My efforts to learn to read, write and speak English have been significant challenge in my life. When I first came to United States from Hong Kong about 12 years ago, I could speak, read and write almost no English. Today, although I still have much to learn, and I struggle every day, I have made a good amount of progress.
I grew up in a small village in mainland China. No one I knew spoke English. I wasn’t exposed to English through books, magazines or TV. I spent my teenage years in Hong Kong. Although English is common in Hong Kong due to its history, I still couldn’t speak, read or write much English after graduating high school. But living in Hong Kong exposed me to Western culture through movies, music and other media.