Being a Beginner

 "Me Talk Pretty One Day" made me realize how much being a beginner / in a new environment can affect the way you get treated, or if you will get judged. David Sedaris describes his experience trying to learn French humiliating, but also comedic. His use of humor describes uncomfortable moments, and instead of complaining about the teacher, he hyperbolizes harsh comments and reactions, like how he said that she "stabbed" a student in the eye, when it was just a poke. This makes the story funny, but also reveals how stressful a new environment can be and how being a beginner has a sense of humility and embarrassment to it. Even though the students are trying their absolute best to learn, their mistakes are just a sign of stupidity and being unprepared in the teachers eyes.

While Sedaris struggles with his French, the teacher treats him with incapability and views him as lazy. In reality, he's just new, and this isn't something you can pick up right away, which changes peoples assumptions on Sedaris and the way he speaks. He is viewed as an inconvenience and "annoying". The teacher refers to teaching him is the equivalent of having a "cesarean section everyday". I think this idea still happens today. People often assume someone with an accent, or a beginner in quite anything in life, makes them seem less intelligent, even though language ability has nothing to do with intelligence and more so consistency. 

His story reminds readers that struggling with a concept is normal and mistakes are part of learning. With practice, you can become an expert. 

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