Celina, 7, is in first grade and attends North Elementary School in Morgantown, WV. She did not speak English until she moved to the United States three months ago from Xi’an, China with her mother and father.

Zhinkun Liu, Celina’s father, is a visiting professor and is doing research for the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University. Zhinkun applied to different research jobs around the United States and received a job from WVU. In China, Zhinkun teaches petroleum drilling and his wife, Li Yang is a nail artist.

Celina has received help to learn how to speak English from many people including her teachers, and her tutor. Celina has ESL (English Second Language) class Tuesday through Thursday with other students who are learning to speak English. ESL has helped Celina learn how to form sentences and adjust to living in America by learning important phrases such as asking how to use the restroom.

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Celina and her friend NiNi Jiao, 5, jump off the bed at a playdate at Celina’s home on Dec. 4, 2014. Celina and NiNi’s families know each other from their home in Xi’an, China. Their families often get together to hang out and have dinner.

She participates in the afterschool program run by the Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club at North Elementary. When she gets back from the program her English tutor, Joann Meltzer, comes to teach her Tuesday through Friday. Her tutor has helped her tremendously in forming sentences, learning vocabulary words, pronouns, and grammar. Joann plays songs like Head Shoulders Knees And Toes and shows interactive videos on her phone, which are fun and helpful for Celina.

At first, it was very hard for their family to adjust to the American lifestyle, but as time progressed they have become more accustomed to living in the United States. Celina’s parents were worried for her to go to school at first because of her inability to communicate her needs, such as being hungry or having to go to the bathroom. Celina however, was not worried.

If she does not know something she does not hesitate to ask. Celina tries her best to speak English and is not scared of answering something incorrectly. She enjoys learning and is very curious. As well, she is the first one to tell another student that they are doing something wrong such as talking when they shouldn’t be. Celina has been interacting with more students each day. She loves to compliment people and is a very sweet girl.

Learning English is exciting for Celina, because she wants to be able to communicate with others. It was not easy for her to communicate in school and know what was going on at first, but after help from many people she has learned communication skills and is continuing to learn everyday in many different subjects. Celina is very intelligent and she is particularly good at math.

Overall, it has been a great experience for the family and they all look forward to experiencing life in the United States and American culture before they return home to China in June.

Link to published story: Monongalia County Schools