Moving to a new country is really difficult. We had many problems when we moved to new a country, because a new country is very different from my own country. When I first came to America I was scared.
When I came to America, there were so many cars and people.The cars were all over the road and people did not have any rights when crossing the road. When we went to D.C., we saw so many people, it was all so different. I had to make many changes when I first came here, because the U.S. is very different from Vietnam. When I came to the U.S. it was difficult for my family, because we did not know how to speak English or drive, and I had to start going to a new school.
For me, the hardest part is learning to speak English, because I have spoken Vietnamese my entire life. English is very different from Vietnamese. Vietnamese uses many different sounds that are not found in English, so when I speak English it is difficult for people to understand. In the U.S. many people speak English with different accents, because they come from different countries.
The second biggest difficulty for my family and I is driving a car. In Vietnam most people ride bicycles and motorcycles while here, everyone has a car. My family owns a car, but it’s a lot different than riding a motorcycle. The driving rules were difficult for us to learn, because we did not know English or understand the rules. Driving a car in the U.S. is much easier than in my country, mostly because many cars here are automatic, instead of manual. In my country you have to put your feet on the ground to make the car start. Getting a driver’s license here in the U.S. was not easy for my parents, but they eventually were able to get theirs.
Starting at a new school was also hard for me. I had to make a lot of changes when I began school here. We had to buy supplies for school but we didn’t know what to buy, so we had to go to school and ask the teacher what we needed for the school year. Here, we are provided a bus to bring us to school whereas in Vietnam, I was able to walk to my school. The way to the school there was so easy for us to walk. I also had to talk with people in school, but it was difficult because I did not know English. I tried to talk to them and they understood what I was trying to say. Something I had to change was the accent I had when I talked to them. I was really happy to be able to talk with American people. When I spoke with them I was also able to learn many different accents.
Moving to a different country is not easy. I had to make so many changes, like trying a new language and school. Life here in the U.S. is very difficult. Maybe after a longer time spent at this school, I will become more comfortable. Then, my life will be easier.
