Personal Narrative: My Life Being Bilingual

Life being Bilingual

When my family came to the United States from Laos, I was four years old. At that age, I had no idea that English would be the primary language taught and spoken in America. I did not understand it until my parents registered me for Kindergarten. I only spoke my native language, no one in my family knew how to speak English. It was a difficult time in my life because I couldn’t understand what everyone was saying at school or when I was being talked to, I also wasn’t sure how to ask or respond to my teacher and classmates. I was not the only student in my class who went through the challenging experience of learning English as a secondary language; there were other Hmong pupils. I once believed that growing up in a

Minorities face difficult stressors and barriers in America. I encountered many issues at home because my parents expected me to know both English and Hmong fluently. While at school, my teachers expected my English to be as proficient as my Native English speaking classmates. During my high school years, I sensed that my teachers didn’t understand to the fact that bilingual students have a harder time with their English language and no matter how much we learn the English language we will never speak or write it entirely without grammars like the Native English. In the article called, Minority students, White teachers: does it matter? by Kay McSpadden, “All of us, whether we admit it or not, see the world through lenses particular to race, sex, and culture. Our expectations of other people’s behavior are based on who we are” (Kay

Bilingual individuals now make up a substantial fraction of the workplace and are vital to the flow of commerce. Growing up bilingual provided me with the opportunity to develop my communication skills and heightened my sense of cultural awareness. I believe that understanding the cultures and languages around you enhances communication, productivity, and unity in the every more focused team environment workplace. Today, I find it effortless collaborating, connecting and networking with other individuals in the business atmosphere and I attribute it to my bi-lingual upbringing experiences. I’m glad I never gave up in English and my native language although I still struggle with using the right words from time to