Charlie_CP2

I met Faisal at All Saints Café on Railroad Avenue, just south of campus. He liked that I chose that spot, because he said that the place appeared to be very "American" and had a lot of culture there. Faisal has been in America for seven months now, and he said that prior to arriving he did not speak a single word of English. Everything he knows in the English language has been learned in the past seven months, and for that reason I was very impressed by his ability. He is studying for the TOEFL right now so he can be accepted into a graduate school in the United States. Faisal has already earned his Bachelor's from a university in Saudi Arabia, and is excited about being able to study in the United States. At one point in our conversation, he asked me, "How can I learn English? What is the secret?" This question took me by surprise. After some careful consideration, I eventually told him that it's a matter of constant practice, convincing yourself to think in English and trying to translate everything he possibly can into a foreign language. He was very kind and I look forward to meeting with him again.