Meet Christian from Cameroon
Christian Tagne Teukam arrived in New York with hopes of becoming a doctor. He is interviewed by his fellow student and friend Youngjoo Cho.
Where are you from and how long have you been in New York City?
I am from the mountainous region of Western Cameroon, a very beautiful country in Central Africa. I am part of the Bamileke ethnic group and the native language that I speak with my family is Gohmala. In public we speak French. My province is the breadbasket of Africa and my family has a farm, like most other people in that region. I came to New York 4 months ago
What made you come to NYC?
The reason that I came here is to achieve my goals. I would like to have a career in medicine or public health - two very important issues for my country.
What is your goal concerning English studies?
Because this country is Anglophone, I need to improve my English to be able to attend a university here.
Why did you choose to study ESL at the IELI?
I have a lot of American friends and they all talked to me about Hunter College as the best place to learn English when I asked their advice for a good school. I also learned a lot on the IELI website.
Are you learning a lot at the IELI?
Yes, sure! My country is bilingual (French and English), but before I came here I wasn't really good in English. Now I can see a big difference since the time I arrived, and my friends all see it too. Classes at Hunter are very well taught and are interesting and fun. Also, I have made many friends in my classes.
What is the difference between the educational system of your
country, Cameroon, and America?
That is one of the best things that I have discovered here. Our educational system is not bad, but here students have many more opportunities to participate in class and the way the teachers give lessons are much better, more interactive.
Have you made many friends from other countries?
Yes, there are students from everywhere studying at the IELI, and there is a good friendship between all of us. Now I can write my name in Korean and say a few words in different languages. I have a lot of friends from Colombia, Thailand, Italy, Russia, Senegal, Gabon...
What do you usually do in your free time?
I use my free time to visit the innumerable beautiful things in this city and the country. I also really like reading, dancing and listening to music. I was one of the leaders of the folk dance and music club of my university in Cameroon, and we won trophies in the last two universities competitions.
What are your plans for the future?
I would like to attend to my goals. Maybe someday get into a medical school and work in the healthcare field. I think we really need more doctors in Africa ... more than anything else.
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