Teacher helps break language barrier
“For about 10 years now, I’ve been teaching adults how to speak English. It’s through Harris County Department of Education. I want the world to be a better place. How better to contribute to that than...
Tagged: English
Wellness counselor helps traumatized community
“I was a newcomer teacher. I taught high school students who were just coming to this country and learning English. But it was much more than teaching them English. It was creating a community of belongingness...
Plan A: becoming an artist at Disney
“I’m a senior at Texas A&M, studying animation. That’s my stuff. I like drawing and writing. As a kid, you’re always doodling. For me, it never really stopped. “I didn’t take it seriously until my freshman...
Kenya native appreciates education opportunities
“I was living with my grandmother in Kenya before moving here to be with my parents. I was 12 and in sixth grade. It was so difficult for me to communicate with teachers and students. I...
With English-speaking confidence, shyness disappears
“Moving to the United States with my family actually has made a huge impact on me. When I was living in the Philippines, I was so shy talking to foreigners. But now that we’ve lived here...
Bilingual student lived in two different worlds
“I attended elementary schools that had a bilingual program up until fourth grade. That’s when I transitioned to all English at San Jacinto Elementary. I remember it being a shock. I went from doing very well...
She had to learn English the hard way
“I’m originally from Querétaro, Mexico. When my family moved out here in 1989, I was around 4 years old. At the time, I was speaking just Spanish at home. But I was trying to learn the...
Learning English from American movies, music
Occasionally, when seeking interviews for The Baytown Project, I’ll introduce myself to someone and get this response: “No speak English.” That’s when I kick myself for never having followed up on my high school Spanish classes....
Spanish not taught at home by concerned parents
“When we were growing up, my parents would speak Spanish when they didn’t want my sister and me to know what they were saying. “I would ask my mother, ‘How come you never taught us Spanish?’...
Early interest in Japanese leads to teaching abroad
“I always wanted to learn languages, ever since I was a kid. This is embarrassing, but I used to pretend I could speak Spanish. I’d watch Telemundo and be like, ‘Oh, I understand.’ I just really...
