Just a Cup of Coffee
By Pietro Rossini
I wanted just a cup of coffee. But I didn’t know it would have been so difficult! This was my experience when I first went to a Dunkin’ drive-through: I lowered my car window, and a scratchy voice came out of the speaker asking me for something. I guessed she was asking what I would like to have. So, right away I said, “A cup of coffee, please.” I thought that would be enough. But I was wrong. The lady from the speaker said many things that I couldn’t understand. I only took some words — “sugar,” “size,” “cream.” So, I got that she was asking me how I wanted my coffee. I didn’t have much vocabulary at that time, and so I just replied “A small cup of coffee without sugar and without cream!” But the story does not end here, indeed, from the other side, the voice said “Black?” and I replied, “No, I’m white!”
This funny story helps me to introduce the topic of this article: How I overcame the language barrier when I started studying in the U.S. This story is only funny now, it wasn’t at the time. When I first came to the U.S., I could not speak English very well. My vocabulary was very limited, and I had trouble with my pronunciation. People could not understand me, and I had a hard time understanding them. I mean, it was so frustrating. However, I never despaired, and every day I have kept trying to learn new words and improve my pronunciation.
I came to the U.S. with an F-1 visa. This is the student visa with which you must study for at least 18 hours per week. But 18 hours studying English seemed a too limited amount of time to me. For this reason, I found out that in the U.S. many public libraries around the country offer free English classes. So, in addition to my classes at Framingham State University (FSU), I attended classes at my local public library. I tried to find some native speakers who could help me improve my pronunciation, and it helped me a lot..
I arrived in the States in January 2019, and everything was going on as I described. But then in March 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic hit, and I had to review my plans. Since then, I am having online classes with FSU. I had to renounce the public library classes, and meeting with people became very limited. How to improve your English in this situation?
It may look strange, but I got my English test during this hard situation. FSU online classes and other tools helped me to focus more on my language without many distractions. So, I found out that learning a language is not a matter of knowledge or smartness but of choice and discipline instead.If I may give advice to someone who is going to come to the U.S. for studying, I will say: Try to come here with a background in English. Do not start studying English here from scratch! The journey of learning a language never ends. It requires humbleness, practice, and a willingness to accept correction from others. Do not be afraid of learning a new language. It is not a hurdle on your journey; it is the door that opens up your journey instead.
Hundreds of prestigious universities and colleges in the USA and Canada accept Cambridge English Qualifications.
Making friends is a big part of the university experience and a C1 level of English or above will help you break down the language barrier quickly.
Preparing to take a Cambridge English Qualification (C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency) will help you develop in-depth English communication skills that you will need to thrive in university, both academically and socially, including participating in lectures and forming long-life friendships.
Pietro Rossini is a Xaverian Missionary and an ESL student at Framingham State University (MA). He came to the U.S. in January 2020 with the purpose of studying a master of arts in journalism at Boston University. His dream is to collect and share stories of humanity around the globe, making the world a single family.
Pietro Rossini
Get matched to the best program for you
Let us know what you're looking for so we can find the best school for you.
Useful Articles
Check Out These Schools
Santa Rosa Junior College
$10,000 — $15,000 Year
Start your U.S. adventure with Study in the USA
Learn About U.S. education financing, housing, and more
Resources
Learn about American culture and education direct from our experts at Study in the USA. Read more