Dear Professor,
For my Literacy Journey Narrative, I had my classmates and instructor in mind as my primary
audience. I tried to write clearly and reflectively so that my readers would see what I learned
about learning English and how I prepared for the proficiency examination in English. I tried to
incorporate personal experiences and details about the barriers I faced and the efforts I made to
progress in my abilities with English through my writing. My primary objective was to show my
readers how acquiring proficiency in English was a significant part of my college goals, and I
hope the readers understand that.
One important lesson I learned while working on this assignment was that learning a language
requires much more than learning vocabulary or grammar. It requires building confidence,
having patience, and being consistent in practice. When I reflected on what I had experienced, I
was amazed by how much technology assisted me in my English acquisition. Duolingo,
YouTube, and movies in English provided immense opportunities for me to practice each day
and to develop my proficiency.
Lastly, this assignment was instrumental in enhancing my understanding of the concepts of
audience, purpose, and rhetorical situation. My purpose was to share my experience in preparing
to take the English test in order to provide insight to my readers regarding how I developed my
English acquisition skills.
Overall, writing this narrative helped me reflect on my progress and appreciate the importance of
persistence in language learning.
Sincerely,
Boris
Boris HIRWA NDENGA
PROFESSOR Franco Colombo Russell
ENG 110 Fresham Composition
LEARNING ENGLISH THROUGH DUOLINGO
It was at midnight when I was scrolling on my phone, watching reels on Instagram and I
got a notification on my phone from the duolingo app reminding me that I had not yet completed
my lesson for the day. The quietness in my room made every word that I mispronounce reflect
back to me and echo in my head. I looked at my phone repeatedly saying “I will go to college
abroad” and it felt like a thousand times. My tongue slipped over the words that I was not used to
and I felt myself losing all the confidence. I was scared not because of the words, but instead of
what they represented. These words would connect me to a new world and new opportunities
that I had dreamed of for many years and at the same time I was worried that I might not get to
them for some reasons.
English has always been challenging. At school, I would always follow the guidelines
and respond to everything but when it came to the speaking part especially speaking to strangers,
I always got really scared. I would always be shy in class because I was scared of sounding bad
or making a mistake in front of my classmates. Now, with college as my goal, I had no other
option other than getting away from what I felt like a comfort zone for me. Every evening I
opened the duolingo app, motivated to study a lesson and study a new word. Sometimes I
advanced quickly, and would get excited by small progresses like forming a sentence correctly.
Other times, I could forget a word or fail a quiz and this reminded me that I was not yet ready.
My parents encouraged me to continue but whenever I could be alone in my room, I could feel
completely alone in my struggle.
Sometimes, I could get frustrated and get overwhelmed. I remember one evening after
three hours of lessons, I could not pronounce “opportunity” correctly. My phone’s microphone
repeatedly rejected my answer. I threw my phone on my bed due to frustration and I almost
cried. I wanted to give up telling myself that I would never be ready to study abroad because my
accent and mistakes made me unworthy but I took time reminding myself of why I was doing
this. Every lesson that I could take, that could be a step forward toward my dream. Slowly, I
picked up the phone again, repeating the word until I finally got it. That small victory felt very
special to me.
Some of the transformative moments came unexpectedly. One day while listening to a
short English story on duolingo, I realized I understood almost every word without pausing. I
read the lines aloud and finally I was feeling natural for the first time, I didn’t feel like a
programmed robot trying to speak a new language. That day I realized that learning English was
not about memorizing words but instead, It was about gaining the confidence to express myself
and to connect with each other.
Along the way, I learned patience and discipline. I created schedules, setting aside two to
three hours every evening for lessons, listening exercises, and speaking practice. I recorded
myself reading aloud, comparing my pronunciation to the app, and correcting mistakes until my
voice grew steadier. Sometimes, I laughed at the awkward sentences I made or the silly mistakes
I couldn’t seem to escape. Other times, I cried quietly, overwhelmed by the weight of preparation
and the pressure to succeed. These moments of struggle and perseverance taught me resilience in
ways textbooks never could.
Duolingo also became more than a learning tool, it became a mirror reflecting my
growth. Each completed lesson, each streak maintained, reminded me that persistence could turn
fear into skill. Slowly, my voice gained clarity; my thoughts, once trapped in my native
language, flowed into English. By the time I began preparing for interviews and essays for my
college abroad, I noticed a quiet confidence in myself. I could formulate arguments, express my
ideas, and even joke in English without hesitation. Language, I realized, was not just a set of
rules, it was rather power, freedom, and connection.
There is a way in which Duolingo has impacted my learning, far beyond just vocabulary or
grammar; it has also instilled in me a sense of discipline, patience and that the importance of
consistent practice and effort leads to progression. Finally, I learned through Duolingo that
growth occurs through many tiny steps, repetitiveness creates progress on the path to achieving
goals.
As I sat on the airplane, going to begin my classes overseas, English no longer
represented just a language to me,it was the path to connect me with people, ideas, and
opportunities that previously seemed far. My little owl friend no longer symbolized pressure and
anxiety,instead it was a faithful companion on my road to independence and self-assurance.
My experience has also revealed to me something farther reaching about language
acquisition in our world today. Language is usually the first and hardest hurdle to overcome for
many people around the world who hope to study or work in another country. However, through
technology and the evolution of how languages are being learned today, many apps, online video
resources, and digital learning tools will help to provide the opportunity for many learners to
have regular practice with a language, regardless of their access to either native speakers or
traditional classroom environments. In addition, as a result of the many tools that technology has
offered, learners have the means to gain confidence and to practice tasks privately or to develop
their skills at their own pace.
As I reflect on my own experience, I can see that there are many language learners who
depend on technology to remove the language barriers that stand between them and educational
opportunities in other countries. Language acquisition is much more than just pronunciation or
grammatical rules, it is about creating accessibility, providing opportunities and creating
connections. The use of technology can make what once seemed impossible possible, one lesson
at a time.
To this day, I can still remember the late hours spent in my bedroom repeating sentences
to myself, correcting mistakes and making progress towards achieving my dream during a time
when it did not seem possible. These small moments of practice gave me the confidence I needed
to take chances on new experiences. With every sound I hear coming from my Duolingo app, I
think of all of the strength and perseverance that has gone into transforming a challenge into an
opportunity for the future.

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