Agency can be the difference between gaining nothing despite all the requisite learning supports vs actual learning

I was born and raised a second generation Dominican American. That meant the language of my family was – and still is for my extended family – exclusively Spanish. In middle school I was required to pick a foreign language from either French or Spanish. As a firm believer of static intelligence at the time, I took the easy route and stuck with Spanish from 6th grade to senior year of high school.

Despite 7 years of formal education and a lifetime of authentic language opportunities my current Spanish proficiency is abysmal. Conversely I only started learning Japanese about 7 years ago and in terms of globally recognized proficiency levels, I am an N2 – or the second to highest level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT); I am taking the N1 this December.

The key difference for me as a learner is the critical agency that was offered to me in choosing to learn Japanese in undergrad vs my lifetime of Spanish. Learning Japanese was not bound to the classroom. Once given the tools to approach it by my introductory Japanese teachers, I was able to take learning into my own hands and shape the language to suit my own goals. I was able to challenge people’s perceptions of what a Japanese speaker looks like. It inspired me to go into education and give students the choice I wish I had when I was in middle school.

By doing this, he challenged stereotypes about the behavior of urban male Black youths and made progress toward his vision of the future as a mechanical engineer who would change the world into a more energy-efficient place.