Many students participated in the 2016 Adult Education Week Contest. The theme was "Steps on the Journey."
Here, with the permission of the author, is one of the essays:
My Adult Education Adventure
and Steps on the Journey
I had studied English in China for many years, but I did not use it in my life at all after graduating from college, so it was easy to forget almost everything about English. After I met my American husband, I started to study English seriously. We wrote emails to each other in English as practice every day, but he rarely corrected me, and I could not speak it fluently. As a result, I have never studied English systematically after I graduated a long time ago.
Adult education was my first choice as a step for learning English and communicating in English more effectively since I moved to the United States. It is helpful to adults who have families to take care of, have a job to do, and need a flexible schedule. It is less pressure for me as an immigrant. Although some people think less pressure causes laziness, I think adults can exercise self-control, such as when I have already made too many cookies and just want to make more, I can stop myself.
As an adult and a new immigrant, I like to talk about
and discuss history, politics, literature, and things that happen in my life with my American husband. I do not want to be a silent listener. He has supported me while I have been attending adult school to improve my English, which is really nice and thoughtful of him. When we talked about our interests, most of the time I was a silent listener, and I really did not like that. Since I have been studying English at San Mateo Adult School, I can argue and fight with my husband more smoothly and better; I have learned how to express my ideas logically and not to become too emotional.
I would like to have more responsibilities and earn money for my husband and me. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area is very expensive, and I always want to do more shopping for baking supplies. It is a good thing for a couple to both have jobs. Being educated is a basic requirement for finding a good job. To gain education in the United States, adult education was the first necessary step I took to prepare me to attend College of San Mateo next year.
Adult education is like a ladder to help me reach my goals. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend San Mateo Adult School and have the chance to take the necessary steps on the ladder to self-improvement.
