My American Learning Experience - Essay Example

College: My American Learning Experience As a Chinese native speaker who moved to America following my junior high studies, I have had firsthand experience of how difficult it is to understand and actually write using a new language. Even though I am increasingly improving my skills in English, especially after going through a Californian high school, I still have a long way to go. Language is not the only aspect I have had to adapt to, since there are numerous cultural factors that I am still getting used to. My experience in America as a Chinese student has been interesting and life changing. I hope to gain more from the university and the American society in general. The essay examines my learning experience, not just in education, but also in other areas of culture. The paper, therefore, attempts to provide a comprehensive narrative of my experience as a Chinese student in America, forming a potential foundation for others in my position to adjust and gain maximum benefits from the American society. Before coming to America, I always had a dream to study abroad in the hope of pursuing high quality education. In addition, I hoped to experience other people’s cultures, while getting a global point of view of issues surrounding the modern society. My parents and peers encouraged the move, terming it as a path towards self-discovery and exploration of my career options. Given all these factors, my move to America was filled with high expectations, hopes to make friends immediately, and enjoying all the things that the new culture had to offer. Even though I was slightly nervous during my flight from Beijing, my excitement was more than any concerns. For this reason, I did not take possible challenges into consideration and as a result, I was not fully prepared for the American life. On arrival from China, I was welcomed quickly but warmly at the airport. It is here that I began observing the differences between China and America. For example, while back at home people take their time to show you around or at least give you directions to wherever you want to go, majority of Americans do not have the patience for that. I also came to realize that many people in America are highly suspicious of strangers and therefore, interact cautiously with them. I also noted that unlike in China, where taxi drivers keep to themselves, in America they tend to ask many questions. It was rather difficult to keep up with the basic conversation after arrival, since I only understood a few English words. In consideration of these observations, it would perhaps be advisable for other foreign students to have all information on America prior to migrating here. This would prepare them not only for the idealistic elements of the society, but also inevitable challenges, however simple some might seem. Having the necessary cross-cultural knowledge would, without doubt enable international students to adapt better to their new environment. After settling, I had to start attending school. Unlike in China where I had to walk a relatively short distance to school, in California I had to start taking the bus. This meant that I had to be on time at the pick-up point or else I could miss bus, hence missing classes. Keeping up with the schedule was difficult at first, particularly due to the time difference that I was yet to adapt to. In addition to the time concerns, travelling by bus to school was rather strange. This is because I did not know the other students and to them, I was an outsider that they had to avoid before gaining full understanding of my nature. As a result, I constantly felt like the odd one out, sitting alone in the bus. Alternatively, whenever I sat next to another student, we would remain silent all the way to school. It was at this point that I started realizing the reality that making friends was not going to be an easy task. During my first few weeks at school, my low know-how of English continued to worsen my interaction inability, while affecting my learning ability. For example, when asked to complete class projects in groups, many students avoided me. These classmates claimed that I would not contribute effectively to the group project since my English was barely understandable. Others said that it would be time consuming for them to try and explain things to me. As a result, I could neither make friends nor participate as actively as I would have wanted in the learning process. I completely identify with Yan and Berliner’s sentiments (939), who indicate that “language barrier prevents Chinese students in America from engaging in important events like sports, different school clubs, and even entertainment activities attended by most students of their age.” For instance, I chose to interact with other Chinese students within the school, since they could understand me and my challenges to fit into my new learning environment. The documentation of prior research and my own experience clearly show that language may make international students isolate themselves from other scholars. This may prevent learners from gaining maximum academic knowledge, and the desired cross-cultural experience. Despite my reduced ability to speak English and interact with American students, I was determined to bring to life my dream of learning about other cultures. Therefore, I spent a lot of time with other Chinese students taking English lessons. I also practiced word pronunciation during my free time, gradually learning the language and broadening my vocabulary. Consequently, I was able to start participating in mainstream school activities and making a few friends, not just from America, but also international students from countries other than China. It was at this point, almost two years since my enrollment at the Fairmont Preparatory Academy that I started appreciating the diversity of the American society. For instance, there were students from Europe, Australia, and even Africa. Each student from the diverse cultural backgrounds, with whom I had an opportunity to interact, had a unique story to tell about their experience. Most, like me, had found language a significant barrier to blend in the school. Interaction with other international students gave me comfort, since I realized that other ESL learners faced challenges similar to mine. In light of these linguistic problems, I could not help but think that it would be important to have programs that facilitate communication between native English speakers and nonnative speakers. Such association would aid in building both language skills and intercultural knowledge of participants. I can also not forget the difficulty I experienced in trying to adapt to the teaching as