Problem:
Jorge Azar had immigrated with his parents to the United States from the Dominican Republic when he was eleven years old. Although Jorge had become fluent in English, he still spoke with an accent. Jorge had never felt self-conscious about it before. He'd lived most of his life in America in New York City, surrounded by dozens of different accents.
Now, though, Jorge had relocated with his wife out of New York. He'd enrolled in college to earn his degree in software engineering, and sitting in a classroom in which he was the only Hispanic, Jorge suddenly felt nervous to open his mouth. He was sure that no matter what he said, his fellow classmates would disregard it because of his accent. Despite graduating high school at the top of his class, Jorge was struck dumb at the idea of answering the questions his instructors asked.
One day, Jorge couldn't avoid the problem anymore. In one of his programming classes, his instructor called on him by name to explain a technical term. Jorge knew what the term meant and how to explain it... but he was afraid that as soon as he spoke, he'd be laughed at. As the moments ticked by and the class waited for Jorge's response, he started to wonder why he'd enrolled in college in the first place.
Can you identify with Jorge's situation? Are there aspects of yourself that you feel self-conscious about?
What assumptions does Jorge fear his classmates will make?
What assumptions about his classmates is Jorge making?
What advice would you give Jorge to help him feel more comfortable not just speaking in class, but also in college in general? Need Assignment Help?
Have you ever judged someone based not on what was said, but how it was said? What did you learn from this incident and how could you avoid it in the future?