Everytime I read a paper at school I can't remember a word I read. It just doesnt stick to my mind. This makes me really mad because this is the reason i'm failing 3 of my classes. And also when the teacher is explaining things I don't understand what she says. Its almost like we speak different languages.
I come from a Mexican family and I grew up speaking spanish and spanish was my 1st language.
The only time I can understand things is when people explain it in spanish.
I'm soo confused i don't know who to talk to.
Should I talk to my school counselor or my nurse or what??
Please help I never had this problem before....
It 1st happened in 8th grade. Now im in 10th.
2007-10-29 15:36:37 · 30 answers · asked by Anonymous in Family & Relationships ➔ Other - Family & Relationships
Are you taking ESL classes or you finished already? Are you still speaking a lot of spanish at home? We can only have one dominant language in our minds and what you hear and speak will be your dominant language, and every time you need to read something in English your brain has to translate it for you to understand. It happens a lot to people who speaks more than one language but it usually gets better with time. I think it would be a good idea to talk to talk to your counselor and explain to him the problems you are having with language, maybe they can appoint extra ESL classes or a tutor that work with you to overcome the language issues you are having. Do not get discourage and do not give up, sometimes the brain needs a little help to process all the information it receives. The kids who grow in bilingual homes usually take twice to learn to speak, but when they do they can speak both languages, in your case it will take a little extra work, but you are fine, there is nothing wrong with you!
Are you having any issues at home?, sometimes stress plays an important part in learning problems. You will probably need an extra helping hand and to study a little bit harder. No te desanimes, entiendo que es frustrante pero tienes que seguir adelante, terminar la escuela secundaria e ir a la universidad, no te des por vencido, es dificil dominar dos idiomas, pero tu puedes. Espero que todo este bien, habla con tu consejero y pide ayuda.
I wish you the best! =)
2007-10-29 16:18:30 · answer #1 · answered by Arda K 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you would probably benefit from an ESOL program. It's basically a class where they attempt to ease you into speaking and reading and understanding english. Please don't think that you're crazy or dumb because it has nothing to do with that. What could really be the issue is that you have a learning disability. For you it might be audio vs. visual understanding. You learn better when you hear something rather than when you read it, and on top of that you prefer your native language. Talk with a counselor and your teachers about the difficulties that you're having. You'll see that it's not you, it's the way you're being taught.
2007-10-29 22:50:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My husband's first language is also Spanish. He has a similar problem. The weird thing is that he reads words wrong all the time. He sees the beginning of a word and then just guesses what it is. He also can't sound out words at all. He is a college graduate though so it hasn't hampered him too much. He just has to read things over again sometimes. He takes a lot of five minute breaks when he's reading.
I would definitely approach your parents and teachers with this problem.
2007-10-29 22:51:24 · answer #3 · answered by lotta_nada 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Oh, man... I know what you mean. I had to take "Reading Fundamentals" in junior high because I had such a hard time being able to read and remember what was read. So, for me, it was not understanding what one sentence had to do with another. After I upped my vocabulary and took some time to focus my interests in writing, I started seeing how sentence structure worked and was able to retain a lot more of the information I read... it was how I managed to get through The Lord Of The Rings during English class. I hate that book as much today as I did then.
But yeah, if talking to someone will help you, then by all means, talk to your councilor. He/She could probably help you figure something out to help you with your memory skills. Just do your best and you'll eventually get up to where you want to be. It's not necessarily easy, but it is worth it. Good luck.
2007-10-29 22:48:08 · answer #4 · answered by bloodline_down 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's definitely a language barrier, and that's the reason you don't understand your assignments in school. I think you should speak to your counselor, and see if there are Spanish tutors who could help you understand the English language better. However, you do write well in English, and seem to be able to express yourself. Try and make an effort to do better in school, and don't hesitate to ask questions or have explanations about anything regarding your school work that you don't understand. I'm sure your teachers will be able and willing to explain things to you. Good luck!
2007-10-29 22:42:27 · answer #5 · answered by gldjns 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing is wrong with you!
It sounds like you are a bit delayed in your processing because you probably have to translate what you hear into spanish in your own head....which takes some extra time. This is why they have ESL classes in most schools. I think you are very observant in recognizing that the language is a barrier to your learning.
You are clearly a very smart person, I think if you take this to the counselor, they will help you work on a solution. It is important to take care of this before you get into high school because those grades will be sent to colleges!
Buena suerte!
2007-10-30 01:59:40 · answer #6 · answered by joellemoe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's nothing wrong with you. The School District/or School should of caught this problem. Since they didn't
go to your counselor, see if she has access to anything helpful for you. In most major cities they have free English as
a second language classes. See if she can get you in one.
It may seem hard, but down the road you will have a lot more job prospects and promotion ability because you are bi-lingual. Don't get discouraged.
2007-10-29 22:44:54 · answer #7 · answered by Carol (Yeah I said it!) G. 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Talk to the school counselor and do it right away before your grades fall. You need to speak english more or you will spend your whole life with this problem. It must be difficult but it is not impossible to master the english language.
2007-10-29 22:42:01 · answer #8 · answered by canam 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you should definitely talk to your counselor and to your parents about it. There might be other schools that offer more classes in Spanish, or you could have special sessions with your teachers. Tell your parents and your counselor so they can help you.
2007-10-29 22:41:23 · answer #9 · answered by Vix 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Talk to your teachers about it, and your counselor too!
Study every night the week before a test instead of just 5 minutes before it. Hope this helps!
2007-10-29 22:40:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