UT’s English Language Program is helping Pablo Dominguez Acuna from Mexico adapt to American culture.

Why did you decide to study in the USA?

I decided to study in the United States because I obtained my residency in this country. I consider that one way to adapt and become familiar with American culture and society is by learning the English language because it is the predominant language in the country. 

Another reason why I decided to study in this country is because of the educational quality. It is known that many American universities offer excellent educational quality with diverse educational programs, appropriate research facilities, and highly recognized academics in their respective academic fields. Likewise, studying in the United States provides me with a multicultural and linguistic experience that can enrich my personal and academic experience as well.

How did you choose your intensive English program? 

When I was looking for universities that offered an English program, I focused on three aspects relevant to my own academic needs. First of all, the reputation of the university or program: The University of Texas at Austin (UT) is ranked among the best educational institutions in the country, which speaks to the prestige of its programs [including its English Language Program, aka ELP], faculty, and staff. 

Second, the faculty and its resources: Some universities offer a specific description of the profiles of the professors who are part of the program. In the case of the UT program, its platform provides the profiles of the teachers, as well as their experience teaching English. Likewise, the program gives details about different courses and the levels of English that it offers. 

Third, costs: In addition to the costs that must be covered to register for the program (tuition and healthcare insurance), I considered the costs of housing, food, transportation, and school supplies. The UT program was attractive to me because it suited my finances. 

As a last point, I would like to add that I had heard that the city offers a warm and friendly environment for international students, and the city is also close to my country, Mexico.

What do you like best about studying here?

What I liked most about studying at UT was the opportunity to meet many people with different ideas, perspectives, and knowledge. Therefore, studying in a multicultural environment has allowed me to enrich myself culturally, personally, and academically. 

Another important point is that all my teachers have been very open and understanding with our language learning processes. They offer us their office hours to talk about our doubts on the topics studied or more general doubts about the language. Finally, I have felt a significant improvement in my English because the context forces me to practice it all the time, that is, learning is not only limited to the classroom but extends outside of it.

What do you miss most about home?

What I miss most about home is spending time with my family and my dogs. I also miss the food; however, here I have tried new dishes from different parts of the world and I love that.

How long have you been studying here? How has your English improved? 

I have been studying English in the United States for two years, although they have not been consecutive. The first year I studied English through an online course offered by a university in New York. For my second year, in the fall of last year, I applied to study English in person in the program provided by UT. 

Studying English in the United States has been a great journey because when I started I had a lot of frustration and fear of making mistakes when speaking English. Well, my biggest challenge has been speaking English. I still consider that I am in the process of acquiring more competent English, but now with my classes and the help of my teachers, I have felt more comfortable starting and continuing a conversation in English on different topics; despite continuing to struggle with linguistic interference from my first language.

Likewise, studying in the USA has helped me understand that making mistakes is part of the process and that having an accent should not be considered something I should be ashamed of. Studying the English program at UT is giving me to improve my English in all aspects and I feel that it prepares me for academic and work life at the same time.

What was your biggest surprise about U.S. life and education?

What has surprised me a lot here is the investment that universities make in infrastructure, technology, program curriculum, and educational quality. Additionally, for example, UT provides many social, cultural, and sporting events where students can have fun, learn, and build community. 

Also, UT offers tutoring and academic advising services to its students, as well as student mental health services. The presence of students from different parts of the world is another thing that has surprised me the most; the multicultural wealth that universities have allows students to acquire skills and abilities to be able to interact in a globalized and connected world.

...your biggest disappointment?

So far, I have not had any disappointment.

How have you handled:

...language differences?

Moving to a new country means many challenges. Finding a place to live can be stressful for some people — even if there is a wide variety of places and services, it can sometimes be difficult to find a place to live near the campus university due to the high demand. I searched online for different lodging options and chose the one that best suited my finances. 

Food may be another factor to consider. Although there may be a wide variety of restaurants and food options in large cities, some people may struggle to adapt. I have experimented with new foods and some of them have been to my liking and others not so much; the idea is not to close but to experiment. 

Regarding the language, it is a different experience for each person. In my case I have always had problems with spoken English, it has not been with reading or listening. Over time, I have realized that many native speakers also make grammatical and linguistic errors when they are speaking and that makes me no longer feel so frustrated about my mistakes or want to be perfect when I am speaking. I consider that by taking English classes here my pronunciation and response speed have improved a lot.

...finances?

For the second semester, my current semester, the English Language Program at the University of Texas at Austin, the same program awarded me a scholarship to continue my studies, I mean, I applied to obtain it. The scholarship has been of great help and financial usefulness in covering part of tuition costs. Additionally, I have had financial support from my family and, before coming here, I was working to save money to cover the rest of my expenses; as a result, I have covered the expenses of my first semester and part of the second as well.

...adjusting to a different educational system?

In general, I have had no problems adjusting to the U.S. educational system because this has seemed familiar to me.

What are your activities?

The English program at UT offers multiple activities focused not only on learning the language but as students we can creating communities among ourselves. For example, among the most important activities are Talk Time, a weekly activity where we practice the language with native speakers, and tours to museums that are important to know a little history about Texas and the country. Also, we have social activities such as bowling games, language circles, different games, and social hours. 

Additionally, for those students who are very interested in applying or requesting admission to a university, we have tutorials to learn how to apply to universities and how to write our resumes. Likewise, our program has special tutorials with students from the Teaching English as a Second Language course. Finally, as UT students, we have the possibility of attending various conferences given by writers and researchers, that is, different activities are depending on the interests of each student.

How easy or difficult is making friends in the USA?

It may vary from person to person. The cultural diversity that exists in our program has advantages and disadvantages as well. The best advantage is that everyone wants to meet people from different parts of the world and learn a little about their culture and language. The biggest disadvantage is certain cultural barriers that limit contact or interaction between people of different nationalities. 

Many times, groups are formed based on nationality, language, or ethnic origin, which makes it difficult for people who do not share certain cultural traits to belong to those groups; however, this does not mean any impediment to making friends. In my particular case, I have few friends, but I do have many classmates and colleagues with whom we share classes and we support each other to achieve our objective and goal, which is to learn English.

What are your career goals? How is your U.S. education relevant to your personal goals and to the needs of your country?

Among my goals is to achieve more competent English that will help me either apply to a graduate program or get a job related to my area of knowledge, which is within social or cultural anthropology, includes working in a research center university, as a professor or with organizations that work on human rights and migrants. If I return to my country, I hope that having studied at The University of Texas at Austin will help me find a space within the work or educational field in my country.

What is your advice to other students who are considering studying English in the USA?

Studying English in the United States can be a pleasant experience that can enrich us personally and academically as well. I would advise you to first look for a program that catches your attention and ask the university staff any questions you may have, from program prices to immigration requirements, as well as the issue of housing. 

Another topic is to investigate the city where the university is located, considering the climate, culture, and habits that may be extremely different from what you are used to; we are all exposed to culture shock. Likewise, encourage you to make the most of all the activities offered by universities to improve the English language or achieve the goals set. 

Finally, traveling to a new country with a different culture can be a great challenge since you may miss too many things, but little by little we adapt to the daily and academic life system of the new country.