Facing the Future

by Francisco Rangel

May 5, 2006
My name is Francisco Rangel

This story is about my English class.

When one of my friends told me if I wanted to come to school, I took the opportunity because it was free. This has been one of the best things in my life. The first time when I come to school I felt very nervous, but after a while, I felt better about myself. I asked my boss if he would let me leave early twice a week, I explained that, I wanted to learn English. My boss answered was fine. Finally I decide to study English at Galena Park Learning Center. I enjoyed my class everyday with the other students. A few weeks ago my friends at the company asked me how I felt , I answered that now I felt more safe when somebody asked me something I can explained to my partners at the jobsite when the supervisor tells them what they have to do. I can translate in English when they any question so this was a good decision to study English. I got to USA in 1996. I lived in California for a year. I had three kinds of work. The First one was with my cousin at the market. Three months later, I moved to San Jose California to work in the fields picking bell peppers, peaches, tomatoes, cantaloupes, watermelons, and trimming grape trees. Then I went back to Los Angeles, I found a job at a tailor shop but the pay was so low. I decided to move to Houston Texas and work at the construction. But It was the same thing. I saw my future going no where if I didn’t learn English. It was one problem after another, when I stop at any store. I couldn’t ask anything when I got lost. I didn’t know how to pronounce anything. I never watched an English TV channel, I didn’t listen English music when I got to United States. The English language was very difficult to learn, but I saw many people of different parts of the world speaking English so can I. If I learn this language I am going to communicate with everyone and help my children with the homework, also I can find a better job for me too.