Reflective Essay
Introduction
In the last few months, I have made important steps towards improving my grasp of the English language and the American culture, and have tried to use this increased understanding of the English language and American culture to better integrate into the American society, specifically the school community where i am obtaining my learning. Over the course of the study of this course in the last few months, I have written three essays which have enabled me to have a better understanding of the American language and culture and how some things affect and influence this way of life. The first essay is a review of the ipad 3 which was released by Apple Inc and how it has influenced the way of life in America. The second essay was on the state of the homeless in America and how this issue has affected the society and how it can be resolved. The third essay dwelt on my experience when I first came to the United States and started learning the English language. In this essay, I will reflect on the impact that these three essays have had to my learning of the English language and grasp of the American culture. Though my vocabulary in the language is still not as perfect as I would want it to be as to enable me fit seamlessly into the community, I believe I have made important steps towards full grasp of the language.
Reflection on the Essays Written
In the first essay where I reviewed the ipad 3, I took note that American culture is heavily influenced by technology. Technology has enabled many people make their work easier, travel while working and improve communication among individuals in remote places. Technology has had an impact on all the aspects of the American life, from manufacturing, education, communication and even health care. In this technological advancement, Apple Inc has developed the third generation ipad, popularly known as ipad 3. This is a developed version of the earlier tablet produced by Apple Inc, ipad 2. In this essay, I reviewed the features of the ipad 3 and its improvements from ipad 2 and how effective it will be in its use in ordinary daily life of an American citizen. The new ipad has an improved screen resolution and thus offers sharper images in displaying its contents. It is actually an improvement of the ipad 2 since it offers double the screen resolution offered by the earlier version. It also has a more powerful camera than the earlier version. It also has a better processor and thus increased connectivity for better communication experience for its users. In education, the new ipad 3 allows for the taking of notes by students. It also offers the opportunity for students to read their notes in the most easily available method since the ipad 3 offers an opportunity for the taking of notes and reading them later. In the essay, I also reviewed the new features in the new ipad such as the iphoto which offers newer photo editing solutions.
In the second essay, I reviewed the state of homelessness in the American society. It is one of the most important social issues in the United States since the number of homeless individuals is very high. Many social agencies and policy making institutions are apprehensive. In the essay, I identify the reasons for this high level of homelessness to be redevelopment projects which end up displacing many people since their homes are demolished to pave way for new developments. Also identified as reasons for the high homelessness is the economic downturn which was experienced in the last few years and left many individuals unemployed and unable to afford housing and natural disasters which destroy many homes and leave people without housing. There are many reasons for homelessness in the United States. The essay also analysed the trends of homelessness in the United States and identified that there is has been a decrease in homelessness over the last three years. The essay also identified the high risks facing homeless people and argued for hr increase of the efforts to end homelessness in the United States by resolving the social issues which are usually behind a rise in the level of homelessness at any particular time.
In the third essay, I described my coming to the United States and my early experiences in the learning of the English Language. I experienced a culture shock since the life in America is very different from the life I was experiencing where I had come from. Learning English was a very a difficult and in this paper, I explore the difficulties I experienced in my attempts to develop my understanding and use of the language. The different living standards in the United States and in my home country were also a factor which I had to go through and in the essay I explain this in detail. In the essay, I also explain how our family was facilitated to move to the United States and how the process was long and exhausting. In the essay, I explain my first days in the United States and how I enrolled to school, the challenges I faced in learning the English language and adapting to the change in the culture and living standards. In the paper, I also explain how I wish to progress in life as an American, my hopes, dreams and aspirations.
Conclusion
The three essays that I have written have enabled me improve my understanding and the use of the English language since they have offered me an opportunity to not only develop new vocabulary, but have also enabled me have a better understanding of the American culture since two of the essays touch on sensitive American cultural aspects of homelessness and technology. By having a deeper understanding of how the lives of ordinary Americans are influenced by such factors, I was able to appreciate the role that social issues have on the American way of life.
Though my level of understanding and the use of English language have improved significantly over the course of learning of the language in the last few months, I appreciate that I have a long way to go to improve my fluency both in writing and speaking the language. This course has assisted me greatly and what I have learned will be instrumental in my progression to college and for further studies after college. I expect that what I have learned will also help me integrate better in the community where I live and that my social interactions will be improved.
References
Apple in Education. Apple Store. Web 21 Oct. 2012
Carlson, Jeff. Meet the Ipad (third Generation). Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press, 2012. Internet resource.
Ipad in Business. Apple Store. Web 21 Oct. 2012 < http://www.apple.com/ipad/business/ipad-at-work/#edit>
Murray, Jeff. Game Development for IOS with Unity3d. CRC press: Taylor & Francis Group. 2013. Print.
New iPad 3 Features, Specs, & Prices. osXdaily. Web 21 Oct. 2012
Pollak Library. Homelessness. 17 November 2012
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Homans, Charles. "Culture Shock." Washington Monthly 41.2 (2009): 26-31. Business Source Complete. Web. 20 Sept. 2012.
