Students find ways adjust to life in English
The first perception of a foreign language is often the sound of a million jumbled words coming at the speed of light. For some students at Utah State University, speaking English as a second language is often a challenge.
“It was a little hard for me,” said Christian Vasquez, a freshman from Peru in civil engineering. “I came the Sunday before classes started and then jumped right into school. The language was very fast.”
The USU Office of Analysis, Assessment and Accreditation reports that around 1,000 foreign students attended USU in 2004, with not much variance in 2005.
Although many of these students speak English, there are many who don’t have a strong grasp of the language.
“Though we had many opportunities to speak English at school, we didn’t use it as our main language. It wasn’t considered cool. It was so different to have to actually use it,” said Lia Inoa, a freshman in business from the Dominican Republic.
Throughout their stay at USU, ESL students have developed some effective ways for learning the language, as well as some pitfalls to watch out for.
One of the more recommended efforts used is “training the ear.”
“I had train my ear before I could understand what people were saying,” Vasquez said.
Inoa agreed, “People think Dominicans speak fast, but until I trained my ears to listen to the words, it was a little confusing,” she said.
Listening to the radio, television or others conversations is considered one of the best ways to get started.
“We had a lot of Western culture in my country,” Inoa said. “We could get a lot of the channels and fashions and those sorts of things, so it was easy to recognize the slang.”
Finding international television shows to watch or radios stations to listen to has been assisted by the advent of the Internet.
Web sites like RAI-international.com and omniglot.com offer users the opportunity to access online radio stations from every continent and country on Earth.
Geocities.com does the same with the added feature of TV stations from countries across the globe.
Foreign language students also have other benefits from the Internet, some said. MSN Messenger and other interactive services offer them the chance to practice their language through writing skills.
ESL students at Utah State also mentioned the importance of speaking and listening to English often.
“For me, personally, I didn’t have a lot of trouble learning English because I had a lot of friends who spoke it,” Vasquez said. “I have met many people who have a hard time with English because they surround themselves with Spanish. They watch TV, listen to the radio and hang out with mainly Spanish speakers. It is often hard for them to adjust,” he said.
Learn Languages Abroad, an organization that specializes in helping individuals learn languages fast, reported on their Web site:
“It has been proven that culture immersion is the fastest, most effective way to learn a new language. You not only learn to speak a language fluently, but you also have the opportunity of learning about the culture of the language …”
To help ESL students adjust to a new environment, the university offers intensive classes that help students get an in-depth understanding of English. Professors also give help to make the adjustment easier.
“Sometimes it’s a little hard to understand some words when taking tests or reading,” Vasquez said. “Sometimes my teachers will explain the word a different way so I know what it means.”
The Intensive English Institute, a program offered at USU, was founded in 1972 and is a nationally accredited program that teaches students English language and cultural skills, according to their Web site.
The Writing Center also offers ESL students the chance to get help in their written assignments.
With the help of the university programs and others throughout campus, students who come speaking other languages are getting help to succeed.
Edisom Suashavas, a native of Ecuador and sophomore in the animal science program, emphasized the importance of learning English.
“My dad is an engineer and my mom is professional secretary. When we came to the U.S., they didn’t speak any English, so they had to take jobs that are much different,” he said. “They can make more money doing agricultural and construction jobs here than what they did back home.
“We came for economic reasons, but the difference comes from knowing English. Knowing the language is the best way to get ahead. I’m just glad I get a chance to go to school here.”
-nebulter@cc.usu.edu