First when I attended New York public middle school, I was directed to 6th grade. Once I stepped into that class, my mind startled. The homeroom teacher said “come here” but I didn’t understand. During that time, I felt like a clown as everyone watched me standing by the door. At that time, I knew I should do something to not make myself to get down and being look down.
I hardly studied my first year in this basic low level class. Thankful to my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Azar, she was an Arab that spoke slow and clear to let everyone understand what she was talking about. I still remember there was a time, Mrs. Azar said something I did not understand in class, she knew I was confused so she took me to another Asian teacher to translate it to me after class. Therefore, I know what was the thing she talked about, dictionary. That was really the first hard vocabulary word I memorized. Mrs. Azar wanted me to buy a dictionary and translate vocabulary words for the homework assignments. I admired and bought an old dictionary that cost $30. Shame on me, I only opened that dictionary once or twice for my homework then I found out there was something called “Google Translate”. But from that, I started to understand basic English during conversations.
Later, I applied to NIA which was an after-school program that provided fun activities, homework help and hands-on projects etc. To be honest, the initial reason I applied to NIA was the free snacks but NIA had a lot more appealing things that I enjoyed. When I went there for the first time, a young humpbacked black man called “Mr. Green” was my first activity instructor. Although he spoke fast but he had that natural humor that many students like. Through him, I learned more conversational English and just knew his last name was “Mr. Kareem”.
NIA also provided field trips. I went to watch performances, museums, and roller skating. I also made few friends in this program. Another thing that really impacted me academically was that it provided me a learning environment while keeping exhaustion away by enjoying fun activities such as the field trips, and groups like strategic games and cooking. These were also the reasons why I changed my attitude from unwilling to go to school to looking forward for going to NIA after school. From NIA, I also discovered my qualities that I like to try new things and enjoy learning from listening and watching.
NIA really sounds like fun! It just reminded me of when I joined this afterschool program from kindergarten to 5th grade, where we got to do homework and do fun activities which also provided a summer program where we got to go on fun, adventurous and educational (can be educational sometimes) trips everyday. This afterschool program was something I wish I could go back in time and just relive because of the amazing memories I made there by the staff and the friends.
My mom signed me up to a similar program when I was a kid for summer break. It would be really fun and we went on a lot of field trips like you said. They also were very helpful with homework that would be given to us over the break. Being in that program helped me experience and learn new things as well and I’m glad it helped you learn more English because I learned English through school too because my mom only talks Spanish.
NIA reminds me of when I used to go to summer camp when I was younger. It was also similar during the school year they did homework with you and the during the summer time we would go on lots of fun trips like splish splash, and Kalahari. Going to that summer camp young definitely helped me in the maturing process
Good that we had a talk after class!
This is a good beginning You could use both Between Two worlds and Resilience writing prompts. You faced the hardship of arriving to an American school and not knowing the language. How did conquer the language barrier? How did you survive — because you did! You are now a college student here at NYCCT and fully functioning in the English language!
Try to come up with a working outline. THink of scenes that will move your story of overcoming the language barrrier.
Intro: HOw will your catch the reader’s interest and hook the reader in? Think of how you will start yoru essay.
I. Turn the time you learned the word dictionary — into a scene.
Describe the classroom or the hallway, What were exact the words (the mixed up English that you did not udnerstand) you thought you heard between the teachers, the inner dialogue of your own confused questions as you listened without understanding. You write: “a time, Mrs. Azar said something I did not understand in class, she knew I was confused so she took me to another Asian teacher to translate it to me after class. Therefore, I know what was the thing she talked about, dictionary. That was really the first hard vocabulary word I memorized. Mrs. Azar wanted me to buy a dictionary and translate vocabulary words for the homework assignments. I admired and bought an old dictionary that cost $30. Shame on me, I only opened that dictionary once or twice for my homework then I found out there was something called “Google Translate”. But from that, I started to understand basic English during conversations.”
II. Description of NIA teacher. You write: young humpbacked black man called “Mr. Green” was my first activity instructor. Although he spoke fast but he had that natural humor that many students like. Through him, I learned more conversational English and just knew his last name was “Mr. Kareem” — What were some of the convos you had that improved your English? SHOW me his humor! What did he say? DIALOGUE
III. Scene of NIA activity — find the best memory of a field trip with the group or an activity that stands out in your memory as showing you having fun and learning English or learning something important.
Can you flesh out key scenes that will show me your story?
I love the detail of you joining NIA really for the free snacks. Me too! I love freebies.