Karla Sandoval

Professor Kardell

ENG 101

Literacy Draft

February 2, 2020

Literacy Draft

Growing up in a Spanish-speaking household can put a lot of pressure on those who work

or attend school in America. Doing basic everyday things also requires some sort of understanding

of the English language. I moved to America from Mexico when I was about 2 years old and the

Spanish culture was all I knew. Everyone around me only ever spoke Spanish so when it came to

have to adapt to this new culture and language, it was a struggle. I am glad that my family was

strict on learning English and the American culture in order to adapt and find success, without it I

don’t think I would have made it as far as graduating high school early and starting college.

I moved to America as a baby and did not think I’d be using a children’s show for

English-speakers to learn the language and become fluent. As a two year old, I did not spend my

time playing with shapes or coloring as often as I did learn English. I was intrigued when I

realized that Spanish was not the only language out there. Dora The Explorer was the first tool

that taught me the basics in the English language. I was able to comprehend a short and basic

conversation better than I ever could. Everday I would tune into this show and since I was so

young, it was much easier for me to comprehend and learn English. My mother would always

start the day saying, “Mi amor, ponte a ver Dora un rato”, which is “My love, watch Dora for a
little bit”. She would be subtle with the way she was “pressuring” me to learn English. My

mother, Amalia, was not the type of mom that was so angry and bitter all the time, but she

always knew how to use her words.

Learning the English language allowed me to become a translator for my family, who at

the time could not understand that language or let alone speak it, but also translate for others who

were in retail or grocery stores and did not speak English. I feel as if English gives me a sense of

boost in my confidence because of how much I can contribute to the community around me

when it’s needed. There would be times when my mother would ask me or my sister, who was

10 years older, to read out bills or legal documents for her. My mother did not have the ability to

pay bills on her own or sign legal documents because more than half of the time they were in

English. My sister was not a great English-speaker but she tried her best during that time. When I

was finally able to do my part, I took over and did these things for her. I would read through and

make sure she understood what the documents were saying. She would call me for help at

random times but I’d be prepared to help. There were moments where I would be spending time

in my room, watching television, or playing outside and she would come get me for a minute

whenever she needed translating and not able to handle things on her own.

English was a language that I felt made me powerful every time I spoke. I was able to

translate by the time I got to kindergarten. My sister went through the same struggle as I did, but

she was 10 years older and it was much more difficult for her to grasp the entirety of the

language. I began translating, as best I could at that age, for my parents and even helped my

sister when it came to finding the English version of a Spanish word. I was the person that my

family went to when it came to translating. I would even be the person people came to when I

was at the store with my mom. There was a time when we were shopping for some small
decorations over at the Dollar Tree for my birthday party and an employee was having trouble

talking with a customer. My mom always taught me to lend a helping hand, whenever and

wherever it is needed, for a good cause. I asked her if it was okay for me to go translate and went

over and offered my very poor translating skills. I ended up improving the experience of both the

customer and employee. They were beyond impressed because of my age and I was told if I ever

wanted a job there that I’d be perfect. The employee gave me a stuffed animal as a thank you and

it made me feel great about myself because of how much I was able to contribute to a small

situation.

It is not something difficult to do when you learn a new language at a young age. It can

become a tool to use in your everyday life when there are individuals who cannot speak English.

My parents are the prime example that is near me and because of them I try to be better with

what I do in this country and with the language I was so lucky to learn so quickly. Without

learning it as my second language so early, I truly believe that I would not have been as

successful as I am today. I am in college as a 17-year-old and aspire to be a registered nurse and

I feel more then prepared to get to where I want to be. I learned English so young and managed

to lose the accent when I speak for those moments where individuals treat you differently for

your language or culture. My parents made a huge impact on learning English and using it to my

advantage. English has been what has opened doors and paved better paths for me and I do not

think that my life would be as great as it is at this moment if I stayed in the country, I was born

in.