While attending University to work on a Master's degree, I became friends with many International students. They were attending from countries as far as Syria and Thailand to right across the border from Canada and Mexico. Most students attended the required ESL classes in order to learn or better understand English. However, there are the rare few who study English in their home country and believe they have a firm grasp of the language. In most cases, this train of thought is a mistake.

One of the gentlemen I met, we will call him Tom in this article, was one such person. He attended English classes back home and received high scores in the classes. His teachers and his peers all commended him on how well he spoke the language; they knew he would be successful. He came to America thinking he would not have to attend the ESL classes, he would be able to keep up in courses taught by native English speakers, and he thought he would be able to communicate with the local people. He was wrong. The basic University courses were hard for him to understand the content and his professors and the local people had trouble understanding him when he spoke English.

Unfortunately for Tom, he was too proud to take the ESL courses to better assist him during his time in the United States. Even though he was registered for the classes, he chose to skip them. His grades suffered, he had trouble relating to the locals, and so he plummeted down a self-perpetuating spiral of denial and inability to understand the language by surrounding himself with people who spoke his native language. Tom's peers were able to assimilate and excel in the University, whereas Tom did not perform well in classes and continued to alienate himself from the locals.

What this story teaches us is: whether you think you know the language or not, it is best to start off your University career in America by attending the ESL courses offered in America, first. You will, not only learn the language better in the classes, but you will also have time to meet the locals without the stress of University courses taught in English.

When coming to the United States to study, remember these few pointers:

• Don't take the ESL courses for granted. They are there for a reason.
• Don't let your pride get in the way of your education.
• Learning advanced courses, such as Physics or Calculus, in English is harder than ordering lunch in English. So, take the ESL classes!
• Make friends with the native English speakers!
• Have fun! Don't be in such a hurry that you bypass the ESL courses and jump straight into the regular University courses.

By the time you finish the ESL courses, you will have already made new friends and obtained the skills that will help you succeed in your new school. Good luck and don't forget to have fun!

This article is submitted by:

Ms. Brandie Canaday-Yalniz