Welcome to the channel Marta Teaches!
I'm Teacher Marta, and today we are going to interview some very special guests.
As many of you already know, I go to college here in the United States.
So, I decided to interview some of my friends who are also international students
to know what their experience here has been like.
In our university, there is a program called LEAP, which means
This program is designed for students who need to perfect their English
to be able to understand and participate in undergraduate level classes.
In the past, this program was called ESL, which means
However, they had to change the name of the program
because they realized that many international students already speak a second language.
I wanted to point this out, so you could see that in some places around the world
it is very common for people to speak more than one language.
When you get here, you can, just as I did,
take a test to see if you can skip this English-learning program
and go directly to the undergraduate course of your choice.
Another option is to take one of the international tests,
which are also available in Brazil, such as
Depending on the university, of course, they might accept different tests.
Therefore, it's always a good idea to check with them before you take any tests.
Because this interview will be conducted in English,
I'm going to ask you to activate the captions right now.
If you are watching this video on your computer,
just click on the little gear icon in the lower right corner of the screen.
And, if you are watching this on your cell phone,
click on the upper right corner of the screen on the 3 dots that are located here.
Ready?
Cool.
Let's go to the interview!
My first name is Mustafa.
I'm Jiyeon Song, and my English name is Julie.
I'm from Saudi Arabia, from a city that's called Safwa.
It reminds me of Ogden [UT, USA]. It's a small city too.
I'm from Seoul, the capital city of South Korea.
The native language that is spoken in my country is Arabic.
My second language is English, and I would love to learn Spanish and Turkish in the future.
I speak Korean. Obviously, I can speak English, and
I can speak Spanish and Japanese as well, but those are conversational level.
I learned Japanese when I was in high school, and I learned Spanish, like, one year ago
in here, the college, in the classes.
In August of 2013, I came to join the LEAP of the university that I study in.
I came from zero and, you know, it took me a year to finish the LEAP and, then, I got to college.
For me, I like to keep my own accent, even though I think I can sound like an American.
The teachers who were teaching us, they were really helpful.
They said that they can offer an extra help for the ones who didn't understand the subject.
They could meet with us after the session.
I learned English back in Korea as well, but it wasn't that practical.
So, I actually learned actual English, like, 6 months before I came here for the TOEFL test,
which is, like, an English test for entering American universities.
Basically, I didn't go through the LEAP program because I passed the TOEFL test.
I satisfied the TOEFL scores, which my college needs,
and I obviously learned my English in here for 3 years.
My major is "English Teaching," with a minor in "ESL," which is "English as a Second Language."
My major is in "International Economics."
I'm too young to have a degree. So, not yet.
My Associate degree back in Korea was Accounting and Taxation.
I would say probably the writing classes always get my attention.
I like microeconomics (I mean, relatively, rather than macroeconomics),
and I love Spanish class, and also Nutrition, and Geography was really interesting as well.
I would say get involved with the activities that the university offers
and try to volunteer as much as you can.
If you are involved in some, like, school activities really actively,
you can meet some people who are interested in some field which you have as well.
Yeah, I think so...because whenever we need help there is someone that we can ask.
Yeah, I think so...but, the thing is, like, you'd better be involved in,
like, every activity really actively by yourself, related to your interest or what you wanna learn.
They are not gonna spoon-feed you, but there are so many opportunities; more than you thought.
Adorable.
Respect.
I was so happy to come here because I never traveled when I was, you know, back home.
I stayed in Saudi Arabia for 19 years, and my first travel was to America.
So, I came here with my sister and during our first day she wasn't able to sleep,
but I slept very well, woke up and ate whatever I wanted...
and she was like, "I wanna go home," and I was like, "I'm ok."
It took me an hour to feel adapted to this culture.
I actually came here 4 years ago, the first time, for traveling.
For a month, while I was traveling, I got really shocked
because they try to respect each others', like, differences. Like, people's individual traits.
It was really interesting and, then, it made me be like, "Oh, I wanna come here."
My personality really fit here,
so I haven't had homesickness so far for 3 years,
and I haven't been back to Korea so far. I like it here!
Korea is a really, really small country.
