The name of the interviewee is Miss Isabella ‘Lola’ Volcan, a 29 year old Mexican that just immigrated into the United States. These interview questions indicate her experience and struggles as she attempts to learn and communicate in English s her second language.
Interview Summary
Lola states that studying English is essential to her because it is the dominant tongue that is used in America. Without it, she will be unable to communicate with those who do not speak Spanish. She also believes that learning the language will expand her horizons in terms of getting employment in learning institutions. When asked about her attitude before and after choosing to learn the language, Lola states that she initially believed that there was no need to learn English. She took it as an unnecessary luxury for which she would have no use. However, as she started learning, she realized that the language is important especially for the advancement of her career. She would not only use it in her line of work but in her personal life as well as she begins to cultivate new relationships in her new home.
Lola states that the greatest challenge that she has faced when interacting with the native speakers is her heavy accent, which prevents people from understanding what she is saying even when she uses the correct words and phrases. Most of the natives she speaks to talk too fast for her to catch everything, and as such she often requests them to repeat what they have said or to speak slower. Lola says that native speakers both encourage and discourage her from the English language by laughing at her when she speaks. She yearns to learn the language to minimize the jokes at her expense. She also states that she finds helpful corrections very inspiring and she wishes that more native speakers would offer them instead of mocking her.
Lola hopes that by learning the English language, she shall be able to understand what native speakers say, regardless of how fast they speak. She hopes that with practice her heavy accent will reduce and that she shall be able to clearly pronounce words as she speaks so that her listeners can understand her without seeking additional clarification. Lola is sure that learning the English language will help her improve many aspects in her life. For her professional environment, she shall be able to communicate with her students and her coworkers in the execution of her work duties. While she has very few friends in her new home, she hopes that her fluent communication will allow her to form new friendships. Personally, learning English will be an added accomplishment in her long list of achievements and it will grow her as well as expand her horizons as an individual.
Apart from the lessons that she takes, Lola indicates that she strives to increase her knowledge of English words by watching English Television shows, listening to music in English, completing cross word puzzles and learning new words through mobile applications that test her language skills. Lola states that while she learns a lot in the classroom setting, studying English through other means improves her general conversation skills. She becomes better acquainted with slang, sayings, expressions and the manner of speaking applied by native English speakers in America. In regards to getting material for study, Lola explains that it is difficult to get books that cater to her level of learning as they are either too elementary or too complex. She sometimes finds it easier to get learning resources on the internet, although she states that not all sites are legitimate. She overcomes these barriers by asking her teachers to recommend the best sources which they usually do. In that manner, her learning is seamless.
When asked how her surrounding environment at home, school, or work motivate her to study English, she states that it is the primary language through which people around her speak and she is therefore immersed in it. As such, she not only yearns to learn the language so that she can participate, but she also learns a lot by interacting and listening to those around her. At school, she is happy to be surrounded by people who speak at her level and they get to inspire each other to learn more. When it comes to her friends and family, their unconditional support motivates her to keep learning, but she admits that it is difficult to attempt to communicate in English as they insist on speaking in their mother tongue.
The main problem that Lola encounters in class as an English language learner is sticking to the rule of only communicating English during lessons. She explains that when she sometimes has a question and lacks the proper English words to ask it, she will often lapse into Spanish only to be reminded that it is a contravention of the rule by the teacher. She additionally has trouble understanding new concepts if they are explained in advanced English that she does not quite understand. These issues impact her learning as she finds it hard to cope during classes, and she will sometimes shuts down and fail to learn anything new for an entire lesson. For her improvement, I suggested that she tries to review her lessons prior to their introduction in class so that when they finally are, she will be more prepared for the complexity and be better prepared to ask questions on the areas where she does not understand.
Lola admits that the more she learns the English language, the more confident she becomes. As compared to when she first got to the country, she can presently express herself in a manner that an English speaker can understand. She hopes to learn enough to not second guess herself when speaking to others. In regards to instances where she is confident or not, she states that she is fluent when she is making orders, in stores, at restaurants and when she is among classmates. She is the least confident when she is among native speakers who assume that she understand what they are saying. She dislikes having to ask for clarifications as it makes her seem less than intelligent.
Her needs and expectations as an English language learner is that she becomes fluent in the language in all its aspects, including in its conversational application. Lola indicates that her school attempts to cater to these needs, but it focuses more on textbook English rather than day to day conversation. She commends the teachers but she hopes that they sometimes take an informal approach to the learning so that she could grasp how to apply the language in informal settings.
