Language and Experience Interview

Adam Beard

Mr. Wojewodzki

January 9, 2010

I decided to interview Ho-Jin Hong, a freshman student at John Carroll. He came over from the United States from his homeland of Korea. I interviewed him, asking him about his experience here in the United States and how he has transitioned from his former language to the main language spoken here in the U.S., English. I also asked him about what made the United States different from his home country and what he likes more about living in this country than from his former country.

Q: How do you like living in the United States so far since you have been here?

    What things here interest you?

A: It has been okay so far and the distinctive cultures here in the United States interest me. The different kinds of food also interest me because you can eat so many different kinds of things instead of just American food. Also, there are many fun things you can do in this country that I cannot do in my native country.

Q: How has your daily life changed since you have started living here?

A: One thing in my daily life that changed is that instead of going to the academy and staying there until 12 in Korea, I stay at my home after the normal school day ends. So instead of going somewhere when school ends, I just mainly stick around at home. I also leave for school at a different time here then for school in Korea.

Q: How hard do you think it is to learn school subjects in English instead of your main language?

A: When I am learning these subjects in English, sometimes it is hard to understand what the teachers are saying while sometimes I can understand them easily. It usually depends on the accents of each teacher.

Q: What is your native language and how much less do you speak it since you go to school in this country?

A: My native language is Korean, and I have spoken it much less often then when I lived in Korea. With school, I have to start speaking English so all of the people around me can understand me. I also have to speak English when I am in the mall or in a restaurant. So I am speaking Korean much less in this country.

Q: What makes the United States more interesting than from your native country?

A: I think the United States and Korea are equally interesting since I have lived here in the U.S. Nothing makes each of these countries more interesting than other.

Q. What made it the hardest to leave your native country?

A: What makes my leave so hard is leaving my friends from my former school behind but especially my family since I was so close to them in Korea. I will really miss my family and my other friends in Korea very much.

Q: How hard is the transition to the English language from your native language?

A: The transition from Korea to English has been very difficult since it is hard to adapt to a whole new way of speaking. It has been tough so far and it has been very hard to get used to. But in a year or two, I know I can master the English language and speak it fluently all day long with everyone I see.

Q: Are the citizens of the United States different from the citizens from your native country and if so, how?

A: The citizens here in this country are different than Korean citizens by their cultures and the way they think. The United States culture consists of many different traditions that are not practiced in Korea and they think very differently from most Koreans in public places.

Q: What are some of the differences between schools in your former country to John Carroll here in the U.S.?

A: In Korea there is very little homework each night but we had two important tests each semester but in John Carroll, there is a lot of homework each night with only one big test each semester with midterm exams in the first semester and final exams in the second semester.

Q: Do you still speak your main language at home with your family or have you switched to all English?

A: I speak my main language all the time with my family and I very rarely speak English with them, only when they want me to practice my English. Other than that, it is all Korean with all of my family.

Q: Since you have learned English, has this been a tough language to learn or was it easy to learn?

A: While I have been learning English, at some times it has made me very confused. English is a very tough language to learn, I think, but it is a language that you have to practice at to get better with it and this is what I am doing to master this language.