Speaking

My English Language Adquisition Timeline

  • Starting life...

    Starting life...
    In 1963 I was born in Cataño, Puerto Rico.
  • New York, New York...

    New York, New York...
    In 1967, when I was four years old my family and I moved to New York, at that moment we didn’t speak English.
  • Learning English...

    Learning English...
    In 1968 I started learning English in kindergarten at school; in addition I went to the community church where I interact with other children who were English speakers.
  • Sequencial Bilingualism...

    Sequencial Bilingualism...
    In 1969 I was in first grade, by that time in school everything was in English and I took all the classes in English but when I got home I had to speak Spanish because my mother didn’t speak English. She taught me how to read in Spanish in the house.
  • Cultural Shock

    Cultural Shock
    My Mother and I, moved back to Puerto Rico, it was very difficult because after taking all the classes in English we came here where everything was in Spanish and nobody spoke English. It was a cultural shock.
  • Forgetting the English...

    Forgetting the English...
    In 1972 I studied in Rafael Hernández School from fourth grade to ninth grade where my only contact with the English was one hour. Then I started to forget the English I learned.
  • From the rural zone to the city...

    From the rural zone to the city...
    In 1978 I went from the rural zone to the city to study in Margarita Janer Palacios where again I had one English class per year. I had good grades, but I wasn’t too exposed to English.
  • Studying in the University...

    Studying in the University...
    In 1981 I graduated from high school and went to study to University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus to the general program.
  • Speak English at work...

    Speak English at work...
    In 1983 I started working as Directory Assistance in the Puerto Rico Telephone Company where I had to speak English and Spanish to the subscribers’ .I was forced to practice the English language.
  • Back to the University...

    Back to the University...
    In 2001 I went retired from the telephone company and went back to finish what I left incomplete that was the university.
  • Graduated from the University...

    Graduated from the University...
    In 2005 I graduated from Interamerican University as a k-3 teacher. There I was exposed to many classes including the English Class.
  • Working as an English Teacher...

    Working as an English Teacher...
    From 2006 to 2010 I worked for Braxton School as an English teacher.
  • Certified as an English Teacher...

    Certified as an English Teacher...
    In 2010 I went to work for the Department of Education and I had the opportunity to take the credits for my certification in English in the University of Puerto Rico, Bayamon Campus.
  • Taking Bilingual Education Courses...

    Taking Bilingual Education Courses...
    In 2012 I am working for the Bec21 Century program in Urban Elementary school of Guaynabo and the department has offer the chance to take the bilingual certification which I’m doing with sacrifice but at the same time with pride with the University of Sagrado Corazon.