Student Voices: International student speaks about his experiences at samo

Caio RodriguesJuniorBack in Brazil, I watched several American cartoons, movies and series about foreign students in American high schools: their first day of class, tons of people saying “hi” to them, studying in regular classes.It’s not like that at all.When I first came to Samo, I had to take a few English tests with Ms. Adrienne Karyadi — the English Language Testing Coordinator — which included listening, speaking and writing. In the end, my overall English proficiency was considered "Intermediate," which meant that I had to take special classes, called Sheltered English (SE) classes.The SE classes follow the same curriculum as regular ones, but they contain students who are still considered English learners, and sometimes go at a slower pace to ensure that students are improving their proficiency and learning the class material. They are offered in almost all subjects: English, social sciences, natural sciences and math. However, while these classes help students academically, they hinder us socially.Last year, I was looking at my friend’s yearbook and all the pictures of the class of 2010. There were so many people. Then I thought about what will happen when I graduate in 2012. Since I have had mostly SE classes, I talk to, hang out with, eat lunch with and do homework with other SE students, all while looking at the students in regular classes passing. As I looked at the yearbook, I began to think, “Wait a minute, I am going to graduate with a bunch of strangers!”Although the school is successful helping us progress academically, international students are isolated, ignorant about the school’s traditions, clubs and activities. Many start here after ninth grade or don’t have the language skills to take Freshman Seminar, where we would be exposed to and educated about Samo. Unless we take the initiative, we will stay in the corner of the world, alone and ignored, our presence not even noticed.Since the mid-1970s, English Language Development (ELD) programs throughout California and in other states have provided “meaningful access” to educational goals. None of the programs in place address the need for socialization with native speakers and the potential value of assimilation with American culture.Back in Brazil, I just knew about the cheerleaders who were dressed in their cheer clothes all the time, the football guys who bullied the other kids and locked them in lockers and the crazy parties. I hope that next time they make a movie about an American high school, they show the group of students that sticks together most of the time, speaks several different languages, looks confused and tries adapting to this new life and culture in the United States.