Imelda's Story -

First Prize in the ESL Section

My story is about a lesson life has taught me.

When I arrived in Australia I couldn't speak English at all, and I could not understand when people spoke to me and I was nervous and felt not comfortable. When I was

watching TV especially comedy and new, I did not understand. This made me upset

and sometimes I cried.

I had an experience one day when I went to the library with my little daughter to

borrow some books and then I returned it on time. The second week I borrowed again

and the lady said to me, "You have to pay $5 because you are late to return this book"

and I said to her "I am not late". I just said a few words I knew and she spoke to me,

abut I did not understand and I was confused. I remember I returned this book on time

and I can't explain this to her because I couldn't speak English well and then I paid

the $5 and I went home.

The third week I went to the library and borrowed a book again and I gave my card to

another lady who asked me about the book. She said I was late returning this book

and maybe I forgot it at home and I said no, I had already brought back this book. I

wanted to explain to her but I couldn't speak English well and it made me stressed.

Then she said to me to wait, because she wanted to check and then I waited and she

came back and said to me `sorry' because she found the book in the rack. This made

me confused and I was traumatised. During the next few months I did not borrow

books from the library.

I had another experience. Sometimes I helped at the kindergarten school. I helped in

the kitchen cutting some fruit for the children and cleaning. One day I was helping

with in the kitchen and cutting the fruit with another friend and I started to cut banana

and my friend started to cut apple, and then suddenly she was upset with me and said

to me, "Why did you cut the banana first, because some children are allergic to

banana?" I know I used a different knife and put in a different plate. I wanted to

explain to her, but I couldn't speak English well. I went home. I was crying inside, I

felt so stupid.

After that when I met her I felt not comfortable, but she tried to speak English with

me and I said to her that I didn't know how to speak English and she said to me

"Don't worry, you have to try to speak" and she would like to be friends with me.

One day she picked me up to home and she asked me to go to her house. She gave me

her telephone number and she told me she was a teacher. When I met her she always

told me her story, and she was very nice. She told me to go to school to learn English.

At the moment I am learning English at the Neighbourhood House three days a week.

This is helping me a little bit to speak, read and write. I meet friends and other people

from many backgrounds. I have a lot of fun in the classroom. I am very happy. This is

more experience for me to open my mind and encourages me to learn more - how to

tell the story, what is happening in the world. I want to improve my English. I have

very nice teachers, they always help me and I wan to say thank you very much for all

the teachers teaching me.