Name:  Niamul Karim

                         Literacy narrative on “ How I have learned English “

Bangladesh is a country where “ English “ is considered as an International language and so it is. In this country English is mostly used in schools and then in official use. There are two types of school system in Bangladesh: Bengali medium and English medium schools. Both schools use English to teach their students but the difference is Bengali medium schools teach English only as a subject and teach other subjects in Bengali language but English medium schools use English as a language to teach every subjects like Math, Science etc. So, naturally English medium pupils gained more proficiency in the practical use of English language more than Bengali medium students.

As of me, I am a student of Bengali medium school. I learn and speak everything in Bengali language except that I learn English only as a subject of school. So, as a result my proficiency in the practical use of English was not good at all. In the beginning as a teenage school going pupil I didn’t realize that this lack of English proficiency will going to be a problem for me.

The first time when I realize that English is an important thing to learn as a language was with my two cousins, they are siblings, a big brother and his younger sister. Unlike me they were the students of English medium school. So, as I said before they gained more proficiency in the practical use of English language. They can speak and listen English very well and they know the meaning of many words, phrases and idioms to use.

My relationship with this two cousins are very good and friendly. Every weekend we used to visit each another houses and used to have great fun. Often when I used to go to their house, I see that this two brothers and sisters did open an English movie or cartoon or song and they are enjoying a lot as they could understand everything and also they used to discuss interesting thing among them by speaking English. One day in weekend I went to their house and saw that they are watching the movie “ Pirates of the  Caribbean – the curse of the black pearl “ , it was a great movie but unfortunately I didn’t understand a word. So I couldn’t enjoy the movie as it was worthy to be enjoyed. But I remember that my cousins enjoyed a lot and they used to discuss each other about certain scenes which were funny. But I was just too shy to tell them that I didn’t understand anything and it was impossible for me to tell this to them in English. So, the day was gone by silence.

After returning home from their house, I was resting in my bed and  wondering “ How did they listen and understand all of the dialogue of the movie and  they are so confident in speaking !! “ . I feel sad because I also know how to read and write in English in my school but in spite of that I was unable to be like them. So, that night I just slept.

The next morning when I woke up I have taken my first step to learn the practical use of English. What I did is I have downloaded the same movie “Pirates of the Caribbean “ but with subtitle and started to watch the movie. For the very first time “ watching movies with subtitle “ has given me a lots of enjoyment. I loved it. So my enthusiasm to learn English has increased a lot. After that I also used to hear the English songs like “ Black and white of Micheal Jackson “, “ Summer of 69 of Brian Adams “, “ Perhaps love of John Denver “ , “ Its my life of Bon Jovi “,  etc. wonderful songs by downloading their lyrics. This steps has played a very effective role in increasing my listening power of English. However, yet I had a lots of lacking to use English. Yet, English seems to very difficult for me.

One day when I was travelling to a sea side resort, in my country, my parents asked me to go and rent a room for our stay. So, when I went to the reception I saw a white skin man most probably from England is renting his room also, and talking to the receptionist. The receptionist was Bangladeshi but he was speaking in English to the white man so at the same time when I was asked by the receptionist, “ which room I want, sea view or road view window ?” ,  How many people are with you? “ , I was just so nervous that I couldn’t tell anything in from of that English man, I was just became silent, trying to speak in English but could not and just then started speak in Bengali. So, after that embarrassing situation, when I went to the room, I was so ashamed that I couldn’t think myself so stupid that a high school graduate student is so weak in English speaking.

So, the determination to learn English has gone to a serious level. I have started the process of my first step. I have started a lot to listen movies and songs in English because I knew that the more my listening power get strong the more I will become easy in English. I also went to my school teacher and talked with him about my problem and what I am doing to solve it. He said me that what I am doing to improve my English is really good but I must have started practice to speak English with people. His advice had made me more nervous though I knew what he was saying is true. So, I told him that I am scared to talk in English. Then he told me by showing me my English grammar exam copy that “ You are good in English grammar and your vocabulary is so good but all you need to is to have more practice with courage. “ It gave me a lots of encouragement. Then one day I discovered that English is the easiest language in the world for me because English is only from “ A to Z “ and “ 1 to 100 “ and we need to just make words and sentences from it. So, after having a friendly idea about English I have started automatically speaking English with friends, families and with my English teacher. Firstly they get amazed and started laughing on me for my sudden change but I did continue my practice with them and didn’t give importance to my nervousness. This was the beginning of my practice. Immediately after that I got visa of USA and I came here, where I have no way but to speak in English. So, it does not become difficult for me to speak in English rather it gets easier to practice English speaking in USA because every body speaks English and there is no shy in it. Normally we shall not have any shyness to practice a good thing like English language if we can do well.

In this process of learning English, when I came here in New York when I felt that I have no problem in listening and speaking English I have applied for a Job in Domino’s Pizza, where I am right now. Here I have started to work as a pizza maker and another thing I have to do is that I need to talk with customer in phone and face to face to take their orders of Pizza and take the cash for their payment for the food. Besides I need to talk with my English speaking colleague which also helps me to have a great deal of communication with the English speaking people and I have gained a lots of proficiency in the practical use of English. Now, I am enjoying a lot. But still I want to say that my mother language is my identity and so I talk in Bengali in my house which keeps balance in my bilingual life in USA.

So by achieving a comfortable fluency in English Language my life in USA has become easier. I can now go easily through my college study, job without any hesitation. Besides, now I can confidently have conversation with my cousins and I can enjoy movies, cartoon, songs with them, Our friendship is getting stronger now. 

I also have some good communication with English speaking people around me so that we can share each others thought so that I feel myself being as one of them. So, beside my mother language I have learned English and my view of life has broadened by opening the gate for ideas of the people of different nations.