Improve Your English: English in Everyday Life

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slide into that accent without even being conscious of it, 
when I’m speaking to somebody from those areas.
3. SPEAKING SPANISH 
STUDENT:
Um, I’m fl uent in Spanish ’cause I was in the 
dual-language program when I was really little, like 
around six, so I remember in fi rst grade, uh, my school 
taught me Spanish. And, um, I’m still in it now. I’m in 
a lot of 
AP
classes, which are college courses in high 
school. And then, um, I kind of grew up at Gallaudet and, 
um, I know some sign language. I’d really, really like to 
learn more though, but I-I have an OK vocabulary.
INTERVIEWER:_Do_you_have_much_occasion_to_use_your_Spanish_STUDENT'>INTERVIEWER:
Do you have much occasion to use your 
Spanish?
STUDENT:
Um, I have more than I would like to, um. My 
parents, every time we go to a restaurant or we just see 
anyone who’s Hispanic, they make me talk to them and 
sometimes, I don’t know, if I were in a foreign country, 
I don’t think I would like someone going, “Oh, I speak 
English, talk to me!” You know? So, I feel like it’s kind 
of mean. But they make me talk to people in Spanish all 
the time. Sometimes they like it, though, sometimes they 
like it because they can relate and it’s nice to hear your 
own language. Sometimes maybe they’re annoyed by it. 
I would be.
INTERVIEWER:
Have you had a chance to go to Spanish-
speaking countries and use it?
STUDENT:
Yeah, in sixth grade I went to Spain for two 
weeks with my mom and my grandma and, uh, we trav-
eled all around from Madrid to Barcelona to Sevilla and, 

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