Domingo Peralta

9/24/15
ENG101 FY23
Individuals often have moments or events which help shape who they are today. Each
person goes through different experiences, but we all gain either positive or negative outcomes
from these situations. Learning another language was a difficult task, especially since I was
moving to another country where only that language was spoken. On August 15, 2006, I arrived
to my parents native country to start a new chapter in my life. I lived in the Dominican Republic
for four years and I completed grades 4th through 7th. This was an obstacle in my life because I
had to learn how to read and write Spanish, in order to succeed in school.
As I sat in class I recall the sudden heat wave while reading an article within the Spanish
textbook out loud for my teacher. Many of the student in the classroom could read this article
with ease but this wasnt the case for me. I could feel the sweat sliding down my forehead as I
struggled to pronounce many complex words. The easiest way to pronounce these words was by
breaking them into syllables for example, in-di-ge-na meaning indigenous , this caused it to
feel like an eternity while I read. I would think to myself I hope she doesnt choose someone
else to finish because Im taking so long due to the fact that I was a having a tough time and she
didnt have time to just focus on one student. In 45 minutes she would try to do as much as
possible as time was of the essence. Suddenly the teacher had called on one of my classmates to
finish the article I remember feeling a mixture of emotions. I had finally realized In order to
improve my pronunciation, practice would be crucial.
The transition from speaking one language to another was difficult as I only had a basic
understanding of Spanish. Growing up in a Dominican household it is a custom to speak the

native language and my parents provided me with their vernacular. While living in the
Dominican Republic, in school I was often referred to as El Americano because English was
the language I was accustomed to speaking. In my classroom they were a few other students who
were just like me and had recently moved to the Dominican Republic. This assisted my transition
me because I didnt feel alone as the other students were also learning Spanish. Outside of school
I had many relatives and family friends which would engage in conversation with me. An issue I
would often stumble upon was not being able to express myself properly. I knew how to respond
but finding the proper words to use was difficult because my vocabulary was constrained.
Over the course of the year I was introduced to the tenses of words, verbs and grammar in
Spanish. One thing that stood out to me was how objects in Spanish can either be feminine or
masculine. That was a frequent error I would commit as I found this to be confusing. Many of
my test consisted on grammar which was my weakness. Words like chair are just simple
objects in English, but when it came to Spanish, I had to choose whether or not I would say el
silla or la silla. I would often tell the teacher this was difficult for me and I recall her telling
me eso no es mi problema in other words, that is not my problem. This moment left me
puzzled as I thought If she doesnt care how I will ever learn I found this as a challenge and it
only motivated me to improve my grammar skills.
In order to improve my Spanish I began reading books at any time or location. These
places included the park, my room, at family members houses etc. I started off with lower
reading level books but slowly I progressed to more complex books appropriate for my age. I
would read them out loud to my parents and they would help me pronounce words. Aside from
this my Spanish textbook was pivotal as it allowed me to read about grammar and practice it. O

As time progressed I had finally become fluent with the Spanish language. It was a great
feeling and I found myself actually assisting some of my peers during class. Many were proud of
me and El Americano had disappeared from everyones vocabulary. Throughout those four
years I had accumulated a really good average and was considered one of the best students in my
class.
After living in a Spanish speaking country for four years, I was finally able to fully grasp
the language. I am really grateful for this experience as it helped shape who I am today. Moving
to the Dominican Republic allowed me to become bilingual which is significant in todays
society. Being fluent in two languages provides me with better opportunities in life. In many
occasions it gives me and advantage over those who can only speak one language, while
applying for jobs. Knowing Spanish helps me communicate and relate to many more individuals.
Over the years I have realized language brings people together no matter the race. Different
Spanish speaking races might have differences within the language but we are all able to
communicate. For example, my neighborhood is really diverse as you can find individuals from
Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian descent but we are all united by the same
language.
Throughout this experience, living in another country turned out to be a positive
situation. Although it was a major obstacle, it allowed me to better myself and provided me with
a world of opportunities for my future. If it wasnt for hard work and dedication I wouldnt have
been able to be become fluent in two languages. I am very thankful for everyone who assisted
me in my learning experience. I no longer have issues communicating with other individuals of
Spanish speaking descent, as my vocabulary has improved significantly and I can fully express
myself. This event in my life greatly influenced who I am today.