I was 10 years old when I had to leave everything behind and come to America to start a new beginning. Coming from an underdeveloped country, I had limited knowledge of English. In fact, I could barely utter enough words in the language to be able to hold a whole conversation. Coming to a new nation and going to a new school where English was the primary language spoken by everyone was very difficult for me. I felt so out of place because I struggled to communicate with other students and understand the things I was being taught due to the language barrier. I started to lose my confidence, and belittle myself. It was especially hard in my English class where I struggled a lot because I was expected to write and have discussions with my classmates in English. I remember hating to go to school because I truly felt like an outsider.
In order to demolish this language barrier and do well in my English class, I made it my goal to be fluent in English. I was determined to take steps which helped me accomplish my goal. In class, I listened attentively to everything that was being taught and spoken and pushed myself to ask my teacher for help when I needed. Unlike other kids who rushed out of the school as soon as the last bell rang, I stayed for tutoring around 2 to 3 hours after school every day. I mustered up enough courage to open up to talk to other students in English and make friends. After taking these steps, I started to improve my English, finally able to overcome my struggle. I started to do better in school, especially in English class, and converse with others in school. After overcoming this barrier, I started to speak up, gained more confidence and started believing in myself. Seven years later, I am now fluent in English.
