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 The
Nightmare of English as a Second Language
When I came to the United States in the year 2002 I faced one of the
most difficult challenges in my life. I was in the 11th grade without
knowing how to pronounce or write a word in English. This was when
I first arrived to New York from the Dominican Republic. At that time
I was facing the obligation to pass some exams called Regents. Of
all the Regents exams, English/writing was my nightmare. Everybody
I met in high school and even other places warned me about this exam.
They said that even native-born Americans failed this Regents as much
as two or three times, putting even greater doubts on my own abilities.
I thought the exam was too much for me, but id didn’t stop my
dreams. With a lot of hard work I overcame this obstacle. This included
tutoring, loading up on writing classes and English prep courses,
practicing reading & writing, watching English TV programs, reading
newspapers, and listening & engaging in conversations. By the
end of the 12th grade I completed one of my greatest challenges: passing
the English Regents and graduating high school in just two years of
arriving to NYC. This was the beginning of my entry into higher education
at BMCC. I did not give up then, and I will not give up now.
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