How Learning To Write In English Is Better Than Writing In Arabic For Me

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How Learning to Write In English Is Better Than Writing in Arabic for Me
Writing is often compared to the time when a child is learning how to walk or when someone is learning how to ride a bicycle. For a child, there will be several falls and missteps which will lead to injury and others which will be subtle. When it comes to bicycle riding, one also falls a few times before they can ride alone or without being supported. Writing is the same as the activities above, and for me, it is a lot different than for others. People take pride in their first language, and others often opt to use it to express themselves, to write essays and books, etc. As children are growing, they yearn to learn how to speak, and the language they end up using is often dependent on the environment they are supposed to. As people grow and develop in various aspects, they also realize that there are other languages which one can use to express themselves. My story coincides with the above statement because while I learnt how to speak and to express myself in Arabic, I soon came to realize that I like reading and expressing myself in English. While at school, my friends could not understand why I chose English and often told me English is solely for the Western countries. However, I still pursued my dream to write better and to grow my English vocabulary. While ambling down the nostalgic path of my childhood, I seek to elucidate further on why I have evolved and become better in writing in English than my native language Arabic.
First of all, I would like to state that I was a rebel as a child and therefore, sought to do that which everyone opted to avoid. I wanted to standout and to among the people who are considered ‘firsts’ in some things. I was driven, and most of the time I found myself on the wrong side of the rules. However, this drive soon directed me towards English, and I took an interest in this language. As a curious young child, I always wanted to know what the actors were saying in the American movies, and this drove me to the library where I immersed myself in storybooks. The storybooks I used to read had big pictures, and I always enjoyed reading these. I was fascinated by the stories, and I even taught myself some of the names of American cities I used to read. The pictures seemed interesting, and why lie, they are the ones that caught my eyes first and then the captions. Unknowingly, I was cultivating a reading habit that would later help me develop into a better writer. I was laying a foundation for something bigger, and soon, it started to manifest in school. While everyone was enjoying writing in Arabic, I was enjoying writing in English, and fellow children in school took notice. Teachers also took note of my writing habits, but it was never raised as a problem.
One of the most memorable negative comments which I often got from my friends was that English is of no use to Kuwaiti citizens. My friends believed it was a waste of time to learn English. In Kuwait, as it is in every Middle East country apart from Israel, there are many stereotypes about the Western countries. Therefore, even learning ‘their’ language was not entertained or encouraged. However, in spite of the negative talk, I was never discouraged or dissuaded from my pursuit of learning and developing as a better writer in English. I had purposed to continue learning and reading my storybooks and slowly, English took precedence over Arabic when it comes to writing.
Developing as a writer in any language is not an easy feat. It often calls for a lot of practice and reading. For me, reading was not a problem, and after reading my storybooks, I soon began to write long essays alone. Apparently, I had grown confident in my writing to the point where I could start, write, and complete a full essay regardless of length. My confidence in expressing myself in English grew, but sadly it was the opposite for Arabic. While everyone was comfortable with using Arabic in their writing, I always used English, and this is because I found it less demanding especially when I was expressing my ideas. It was never easy for me when I tried to explain concepts or even get into a conversation, for example, regarding global warming while using Arabic. I found it difficult to be objective and even to make a point. However, English with its many clauses made things...