Immigrant Students Dream of Helping People

Immigrant¹ Students Dream of Helping² People

VOA Learning³ English talked with two students in the Nurse Aide training program at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter⁴ School.

Hasna Marmoucha is from Casablanca, Morocco. She moved to the U.S. with her husband eight years ago. She was surprised to see poor people on the street in the U.S.

"When I was in my country, we used to watch movies – American movies. When I came here, I didn’t accept [that] I will see homeless… here."

Marmoucha found it hard to communicate with people in America because had not studied English in Morocco.

"I was feeling, like, shy, when I was on the street. If someone asked me a question, how am I going to answer? But then, I met a friend, and she taught me about Carlos Rosario, that it's free school, and they teach English from basic to high level. And then, I register⁵ in Carlos Rosario, and I start by level 1, and it was so nice."

Josephine Major is from Yaoundé, Cameroon. She came to the U.S. in November of 2014. She was shy when she first came to the U.S.

She was frustrated⁶ because everyone talked fast.

"I discovered everybody moved faster, speak very fast, and I felt a little bit frustrated. And then when I started coming to school, I learned⁸ how to express myself. And then I learned a little about American culture."

Major said she is learning along with her daughters.

"I’m here with my husband, we have two kids, actually, two girls, 10 and 5. My first daughter - she is in fifth grade - and she just got the principal’s award, and I am so happy…"

"I help her with her homework, mathematics, and English, so I can learn the new words, and she learns also the new words from me, with my new class, nursing. So we help each other..."

From her teenage years, Major dreamed of being a nurse.

"I learned nursing - that was my dream when I was little - a teenager. I think here in the U.S. I have a good opportunity to realize my dream. I like to help, I like to share what I know with people. So I think in that field I will be comfortable - with the way I like to behave - I will feel comfortable in this field."

Hasna Marmoucha also feels that nursing will be a good match for her personality.

"I said, ‘Ok, I love to help people, and when you do something for people, and they say thank you, you feel so happy.’ Why I don't do this job? I can be with a lot of people, meet people every day, help them… And then, Carlos Rosario, it's offered free! And then I started, and I started to be loving it, day by day. When we read the book, when we heard stories from our teacher, when we still like, there is a lot of things that are interesting in the job. And we're gonna be close with people. More, than sometimes, like with older people in nursing home. You're gonna be their family! You know, they will love you! And, love them. You're gonna love them too. (laughs) I feel happy when I help someone."

Both Marmoucha and Major have a large number of new words to learn. Marmoucha is glad that an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher is in her program.

"In this job, there is a lot of medical terminology⁹. And it's hard to understand it, and it's hard to pronounce it, too. But thanks God, we have two teachers, in this program. We have one for English: she helps us in pronunciation, and another one for CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) class. Yeah, we are learning. Every day, we learn a lot of words, terminology, medical terminology, that's nice."

In the spring semester¹⁰, the Nurse Aide students do internships at a local hospital.

Words in This Story

shy – adj. feeling nervous and uncomfortable about meeting and talking to people

frustrate⁷ -– v. to cause (someone) to feel angry, discouraged, or upset because of not being able to do something

opportunity – n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done

comfortable – adj. feeling relaxed and happy: not worried or troubled

match – n. two people or things that are suited to each other

personality– n. the set of emotional¹² qualities, ways of behaving, etc., that makes a person different from other people

terminology – n. the special words or phrases that are used in a particular field

internship¹¹ – n. a sometimes unpaid temporary job held by a student or recent graduate in order to get experience

1 immigrant   

adj.(从国外)移来的，移民的；n.移民，侨民

参考例句：

• Life in the USA was very hard for almost every new immigrant.美国的生活几乎对每一个新移民都很艰难。
• I'd like to obtain some information about applying for an immigrant visa.我想取一些申请移民签证的资料。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

4 charter   

n.特许状，执照，宪章；v.特许，发给特许执照

参考例句：

• This new law amounts to a tax evader's charter.这项新法律简直成了为逃税者开的许可证。
• We will charter a steamer to convey the goods.我们将租一艘船运送这批货物。

5 register   

n.登记簿，花名册，注册员；v.登记，注册

参考例句：

• Please list your name in the attendance register.请在点名册上登记你的名字。
• He was looking over a hotel register.他正在仔细检查旅馆住宿登记表。

6 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 frustrate   

v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦

参考例句：

• But this didn't frustrate Einstein.He was content to go as far as he could.但这并没有使爱因斯坦灰心，他对能够更深入地研究而感到满意。
• They made their preparations to frustrate the conspiracy.他们作好准备挫败这个阴谋。

8 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

9 terminology   

n.术语；专有名词

参考例句：

• He particularly criticized the terminology in the document.他特别批评了文件中使用的术语。
• The article uses rather specialized musical terminology.这篇文章用了相当专业的音乐术语。

10 semester   

n.一学期，半学年，六个月的时间

参考例句：

• A student will probably attend four or five courses during each semester.每个学生一学期可能要修四五门课程。
• I had an especially rough time during my first semester.我第一个学期的日子难受极了。

11 internship   

n.实习医师，实习医师期

参考例句：

• an internship at a television station 在电视台的实习期
• a summer internship with a small stipend 薪水微薄的暑期实习

12 emotional   

adj.令人动情的；易动感情的；感情(上)的

参考例句：

• Emotional people don't stop to calculate.感情容易冲动的人做事往往不加考虑。
• This is an emotional scene in the play.这是剧中动人的一幕。