When I was first matched with Mini and we had set a time and place for our first lesson, she had to ask her husband to call and change the date. When the rescheduled date approached, Mini herself called to say she couldn’t make it that day either. I was glad she called herself, but she was very nervous and apologetic, and used very simple construction. When she said “I can’t meet you,” I had to ask, “You CAN or you canNOT?” because she wasn’t enunciating the final /t/ sound. After six months of intermittent lessons (she has to cancel now and then because of her kids’ schedules or illnesses) she now calls me with much more confidence and much better English–and she always stresses the /t/ sound at the end of “can’t” very clearly!

She has also told me with pride that when she takes her kids to the pediatrician, she is able to do without translation help. She was recently complimented by the nurse, who told her “You are speaking much better English now.” Mini was very pleased to tell me this, and I consider it a big success, along with her increased confidence when talking to me on the telephone.
 
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