Personal Literacy Narrative (Studying English)

Learning English as a new language has always been an interesting aspect that advanced my personal ability to expand my understanding of life and different cultures. Though the first lessons where quite challenging, the desire to learn this language can be considered a dream that has helped me persevere the challenges. The following paper highlights some of the literacy challenges that I have experienced in the process of learning the English vernacular. First lessons: How I developed the desire to learn English My native language is Arabic and I hail from Saudi Arabia.

My mother played a key role in instilling the desire to learn the English language. My first lessons begun at the tender age of 7 years, my mother used simple English words and numbers to teach me how to pronounce English words. My mother is not a proficient English speaker but the little words she knew she taught me. When I was enrolled in elementary school there were no English lessons I was deeply disappointed by this aspect. My only option was to learn the English dialect through cartoons and television programs and films.

The most effective English learning tool came in form of a present from my aunt. The present was a videogame console and all games were English this exciting learning opportunity was challenged by my mother’s restrictions as she wanted me to focus more on my classwork. Since no one in my family understood the English dialect I decided to learn English through my own understanding and interpretations of the words I read or heard. Intermediate school: real learning lessons When I enrolled in intermediate school I attended my first real English lesson with language books and homework assignments.

I was an active participant during the English lesson; I recall a lesson in which I was the only student who was familiar with the English alphabet. My previous understanding of the English language enabled me to gain good grades on the subject. We only had four hours in a week to learn the English language I felt the time was limited and not enough for students. After high school attended English classes for two months. In university I took up the classes again and after 2 years I stopped attending English classes.

My experiences and challenges in an English native speaking country. When I arrived in America I registered at Boulder, CO. to study English for 1 year. I also decided to live in Boulder with a native English speaking family with the aim of familiarizing myself with the English dialect. I also socialized with native speakers in order to understand their phonology and pronunciations of the English words. Three months later I began my academic classes at University of Hartford in computer engineering.

The most prevalent challenges arose from preconceived notions that I like to write the English language. I also observed that in the late 1980’s, the book learning of literacy was essentially believed to be a psychological process, which was often perceived to be a ‘psycholinguistic or cognitive view of literature’. This limited perception left no productive room for struggling students as myself who were already advanced in the grade allocated in my English class. The real truth is that speaking English and writing it are two different things.

I prefer to speak the language than write it . The difficulties of expressing English words in writing often required meticulous preparation as grammatical constructions of sentences could mean something totally different than what you intended to say. Learning storylines offers a genre of possibility where students’ voices are reflective in their writing and rhetorical awareness of the English language. My primary sponsors were my mother and the cartoon movies they enabled me to learn how to interpret and speak the English language.

I remembered how the sounds of the alphabet and how I used to pronounce each sound until I perfected the word phrases. Meaningful conversations are essential to creating the environment favorable writing in any field. The American family in Boulder was instrumental sponsors who enabled me gain confidence in my English speaking skills as every conversation helped me understand how to use certain words appropriately. My communication and writing skills became more articulate and assertive. I have learnt how to articulate my words from the conversations I had with native English speakers.

I have also learnt that my native Arabic language play’s a great role in how I pronounce English words. The way I pronounce certain words may cause language barriers with the people I intend to communicate with. This is the most frustrating aspect as I believe that in my mind I have pronounced the words accurately but the phonation is hindered by my Arabic accent. My persistence and perseverance have enabled me to gain the confidence to communicate in a new language. My English was greatly improved by classroom activities are based on participatory learning that requires hands-on writing, reflection and discussion.

This learning aspect is very challenging on various levels especially when it comes to classroom discussion which I personally found to be very antagonistic. My perceptions of the assigned activities during the first year were based on cultural influence from my country. This made me take a more contemplative role as I observed the other students and I preferred to share my ideas through hands-on-writing. From this protective angle my reflections were evaluated in a more proactive environment. During the classroom activities my silence enabled me to learn more about the American culture and the English language.

I became friends with most of my classmates who helped me gain a deeper understanding of the English language and how to communicate effectively. Having a personal English journal has enabled me keep track of my learning process. The first years were challenging and even my grammatical skills have greatly improved in terms of sentence structures. When writing academic assignments I usually write down a set of question with the aim of understanding my writing skills and my personal literacy level on the assigned subject.

This educative aspect has enabled me develop practical writing habits which are centered on a critical practical literacy narrative which comprises of: reliance, exchange of ideas and writing. I believe that my desire to learn the English language has not only allowed me to communicate with native English speakers. It has opened the door for me to communicate with people from around the word as English is amongst the world’s most prevalent language. Learning the English language has made me consciously aware of how to consolidate my thoughts, how to articulate my words when conversing with other people.