in my whole life. The coach encouraged me and said “just run and don’t think too much.” As a result, I finished the whole race without stopping, and I am really proud of myself. Everyone needs to learn from failures in a positive way; I may have failed my first time but next time I will succeed. Because God is giving me forgiveness and strength, the only way to lose is to give up.