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Living abroad and learning a second language

Since I was in college I wanted to live abroad, learning about different cultures and languages. I studied Portuguese because I planned to live in Brazil, but sometimes destiny takes you to unexpected places.

I decided to come and work in the U.S. because, in Colombia, where I am from, it is so important to be bilingual and to speak English to succeed as a professional. I thought that living with an American family would be a great opportunity to learn about the culture and practice my English skills.
When the airplane arrived in the U.S. and I heard the flight attendant talking so quickly, I realized my journey had begun. You have to learn every single word from the beginning, and still, you keep learning new vocabulary, no matter how many years have passed.

My brain was translating everything from English into Spanish, making it harder to understand when people were talking to me. I used a lot of body language to make my point, and I looked at people’s gestures to understand them, but this strategy didn’t work all the time, especially when I was talking on the phone.

I wanted to improve my English desperately and to be fluent. For this reason, I decided not to watch Spanish television or listen to Latino music for two years. I wanted to be immersed in the English language and culture. It was hard for me because I missed home and my traditions. I missed my friends and I felt lonely. I was eager to learn the language and I decided to take ESL classes at New Jersey City University. I met great people there, especially a great teacher who didn’t just help me with my English, but also saw that I could become a Spanish teacher. A second challenge began with the idea of being bilingual.

Now that I look back, I can say that all the sacrifices paid off. Learning a new language is a challenge but when you are motivated and work hard, you will see the results. You will be so happy when you can talk with people from other countries and get your point across. Being bilingual is the key to traveling around the world and meeting new people.

My advice in learning a second language is: Don’t be afraid and don’t give up. Now it is your turn to live a dream!