Like, if you put together North Korea and South Korea, it's smaller than Utah.
So, our common sense is, kind of like, almost the same. But, here, like, there are so many various people,
so everyone's common sense is pretty much different.
I was really curious, like, what is the common sense for this kind of situation?
But, right now, I know it just depends on people.
I just don't wanna really judge, but I try to have my own manner.
The big difference would be the weather.
In my country, it's always hot but, in the US, we can have 4 seasons in 1 day.
For instance, the afternoon can be hot, the evening can be cold, it can be raining in the morning...so,
it's all different!
Language is totally different. We have a different alphabet,
like, different system, different types of, like, the sentence order and everything.
The biggest thing is, like, we actually have a formal way to say and an informal way to say [things].
And, here, there is a formal way, but it's not really, really different from the informal way,
but we have a really different one, and, then, that actually makes a gap between people,
like, by age, or position, or something.
But, here, it's more, like, flexible for that relationship.
In Saudi Arabia, all the restaurants, they offer delivery,
instead of just going and picking [up] the food.
But, in America, there are not a lot of restaurants that offer delivery,
which means if you are hungry, then, you get your car and pick [up] your food.
Otherwise, you are gonna be starving.
Talking with strangers.
Back in Korea, we do not really say "hello" if you are a stranger.
But, here, they just told me, like, "Hey, I like your outfit!" but, I don't know them.
But, it actually makes me really happy. It actually made my day, sometimes, you know?
In my country, which is Saudi Arabia,
it's normal, when we wanna text someone or talk with them,
we start with saying, "Hi! How are you?" and, then, we write the story.
But, here, in America, with my American friends, I say "Hi! How are you?"
and, then, write the story to them, but they never answer to the "How are you?" question.
They just go and answer to my story.
My age, back over there, in Korea, is, like, 2 years older than here.
Koreans add a year as soon as babies are born
'cause we actually consider babies have their own life in mommies' tummies.
And, at the same time, the day when all the ages are changed is the New Year.
So, everyone's age is changed at the same time.
So, everyone's birthday is different, but it's just a totally separate kind of thinking.
So, that's why I'm, like, 2 years older over there.
Well, it's one of the reasons why I like it here!
I like sweets a lot...
and they said all the American sweets have more sugar, which I really love the most.
And, they said it's gonna make me fat, but I really don't care!
I like "Five Guys." I basically don't really like french fries and hamburgers,
[but] "Five Guys" is, oh my, it's awesome!
People are friendly; it's just my opinion.
I think they help you without waiting for you to help them back or to say "thank you."
I like the environment of respecting each other, although their opinion is really, really different from me.
Maybe, deep down, I can think, like, "Oh, I don't think so,"
but I also try to respect them.
Back in Korea, the majority is Korean,
so I can't really listen to other racial people's opinions, or their thinking, or about diversity.
Over there, yes, I'm the majority, but, here, I'm one of the minority.
So, yeah, I really love to educate as well
'cause I can [now] understand someone who are not majority.
I love everything about the USA.
It's just the truth.
One thing I don't like is people who are not willing to be educated about diversity.
Education doesn't mean just knowledge. It's about, like, [being] mentally mature or not.
Some people, actually, do not try to understand.
Like, if you have a different opinion from me, then,
I'm willing to learn about it; why you are thinking like that way...
But, some people are really stubborn. They don't wanna listen.
And, then, they just pretend, like, "Alright," but that is actually ignoring, so...
They can broaden their knowledge, and their opinion, their view, but they are not willing to.
They hurt me, sometimes, or hurt other people with uneducated knowledge.
I don't think I've been discriminated by anyone yet (let's hope to keep it forever),
which makes me upset when I hear some of my Arabic or other languages friends
when they say, "We have been discriminated."
I will say to them, "I've been living here, and haven't been discriminated.
So, maybe you guys did something that made people have a reaction against you or something."
Even though they might have a good intention but, because of the different culture,
there might be a misunderstanding.
One time, I was in class and 2 or 3 people were, just like, Asian people
and most of them was American (I think).
One guy, he just said something [rude] about China.
