Have you ever felt so hard to fit in with any classes or groups of people?

I always feel that way, especially since I came to the U.S. Using a completely new language to communicate with others is hard. But language is not the only barrier for me: I am an introverted person, I rarely talk to a stranger, and I feel so awkward and anxious in the crowd. It was already hard for me to talk with people who came from the same country as me, and now I need to talk with people who came from different countries with a new language. We don’t have anything in common, and we are always struggling to find a way to talk so the other could understand. We will never know where we are if we never do it, and I know I went halfway through the process by beginning to face the actual challenge.

I know that I have no choice but to “enjoy” the struggle of living with a language barrier, to use it as a strength—to put myself in an environment where I need to speak English all the time. I find it easier to talk with teachers than students. I might have received an award called “Teacher Pet” in my old school because I always stayed after school to ask them about schoolwork, hard problems, school, and anything else I could think of. That is always a great way to study a new language.

Now I can speak English better than before, and I am so proud of myself. I am not the one in English class who tries to have good grades because my parents want me to; I am the one who learns English to know more about the world and to use it as a tool to explore the world. I think the purpose is one of the most important factors in learning a new language. If the purpose gives me a big enough motivation, then I could force myself to go through it. And never ever care what people think about you if you speak the wrong words or wrong grammar; I used to, but oftentimes  native speakers are even wrong, so as long as we are doing our best, then it will all be okay.