Character-Forming Event, Process or Pattern

Immigrant Stories, Immigrant Lives

An experience that is character-forming is one which has a great impact on your sense of self. It is an event or a series of events which lead to a change in one’s life — it may be a traumatic change or a joyous transformation; in either case, it marks an experience that contributes to shaping the person you are, and how you see yourself.

Further, when you tell the story of this character-forming event or process, the telling of the story, the way you tell it, how it feels to tell it, all are significant evidence of the power and importance of the life pattern or experience.

Finally, when you tell the story in a new language, the audience reaction, the level of confidence you have in your ability to communicate the main message of the story, plays a major role in an elevated sense of self in the second language learner.

(1) You will meditate on your story for two weeks — think about it intentionally, deliberately. This deliberate imaging may include telling it out loud to friends and/or family — this may be done in your first language, but you must practice this story in English;

(2) You will tell your story in front of the class;

(3) When someone is telling their story, every class member must listen carefully, must take notes, and be prepared to give feedback;

(4) The audience — your classmates — will retell what they have heard. They will give a collective account of what they thought your story was about, what its main points were, and what it means;

(5) Each story–teller will listen to the class rendition of the story very carefully, and take full notes;

(6) After the above process is complete, each class member will write their story;

(7) The written story will be subject to collective editing for grammar and clarity;

(8) For those who want their story public, we will submit them to the editorial board of Love In Action newspaper.