Amy: 

What country are you from and how old were you when you came to America?
Beberlin: I am from El Salvador, and I was 5 years old when I came from El Salvador.
Amy: What was the hardest transition from El Salvador to America? Were there any major
differences?
Beberlin:  Well, the climate was different, I had to adjust myself to that because I did come
during the fall time. Also, some difficulties was probably getting adjusted to the diversity
because in El Salvador there's primarily just Hispanics and here we do have different
cultures and people that are raised a little different than I was, culture wise. 
Amy: Has language ever been a barrier for you in school?
Beberlin:  Yes, it definitely was.
Amy:  What was the biggest challenge when learning English?
Beberlin: The biggest challenge learning English was trying to get people to understand
what my needs were. Everyone else around me did not speak my language so when I needed
something it was hard for me to communicate it. Also, making friends; when you are in a
group of friends and you are a little different than they are it's hard to fit in.
Amy: What tools would you say helped you learn English better?
Beberlin: Definitely ESOL, which is the English Language Learners thing that they have in
school, which helps you. That definitely helped me a lot and also having a good support
system that tells me to continue learning and not give up because it can be hard and
sometimes you do want to give up but having a good support system definitely helped. And
also, the school programs that they had like ESOL.
Amy: In what ways do you feel like the education system here has helped you? And in what
ways has it held you back? 
Beberlin: The education system has definitely helped me out with several programs like I
mentioned before, ESOL definitely helped me out, which helps me get to the level that I
needed for reading, comprehension, speaking, and listening as well. Some ways that it has
held me back is with my Spanish because school is primarily just in English, I feel like I do
lack some Spanish. So that is the only thing that I would say that the education system has
held me back a little bit, other than that the support system of the teachers and also the
programs that they have definitely helped me.
Amy: And then, besides from your ESOL teachers, do you feel like your other teachers went
above and beyond to accommodate you? 
Beberlin: Yes. So, they would try to associate me with kids that did speak my language
to help with translation when a lot of things, I didn't comprehend a few things. So, they
definitely tried to accommodate me with that. I have also encountered teachers that have
asked if I need any other help with other subjects so for like tutoring and stuff around those
lines.
Amy: Do you feel like learning would have been easier for you in El Salvador?
Beberlin: I would say maybe, maybe not because here in America they do value education
much more than what they do in El Salvador. A lot of kids do actually work in El Salvador,
and it’s not valued as much as it is here. But here, the main focus is getting your education
when you are in your primary age and getting a good job, whether that be going to college.
Amy: Alright and last question, if you had the chance to change anything about your
education would you? And what would you change?
Beberlin: I would love to attend maybe a bilingual school that does English and Spanish,
just so I could keep the 2 languages and it would've been, I feel maybe a little bit
smoother, because it was something that I could relate to, and it comes from my culture.
That’s probably the only thing that I would change.