※ 아래 스크립트는 발표자의 발표내용을 그대로 표기하였으므로 구어체 표현이 포함되어있고,
일부 문장은 문법적 오류가 포함될수 있는점 참고 부탁드립니다.
I still remember the day I moved to America, and me scared of the new environment
that I’d soon have to face. My very first thought in my mind at the airport was
”Will I be able to ‘stay alive’ in a America?” And this thought make me have trouble
getting settled. It felt like I’ve been thrown into the big sinkhole. And there is
nobody who can help me out of it. But, looking back, now I see it as the most special
event in my entire life. Life in America has taught me valuable lessons and gave me
monumental experiences.
I arrived at the Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta on April 2nd, 2013, When I took the
first step out of the plane, all I could see was just bunch of people with different skin
colors, talking in languages I couldn’t understand. Soon as I went out of the building,
the new world, called “America” stepped a lot closer to me, with a different
atmosphere from in Korea. By then, I was so terrified, but also excited for the new
life and people that I would soon meet from that day forward. But, the reality was
a whole lot different from what I had expected.
My first problem: it was communication. Although I had learned English for three
years in Korea before I moved to U.S. Soon I realized its difference from the ‘real’
English, so, it made me end up being deaf and dumb.
Second problem was the cultural difference. It was my first day in middle school,
and I was guided by the another Korean student. I stepped into my 1st period
class with a feeling of expectancy. But I had forgotten that the ‘American’ way of
the school education is a lot different from what is it Korea. I was thinking that
students are required to wear school uniforms like this, and get haircut short enough
so they can more concentrate on their schoolworks or academics. But, students
there usually wore short pants, dyed their hair, and also have their ears pierced.
So, this collision in values thrusted me into the chaos of culture shock.
A tall barrier was made in front of me. Only one thing could help me, so I strived
hard to learn English so that soon I’d have the wall collapse behind me. Life in
America became better and better as I accommodated to the new culture. In the
summer, I would take “To Kill A Mockingbird“ and relax under the trees with reading
it. Sometimes, I would watch “The Walking Dead” as I eat breakfast in the morning.
Like this I’ve slowly got into the new culture, and also gained a new point of view
toward the multicultural society.
I had met students from India, China, Mexico, and even Iraq in my ESL class.
Hanging out with them, I learned how great it is to be the member of the global
society. Life in America has also brought me monumental experiences.
On my family trips to New York and Chicago, I communed with great nature, such
as Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon. At Harvard and Princeton, there was a
fragrance different from the places I had known in the past. And it was the scent
of passion, patience, and willpower. When I first arrived in America, I was left all
alone in the big sinkhole. There was a tall wall in front of me that I can not even
climb up at first. but, as I keep striving, bump into the wall, the height of it become
lower and lower, finally letting me into the ‘real’ America. It had brought me
unforgettable memories of the great nature, neon lights in cities, and smiles on
people’s faces with great passion. Still, the day I moved to America is the most
special moment in my entire life. Thank you.