Conversations with Janaina

Being able to meet with my conversation partner Janaina these last few months has been a very gratifying and unique experience. I've never before stopped to think about how the majority of the world chooses to learn English as their second language and how difficult the learning process can be. We are so lucky to have been raised in America and grow up speaking English. Traveling around Europe I have noticed that most people speak at least a little English or are trying to learn. Think about how different it is here in the US. Yes, we have mandatory foreign language classes that we took in high school and maybe college but if they weren't required would we actually pursue another language? We have accepted that the rest of the world will learn English and it is therefore not as important for us to learn their languages.

In our emerging global society, language still serves as a barrier to communication, business, and learning. The students in the IEP program here at TCU are studying to bridge this language gap, and it has motivated me to want to learn parts of their languages, as my major does not have a foreign language requirement. It is easy to become hyper-focused on our own world here in Texas, and talking with Janaina about her home and family in Brazil has given me a broader world view and allowed me to explore and learn about a place I have never been to.

 Janaina has been so kind, opening up about her family and children and how they are adapting to American (and Texan) life. I can't even imagine moving to another country and barely knowing the native language. Her drive to learn English and learn about our culture is surprisingly motivating and has given me a new found appreciation for our unique American culture as well as her Brazilian culture.

The TCU mission statement is "to educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community", and this experience has emphasized this mission more than any of my other classes this semester. Talking with Janaina has taught me just how difficult learning English can be for immigrants and foreigners abroad, and I've learned how important it is to be patient throughout their English learning. The next time I am abroad I will have a new appreciation for every foreigner who has learned my native language and who has given us the ability to communicate. This has truly taught me what it means to be a responsible citizen in the global community, because it has taught me how to appreciate language as a barrier and a route to learning about new cultures and parts of the world.