WHY DID I CHOOSE MY MAJOR?

 Originally I had studied International Relations--in which I got a Bachelor's Degree. I liked it, and it was interesting, but as time went on I had increasing doubts about working in that area. At least it was general enough that there were various employment opportunities.

Language was a part of that major, and I always really loved that. I studied Polish (and 2 years of Russian were obligatory), and then also worked as a translator and transcriber in the Polish Section of "Voice of America" radio station, so I had a very strong connection with language. Besides, I had grown up bilingually with German. Therefore, as a consequence, linguistic issues were always sort of present. Actually, I had been interested in the science and study of Linguistics from the start.
I was provisionally accepted to the MA program in Linguistics at George Mason University in 1989. I say provisionally because I had not actually studied it at the BA level, and they had doubts
about me. I was able to convince them due to my background as a translator and dealing with language so much. I did very well the first semester, so they accepted me to the program completely then. I really loved it. The program's focus was on Language Acquisition: How people learn/acquire language. I was receiving a kind of formation to possibly become an ESL teacher. I studied syntax, grammar, semantics, phonology, History of English, Historical Linguistics, and more... An added bonus is that in those times, studying was not so expensive. Nowadays, it's terribly prohibitively expensive in the US--I feel very sad for the students of today there.
As a consequence, I've become an ESL teacher. I'm very happy with my choice.







Comentarios

  1. Valentina González27 de abril de 2021 a las 20:21

    Interesting!
    I am very happy that you followed your dreams and that you studied what you were really passionate about, it is never too late!

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  2. Rodrigo27 de abril de 2021 a las 21:39


    interesting! Knowing languages ​​allows you to communicate anywhere in the world

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  3. Cata Vásquez28 de abril de 2021 a las 10:52

    Interesting! I find languages fascinating because you can communicate with many people and know many cultures

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  4. Amanda Calabrano28 de abril de 2021 a las 10:59

    Your history is great, it’s good that you followed what you like

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  5. Camila28 de abril de 2021 a las 16:47

    wooow! actually, one of my subjects calls "Saberes pedagógicos del Lenguaje y la Comunicación, 1 Ciclo". It is first cycle because this semester we focus on 0-3 years children, and it's true! is fascinating, we are studying syntax and grammar too, but i imagine that in another way, with a different focus jeje

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  6. barbaradonbear30 de abril de 2021 a las 21:13

    I'm glad that you have been able to study what you're passionate about and you're right that today studying is very expensive.

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  7. Coni Osorio2 de mayo de 2021 a las 23:08

    Teacher, I find your studies and your knowledge magnificent!

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  8. Vicente Labrín16 de abril de 2022 a las 10:10

    ¡teacher, it is a great story! You are a bilingual person; effort and dedication

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  9. danixza16 de abril de 2022 a las 18:57

    Wow, teachers knows many languages, His story is very interesting and good!!

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  10. Matías Velásquez Arias17 de abril de 2022 a las 16:45

    You have a lot of talent for learning and teaching! A hug<3

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  11. Emilia Gutiérrez18 de abril de 2022 a las 17:27

    Great post! I like how didactic he is for his classes :)

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  12. Ana Gracia29 de abril de 2022 a las 12:54

    How incredible the study of languages, it helps to understand not only the language but the ways and dealings of the different places, how wonderful.

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  13. Catalina Romero14 de julio de 2022 a las 19:59

    hi teacher! amazing post

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  14. Carmen Díaz20 de mayo de 2023 a las 18:30

    What a nice story, I'm glad you found a profession that makes you happy

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  15. Catalina Barraza P23 de mayo de 2023 a las 18:09

    Language acquisition sounds like a very interesting topic to study.

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