Language Interview

This is Travis Nelson from International Student Insider Magazine.  On 5 January, 2011, I held an interview with John Carroll junior Jenn Yang.  We talked about the difficulties of coming to a new country, learning and speaking another language, and meeting people of an entirely different culture.

Travis Nelson: Hello, and thank you for taking part in the interview today.  What is your full name?  Do you have any siblings?

Jenn Yang: My Korean birth name is Hyeayoung Yang. I go by Jennifer Yang because when I used to live in Atlanta, my friends would call me Hyea and it would always confuse me because it sounds like “hey.” I have one older brother and his name is Jae Yang. He is a senior at John Carroll.

TN: How long have you lived in the United States?  Before you came to live here, had you visited before (for example, on vacation, school trips, and etcetera)?

JY: I have been living in the United States for about 6 years now. I moved a lot back and forth from America to South Korea. I was born in Seoul and moved to Atlanta, Georgia when I was little. I went to preschool, kindergarten, and first grade in Atlanta. After first grade, I moved back to Seoul and attended first to fourth grade. The summer of 2005, my family moved back to America and decided to live in my current home in Bel Air, Maryland.

TN: What other language(s) do you speak other than English?

JY: I am fluent in Korean.

TN: What is your country of origin?

JY: I am from South Korea.

TN: How do you like John Carroll?

JY: I really like John Carroll. I love the mod schedule because I know my friends at public schools have block schedules. I would rather have six different classes each day than only have 2 or 3 classes that are each over an hour long. I also love the music department and the different music groups I can take part in. 

TN: What are you involved in at John Carroll?

JY: I am involved in a lot of musical groups and several other clubs. I am part of the Robotics club and I am a member of Club Chinese. I also take part in the pit orchestra and jazz band. I used to be part of the indoor drumline last year. I am a member of the National Honors Society.

TN: Was it hard coming to the United States and not speaking English, or did you already know English before you came to the United States?

JY: The first time that I was in the United States was when I was in Georgia. I remember being really nervous when I first started school in Atlanta. Fortunately, I quickly made friends and I was able to pick up on English easily since I was learning the new language at a young age. When I started fifth grade at Homestead-Wakefield Elementary School in Bel Air, I was super anxious because I was the new kid at school. It seemed like everyone in my class knew each other and I was the odd one out. I was glad, though, because I made a lot of new friends so it was mostly pretty easy adjusting from my school in Korea to Homestead-Wakefield.

TN: What were your first thoughts on the United States and American people and culture?

JY: I honestly don’t remember my first thoughts of the United States and American people. Since I came to the United States when I was really young, I don’t think I had serious thoughts about my surroundings. I just accepted the new environment with its culture and people.

TN: How does the American education system differ from that in your native country (despite the fact that John Carroll is not public)?

JY: The American education system is very different from the education system in South Korea. For example, summer and winter breaks are different. The new school year starts after summer break in America while the new school year starts after winter break in Korea. School starts a little later in the day than American schools and ends later. Students do not switch classrooms for different subjects. Students study out of textbooks and workbooks.

TN: Was it difficult learning the English language?  Explain.

JY: I think it was easy for me to learn English because I learned it when I was young. I remember gradually getting the hang of English by playing with my friends and watching American TV shows like Blue’s Clues.

TN: If you were taught English in school in your native country, how does that compare to the language class you are taking now at John Carroll?

JY: When I was in Korea, I had English class. I remember the class being super easy for me because I had already learned in English in Atlanta. I take Chinese at John Carroll and this language class is different than my English class in Korea because learning English was so much easier. Also, my English class had a lot of listening practices. Other than Rosetta Stone, I don’t have a lot of other listening activities in Chinese.

TN: With whom from you family did you come to the United States?

JY:  I came to the United States with my parents and my brother.

TN: If you attended school in your native country, do you remember if any American student s were there (exchange students, international students, and etcetera)?

JY: No, there weren’t any American students at my school in Korea; however, there were special classes for Korean students who moved from different countries. I was in a special class for first grade. The other students in my special class came from America as well.

TN: Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions!

JY: Sure, it was no problem.