None of us was Chinese in that class, but I know he [directed it] toward us
'cause he thought we can't speak English; we can't really hear English.
And, then, the professor actually asked him, "Hey, why did you say, like, that way?"
And, then, he just said, "I don't need to be polite in English."
Oh, my...!
I was like, "What did you say? Like, "Hey, in English, I've heard it right now,
I can speak English, I passed the TOEFL test, that's why I'm in here, in this class with you as the same level.
What are you talking about?" That was a really ignorant attitude.
And, I was like, I couldn't believe how come he can say, like, that way.
I don't really get hurt if someone asks me, "Where are you from?"
Not just because of my appearance; my English is not, like, perfect as much as, like, a native speaker's.
But, if they ask me, "Are you Chinese?" that is offensive because
you have no clue I'm Chinese or not. That's really based on a stereotype.
Instead, before that, you can even ask my name first.
For example, if I ask to any Hispanic people (I just barely met this person),
and, then, I ask this person, "Are you Mexican?" that is offensive.
It's the same thing.
Of course.
It actually depends on people.
So many people are, but, at the same time, so many people are not as well.
L.A. [Los Angeles, USA] has a lot of Koreans.
I think it's the first Korean population besides the country.
Just a few days ago, one American woman, like, she's Caucasian, I guess because
she actually hit one Korean lady, elderly lady;
when she punched her, she just shouted, "White power!"
So, the Korean lady, she, just like, got hurt, like, for no reason.
Maybe because she is Asian.
So, I was like, "Oh, my gosh, that is not good."
That is not good.
So, as I mentioned, because I had been in Saudi Arabia for 19 years,
I didn't even know anything about the American culture,
when I came here, I thought that we are the only country that believed in God or something like that.
But, when I came here, I heard people saying, "I swear to God..." blablabla…
and I was like, "Do they worship God?"
And, then, when I asked them, they said, "We worship God."
And, I said to them, "I was thinking that my country was the only one who worshipped God."
One thing I had a stereotype [about], and maybe so many Korean people they have this kind of stereotype
is, like, most of Americans are open-minded.
So many people are actually really conservative, but they just do not show this in the surface.
Like, I can't know this one when I just talk.
For example, like, the stereotype of gay.
If a guy has, like, kind of colorful shirts, they just kind of assume, "Maybe he is gay."
But, so many Korean guys, they are really fashionable, but they are not gay.
I just learned something like, from this kind of experience, I feel like
I wanna be educated more about other cultures, like,
why they have this kind of culture...kind of thing, and,
like, every cultures are really different.
I think, being in America, I will never get enough of being here.
Except that I wanna go and travel to other countries, such as Spain, Brazil, and Turkey.
I would love to go with a friend who lived there, for someone to show me the culture
and make me know other people
because if I go alone, I don't think it's gonna be interesting.
Over 20 years or more, I hadn't really been interested in, like, any of the other countries.
So, I just lived in Korea and, then, 4 years ago, the trip changed my life.
So, right now, I feel like the western countries fit me.
So, I wanna know about more, like, Canada, or New Zealand, Australia,
and some of the European countries which have a really, really different culture.
Right now, I live here, so I feel like, "Oh, I like it here.
Maybe here is really the best place for me," but who knows?
I don't know if you've heard that quotation that said,
"If you wanna learn a language, then, you have to take it from its people."
So, for anyone that wants to learn [American] English, you have to come to America.
If you want to come, I really recommend that you can come here.
Like, because based on your ambitions, you are gonna do a really good job.
I wanted to give a special thanks to our guests
and ask you to be very respectful in the comments.
As today's homework assignment,
I would like you to answer the following questions in the comments below:
The only difference in the answer will be that for him you'll say:
and for her:
followed by the name of their country of origin in English.
Thank you very much and see you next class! Bye!
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- Oh, really? - Yeah, people love K-Pop so much. - That's interesting!
So, I was just gonna ask you if you like K-Pop?
I know just a few idols, to be honest, 'cause I'm not really young.
I'm relatively older than other people, that's why, maybe...
but, I like Exo, I like Red Velvet, I like Black Pink...
Their music is really fun, especially, to be honest, for workouts.
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