Have you ever felt like nobody understands you? Maybe, your ideas were too risky and unusual, or you simply didn't speak the language your listeners could understand. Even though different cultures have sayings like "those who say don't know, those who know don't say," language is an essential part of our lives. Without being able to express our thoughts and feelings in one way or another we are completely lost in this world. Learning to communicate with others is just like walking; it's hard, but it's an essential part of becoming a complete member of the society.
             A lot of people have to go through the process of learning a second tongue at least once in their life. I came to the United States almost four years ago. At first I felt like I suddenly became deaf and mute; I could neither understand people surrounding me nor communicate my thoughts so that those around me would be able to comprehend them. There was nobody I could turn to and bilingual education programs were not available in my school. I managed to learn by reading the textbooks and trying to study without a teacher's help. I spent thrice as much time doing homework than the average student in high school would; Russian-English-Russian dictionary became my permanent companion. All this work did pay off, though. Eventually, my English got better, so now I am fluent in two languages.
             I am extremely proud of being Russian. Even though I live in a different country now, the thought of denying my heritage has never crossed my mind. Never have I though of not speaking English either. Refusing to speak another language doesn't hurt anyone but you. You are the one who is missing out on all the wonderful things being bilingual gives you the opportunity to experience. People should be encouraged to learn another language and those around them should do as much as possible to help. I believe that being multilingual offers great r...