well as learning practices in my new American school. For example, in my junior high school studies in China, I was used to listening to the teacher, writing notes, and later taking examinations to qualify me for the next class. This means that teachers played a significant role in China, where they simply taught and we absorbed the information, without much teacher-student exchange. I also had a tendency to repeatedly memorize information learnt in class, in readiness to pass my examinations. This was, however, not the same learning approach I had to use in the American high school. Just as indicated by Yan and Berliner (940) “Chinese students are expected to practice the lessons learnt in class and to actively participate in class discussions, yet they are not used to this.” It was also strange for me to do group assignments and projects, since I was previously used to individual homework that I would hand in the morning after being assigned. The dramatic shift from a passive and teacher-focused learning approach to an active student-focused one was unsettling for me. I was not comfortable with the idea of meeting other students for several hours a day, in order to discuss questions and come up with common solutions. Nonetheless, I came to appreciate the group work with time, since it not only gave me the confidence to voice my opinion, but also enhanced my ability to take other people’s views into account. These experiences made me realize that I was not the only one negatively affected by this unfamiliarity with learning approaches and the language barrier. It would be possible for involved learning institutions to help students like me to overcome such challenges through comprehensive education exchange programs, provision of distinctive English classes, and ensuring that foreign students are adequately oriented to their new environs. This is not only from my outlook, but also in support of Yan and Berliner (941) suggestion that, “irrespective of what instructors choose as the teaching method, they should provide assistance in terms of clear guidance and individual communication with immigrant students.” Through applying flexible teaching approaches, instructors would enable students to gain the confidence necessary to ask questions about issues they not understand, while remaining open to interacting with others. In the course of my high school learning process, I further came to realize that many people associate the Chinese with certain stereotypes that are not necessarily true or positive. For example, once I started interacting with other students, many kept asking about my home country’s political status. Many upheld the belief that China is controlling, especially in regard to its diplomatic relations with Asian counterparts like Taiwan and Hong Kong. This was occasionally upsetting, particularly due to the fact that I am not a dedicated follower of politics. Others were openly critical of my home country’s policies like emphasis on conceiving one child and information regulation. I initially felt that these criticisms were unfair, especially due to the fact that I could not comprehend their outlook on the issues. However, with time I came to acknowledge Zhang’s (150) assertion that “there is need for every person to express and argue for one’s ideology and perspective on issues.” As a result, my American high school experience opened my eyes to political and economic ideology, which I believe is crucial in developing overall understanding of the globally interconnected environment in which we currently live. My experience with varying opinions on political and economic aspects shows that learning, for international students is not restricted to formal education alone. The opportunity to be in an environment that is characterized by a variety of beliefs in politics and other areas, prepares a person for an equally diverse global environment. This is important in molding one into an all rounded individual that is capable of meeting the demands of the modern society that combines different political, economic, and sociocultural aspects. Overall, my experience as a Chinese scholar in America has been enlightening. Even though my journey has not been free of challenges, the friends, skills, and opportunities I have gained over time, outweigh the problems. I have not only learnt a language that equips me with the ability to work in any environment around the world, but I am also well-informed about various cultures. Exposure to a learning approach that demands my participation has played a huge role in enabling me develop my creativity, critical thinking ability, and even the capacity to solve problems in a practical manner. I also recognize the fact that I have become more sociable, compared to my earlier state of being a socially awkward individual. My self-confidence has risen increasingly, not just because of my rebuilt critical thinking ability, but also because of the diverse peer relationships that I have managed to form and maintain. I am still on a journey of exploring and embracing my life as an overseas student and judging from the far I have come, I strongly believe that it will keep getting better. I am also certain that, with proper student orientation and acculturation strategies in place, coupled with a positive attitude towards change, other foreign students would gain the same benefits I have. In terms of acculturation, international students should start their learning process with an open mind. This means that they should be ready to embrace changes without prejudice. In addition, unlike me, they should make an effort to learn about their new environment in advance. As a result, they would be adequately prepared for possible challenges, and not start the learning process with unrealistic expectations of adapting to their new schools immediately. Further, teachers, students, and administrators in US institutions could take active measures to get rid of learning barriers for foreign students. These steps could include engaging international students in cross-culture familiarization programs, applying teaching methods with which the new scholars can identify, as well as, avoiding remarks that advance stereotypes and discrimination. Work Cited Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Random House LLC. 2007. Yan, Kun and Berliner, David. Chinese international students’ academic stressors in the United States. College Student Journal, 43.4 (2009): 939-960. Zhang, Hong, "Academic adaptation and cross-cultural learning experiences of Chinese students at American universities: a narrative inquiry." Education Doctoral Theses. 2013. Paper 143. http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20003367 Read More