Socialization can be an important factor in language learning. Compared to younger adults who tend to be involved in many more social activities that help them improve their language speaking ability, older adults find it harder to socialize because they tend to have more family and social responsibilities.
My first week in South Dakota was exciting as I attended the international student orientation that held activities for a whole week. I got the chance to know many new faces from all over the world such as Brazil, Germany, Korea, and Vietnam. The fact that they spoke different language and shared different cultures fascinated me and made me want to know more about them. I started making friends and asking questions. I remembered once I asked my German friend, "Do you drink a lot of beer and get drunk every day?" He burst into laugh and was like, "Yeah, sometimes."
Yep, I was young, ignorant, and curious about everything that I didn't know. I was also bold to ask all the questions and step out of my comfort zone to make friends with total strangers from different places of the world. It was fun, thrilling and new to me.
For a lot of older adult learners, stepping out of their comfort zone can be more difficult. They have more concerns and they think more before making any actions. When I was younger, I wasn't scared to show the real me because I thought less than I do now.
What's more, I didn't have any other better things to do besides going to classes and participating in school activities. My life was simple because I didn't have to worry about looking for a job or internship, looking for a place to live, taking care of families, working, and visiting my parents on a weekly routine (obviously they were too far away).
All my life in South Dakota was about experiencing new culture, new life, and new friends. A lot of adult learners have much more to worry about besides learning English and socializing. The time spent socializing became smaller and smaller as they gained more and more responsibilities. They put most of their energy into responsibilities such as taking care of their families and working full time.
Wanting friends and being around by them was what I needed in an alien place like South Dakota. I mean, don't get me wrong, I had my very best friend Bi with me all the time, but I just wanted more friendships, different experiences, and exotic friends.
Bi wanted the same thing, so we went out there and made a lot of friends. I communicated with them in English, which, to an extent, helped improve my spoken skills a lot. It was a big part for me in my language learning process and I did improve my speaking skills a lot by socializing with others.
For some adult learners, socialization is missing from their language learning process. It becomes harder for them to improve without speaking the language as often as possible every day.
In the end, I just want to say that learning English is not easy for adult learners and it requires a lot of effort. Don't let obstacles stand in front. Perseverance is what lead to success.
Thanks for reading :)
Shiyi Zhang
Literacy and Learning for Life
Join the conversation
My first week in South Dakota was exciting as I attended the international student orientation that held activities for a whole week. I got the chance to know many new faces from all over the world such as Brazil, Germany, Korea, and Vietnam. The fact that they spoke different language and shared different cultures fascinated me and made me want to know more about them. I started making friends and asking questions. I remembered once I asked my German friend, "Do you drink a lot of beer and get drunk every day?" He burst into laugh and was like, "Yeah, sometimes."
Yep, I was young, ignorant, and curious about everything that I didn't know. I was also bold to ask all the questions and step out of my comfort zone to make friends with total strangers from different places of the world. It was fun, thrilling and new to me.
 |
| My Art Class 2010 Halloween, Me in the front in Black shirt and Bi in black and white stripe dress on my left |
For a lot of older adult learners, stepping out of their comfort zone can be more difficult. They have more concerns and they think more before making any actions. When I was younger, I wasn't scared to show the real me because I thought less than I do now.
What's more, I didn't have any other better things to do besides going to classes and participating in school activities. My life was simple because I didn't have to worry about looking for a job or internship, looking for a place to live, taking care of families, working, and visiting my parents on a weekly routine (obviously they were too far away).
All my life in South Dakota was about experiencing new culture, new life, and new friends. A lot of adult learners have much more to worry about besides learning English and socializing. The time spent socializing became smaller and smaller as they gained more and more responsibilities. They put most of their energy into responsibilities such as taking care of their families and working full time.
Wanting friends and being around by them was what I needed in an alien place like South Dakota. I mean, don't get me wrong, I had my very best friend Bi with me all the time, but I just wanted more friendships, different experiences, and exotic friends.
Bi wanted the same thing, so we went out there and made a lot of friends. I communicated with them in English, which, to an extent, helped improve my spoken skills a lot. It was a big part for me in my language learning process and I did improve my speaking skills a lot by socializing with others.
 |
| Bi and I with a school basketball team player |
For some adult learners, socialization is missing from their language learning process. It becomes harder for them to improve without speaking the language as often as possible every day.
In the end, I just want to say that learning English is not easy for adult learners and it requires a lot of effort. Don't let obstacles stand in front. Perseverance is what lead to success.
Thanks for reading :)
Shiyi Zhang
Social Media Intern, English at Large
Suffolk University, MA 2014
ENGLISH AT LARGELiteracy and Learning for Life
Join the conversation
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