Topic: Describe a setback that you have faced. How did you resolve it? How did the outcome affect you? If something similar happened in the future, how would you react?
Leaving my country was not easy for me and my family. Thinking about living in a new country, adapting to a new culture, and learning a new language was just a big stress for us. My family moved to Los Angeles from South Korea in 2001 and I entered 4th grade. I could not understand a thing, and I was expecting that, but it had influenced my social life. My friends were talking about LA Lakers, Dodgers, and Usher, but I had no idea because I was unfamiliar with them, which alienated me from their social groups. To overcome my stress, I decided to learn the language first.
I only knew alphabets, a few words and phrases, and a few grammar rules, so my classmates thought I was stupid. They treated me differently from everyone else. That is when I decided to learn the language. To learn English faster, I joined a big Christian club called AWANA for a year. At AWANA, I memorized verses from the bible in English, which helped me a lot in writing, in reading, and in speaking English. Also, I memorized 30 or more vocabularies at home every day and studied grammar with my cousin who was fluent in English. After about a year or so, I started to get comfortable with the language, and started to get some friends. But I still continued to memorize vocabularies and studied grammar to make my English perfect.
I also struggled adjusting to the new culture because Korean and American lifestyles and religions are completely different. Korea's food, games, and traditional clothes were rare in America. The good thing was that I was able to eat American fast foods such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. The bad thing was that in America, I was not allowed to play with BB guns that I used to play with in Korea with my friends. Because of that, I put my interest in sports especially in basketball, which helped me learn American sports and helped me get taller. I was happy when I found out that I was actually doing well adapting to the new culture. On holidays like on a New Year, Koreans wear traditional clothes. When I spent my first New Year in LA, I was tempted to wear the traditional clothes, but I refrained myself from wearing it to take another step toward the American culture. The religion was also whole new to me. In Korea, Buddhist temples are all over the nation, but I was not able to see one in America, so I started to attend a church in LA downtown with my family. After a year or so, I finally became the "American" and I was very proud of myself.
This was certainly not easy. Learning in a new country without any knowledge of the language and the culture would be hard for everyone. If I immigrate to a new country or study abroad in the future, I would solve the problem the same way. I will learn the new language first and then start adapting to the new culture.
Leaving my country was not easy for me and my family. Thinking about living in a new country, adapting to a new culture, and learning a new language was just a big stress for us. My family moved to Los Angeles from South Korea in 2001 and I entered 4th grade. I could not understand a thing, and I was expecting that, but it had influenced my social life. My friends were talking about LA Lakers, Dodgers, and Usher, but I had no idea because I was unfamiliar with them, which alienated me from their social groups. To overcome my stress, I decided to learn the language first.
I only knew alphabets, a few words and phrases, and a few grammar rules, so my classmates thought I was stupid. They treated me differently from everyone else. That is when I decided to learn the language. To learn English faster, I joined a big Christian club called AWANA for a year. At AWANA, I memorized verses from the bible in English, which helped me a lot in writing, in reading, and in speaking English. Also, I memorized 30 or more vocabularies at home every day and studied grammar with my cousin who was fluent in English. After about a year or so, I started to get comfortable with the language, and started to get some friends. But I still continued to memorize vocabularies and studied grammar to make my English perfect.
I also struggled adjusting to the new culture because Korean and American lifestyles and religions are completely different. Korea's food, games, and traditional clothes were rare in America. The good thing was that I was able to eat American fast foods such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. The bad thing was that in America, I was not allowed to play with BB guns that I used to play with in Korea with my friends. Because of that, I put my interest in sports especially in basketball, which helped me learn American sports and helped me get taller. I was happy when I found out that I was actually doing well adapting to the new culture. On holidays like on a New Year, Koreans wear traditional clothes. When I spent my first New Year in LA, I was tempted to wear the traditional clothes, but I refrained myself from wearing it to take another step toward the American culture. The religion was also whole new to me. In Korea, Buddhist temples are all over the nation, but I was not able to see one in America, so I started to attend a church in LA downtown with my family. After a year or so, I finally became the "American" and I was very proud of myself.
This was certainly not easy. Learning in a new country without any knowledge of the language and the culture would be hard for everyone. If I immigrate to a new country or study abroad in the future, I would solve the problem the same way. I will learn the new language first and then start adapting to the new culture.
