On this page, you will find my Personal Narrative Essay about my experience with language growing up.

Reflection Letter:

Growing up I spoke English with my siblings which made me more proficient in it. Although I also spoke Spanish at home, I didn’t speak as much Spanish as English which made my ability to speak Spanish diminish over time. Throughout my life, language and culture have played a pivotal role in shaping my identity and influencing my worldview. As someone who grew up in a bilingual household where English was the primary language I spoke, I have had the unique privilege of experiencing the richness and diversity of two distinct linguistic and cultural worlds. This background has not only enriched my personal life but has also significantly impacted my approach to professional development.

Writing this essay helped me develop reading, drafting, collaborating, revising, and editing strategies. After reading many personal essays and poems in my English class, I have used different rhetorical strategies in my essay that have been used in other readings. Ethos, logos, and pathos are critical tools used in many different pieces of writing and I implemented these rhetorical strategies in my writing. Improving my skills in rhetoric, I have improved my reading, drafting, collaborating, revising, and editing strategies. Specifically, working with peers and receiving feedback to improve my drafts have greatly benefitted my process of writing this essay. 

The essay I wrote serves as a reflection of my experience with learning how to speak, read, and write in Spanish. This essay is targeted toward individuals who struggle with learning a new language. I tended to target these individuals by demonstrating that many struggles come with learning a new language but one must never give up. Different challenges are a test of one’s patience with the art of language.

Personal Narrative Essay:

Being on this Earth for 18 years, especially in the 21^st century, has brought me many different moments in which language has been key. Although there are so many different moments, some in my subconscious, and some completely forgotten, there is one moment that remains special to me in regards to language. I was born to immigrant parents who moved to New York City for better opportunities and I grew up with English being my first language. I mostly spoke English with my older brother and older sister which made me more fluent in English than Spanish. Although I was fluent in English, my mom did not want me to forget the Spanish language which is why my special moment with language was when I asked her if she could teach me how to speak, read, and write in Spanish.

I can’t remember how old I was, but I remember jumping up on the chair that was at the entrance of my kitchen and I asked my mom if she could teach me how to read and write in Spanish. At the time I already had a grasp of how to speak Spanish and understood what people were saying when they spoke, but I did not know how to read or write in it. My mom taught me different techniques that come with writing in Spanish. At first, I didn’t understand at all, but as I practiced, I learned that some words aren’t spelled the way they sound. I would practice by writing different words that my mom would say out loud, and whenever I didn’t spell a word correctly, she explained how to do so and why. At first, it was very confusing getting the gist down of what words go where but I had to remember that it was all a learning process. She had me write sentences that she said aloud and then explained to me what was wrong and why. I also learned that there are different words that you alternate depending on the person you are talking to. For example, my mom showed me that if you’re speaking to a friend, you say “tu” when referring to them but if you’re speaking to a parent or elder you say “usted” instead. “Tu” and “usted” have the same meaning but they have different levels of respect and over time I got accustomed to referring to people in Spanish correctly. As time passed, my reading and writing skills grew but it wasn’t always picture-perfect. 

There were many times when I would struggle with reading and writing because I was still learning. I didn’t have the traditional Dominican accent since Spanish wasn’t my first language. I got treated differently in middle school when I spoke Spanish because I didn’t have the typical accent that those whose first language is Spanish have. At school, I would get called “gringo” because I had sort of an American accent when speaking Spanish. People would laugh at me not being able to pronounce words correctly, especially when I did not know how to keep a full conversation going. Although I would get treated differently, I would still try my best to express what I want to say in Spanish. I would talk to my school advisor in Spanish and speaking to her would help develop my Spanish. She never judged me for the way I sounded or how I phrased words and she would also help me whenever I said something incorrectly. Even if I got stuck reading, I would ask my advisor how to pronounce a word and she would say it which I would repeat after her.

Years have now passed, and my proficiency in Spanish grew beyond what I expected. I’ve been able to form connections with family members and friends because of my being bilingual. Work opportunities have also been presented to me because I can speak Spanish and I’ve been able to help those close to me because not everyone is bilingual. For example, at my old job, I was presented with a better job opportunity because I speak Spanish. I’ve also been able to help out my neighbors with issues they have had because they don’t understand how to read or speak English. Every other day I help out one of my neighbors because he does not speak English and I translate things on his computer. Not only have I been able to help my neighbors but I’ve been able to communicate with my family members from the Dominican Republic. All my family members in the Dominican Republic speak Spanish and my mom teaching me how to speak, read, and write in Spanish have been my building blocks to communicating with my family members in the Dominican Republic. Although learning a new language is difficult, it is incredibly life-changing. The difficulties that come with learning a new language are a test to demonstrate if one is capable of a new chapter in life. My mom teaching me Spanish has unlocked the door to a world of wonders and knowledge simply by teaching me how to read and write in Spanish.