[Student Profile]
[Prompt & Essay]
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
While it is said that the best way to learn a language is through immersion, when this occurred against my will, I wasn’t very receptive. When my parents left me at the gates of an international school at the tender age of five, I was stunned by the environment in which I was forbidden to speak my native tongue. Verbal communication was no longer an option, so in resorting to infantile instincts, I cried... a lot.
Over time my crying receded, so that I could make it through a school day without shedding a tear. After six months, I was able to read a short book in English. Within a year my fluency in English made me eager to start a new linguistic endeavor: French. With my parents' approval to begin French lessons, I set off to find a tutor. Finding Madame [name] through a bus stop advertisement, I began spending Tuesdays and Thursdays learning about the past participle and verb conjugation over coffee and croissants.
After extensive research into how to develop this skill, I found the perfect opportunity to relive my first immersion experience: a two-week language camp in the heart of the small town of Spa, Belgium. Despite my youth (I was only ten years old at the time) I was more than happy to leave Russia to embark on this new segment of my language journey, and I didn’t even cry once. My short stint in Spa inspired me to leave my school in Russia to continue my studies in Rugby School, one of the oldest boarding schools in rural England.
While there are numerous challenges and cultural differences, such as becoming independent and sharing a dorm, to overcome living in a boarding school, these years have been among the best in my life. Living with fifty girls in one house doesn’t always go as planned (little misunderstandings due to miscommunication can sometimes cause big arguments). However, I have learned the value of being there for people when they need me and relying on others for help when I need it. My friends know inside and out, from every quirk and habit and I’m confident in saying that they’re not only my friends, they’re my family.
Emerging from an opportunity at my school, I enrolled in a program to spend a full term living in a chateau in the south of France. Entering my third full immersion experience, I began tutoring children in English at the local primary schools. Whether spending a weekend with a French family in the Pyrenees, eating fresh baguette each morning, or acting in skits, I learned to connect with people from all walks of life and building an understanding of their values. I will never forget the look on Marine’s face, my French exchange student, when I declared that I had never tried courgette pie before. Her face lit up in excitement waiting for me to finally taste this iconic French dish. In that moment I understood just how important this was to her, something that seemed so insignificant allowed us to share an exciting revelation and learn more about each other. The three months that I spent in France allowed me to not only develop my polyglot capabilities, but to become a more culturally aware individual with a deeper understanding of differing perspectives.
All of these experiences have allowed me to develop a better understanding of global perspectives and their approach to social interactions. I know that no matter in which corner of the world I may end up in in the future, I will be able to connect with people no matter where they’re from, what language they speak, or what their beliefs are. I no longer cry at the thought of leaving my comfort zone and entering a whole new world of culture, but rejoice at the luck I've found in forming connections all around the world.