Chaleb Pommells

English Composition 1
Touchstone 1: Narrative Essay
2nd of August 2021

Experiential Learning
I believe in the power travel has on learning. Travel is an important component that
allows students and humans in general to grow through experience. This is so important,
especially is American Culture, due to the rampant ignorance that has plagued this country for
centuries. As a young child my parents, both immigrants, exposed me to a lot of what the world
has to offer. I have taken trips to Taiwan, South Korea, Jamaica, Japan, China, and many other
places. Sure, travel can be done for leisure but visiting foreign places connects you with the local
culture. It connects you in a way that is so unique and so special it’s hard to put to words.
Language, food, the people, these are unique aspects of society that all play a role in your
development professionally and as a student.
Growing up in an immigrant household my parents always reminded me of my heritage
and expose me to it daily. On Wednesdays, my mom would sit on the floor with me in the
kitchen while we prepared tradition dishes like kimchi and bibimbap. I still remember the
pungent smell of the kimchi as we prepared it with rice and occasionally cabbage. My mothers
cooking was a staple in the community and amongst my family. “Baegopayo. Bap mukja,” my
mother would say, which translates to “I’m hungry. Let’s eat.” I say this even now that I’m older
as it reminds me of my younger days.
Fast forward to now, I’m a lot older than when we used to cook together. I still make
Korean food on my own and in that aspect the cuisine connects me to my roots and helps me
learn every single day. I taught my sister and my younger brother how to cook the same way my
mother taught me.
“Ewww, it smells,” said my younger brother, Kingston.
“I hope it doesn’t taste as bad as it smells,” my sister added.
“You’re as dumb as a rock you don’t know what you all are missing out on,” I retorted.
Remembering when my siblings would say this doesn’t make me mad but inspires me
even more to encourage people to be in tune with their culture. Sure, my siblings may remember
the smell, but they also remember how it brought us all closer. Cooking is also how we picked up
on Korean. The closer we got to my mother and learned about our heritage the more we learned.
We learned a new language, how to prepare Korean cuisine, the history of said cuisine and so
much more.
 “Thanks for teaching us how to cook when we were younger,” my sister said to my
mother.
“No child of mine will ever forget where they come from,” my mother replied.
Despite immigrating to the U.S and learning about Western culture my mother continues
to learn more and more every day. Moving to the U.S taught her how to speak English, how to
drive, and much more. This is just something that I will never forget and that I share with the
people I meet. Through it all the experiences of being immersed in my culture taught me so
many skills that I use to this day. Therefore, I believe traveling plays an impact of how students
and people in general learn generally and more so about their culture.
1) Which narrative techniques did you use to bring your story to life? (2-3 sentences)
Sophia says: Did you use vivid description, sensory details, and/or dialogue to engage
readers? Provide two examples from your essay in which you “show” readers rather than
“tell” them. EXAMPLE: A sentence such as "I glanced at the clock, grabbed my briefcase,
and sprinted for the elevator" uses more descriptive language than simply saying, "I was
running late for the meeting."

A key reason I particularly enjoy narrative writing is the ability to put a story in a form that
allows readers to experience what I the author felt, smelled, and tasted. In this story I used
sensory details to drive home points in the story. As an example, I used sensory details to
highlight and add humor to the story but to also drive home my point about experiential learning.
“Ewww, it smells,” said my younger brother, Kingston.
“I hope it doesn’t taste as bad as it smells,” my sister added.
I also used figurative language to highlight the recollection of my memories and what I said:
“You’re as dumb as a rock you don’t know what you all are missing out on,” I retorted.

2) How did your purpose and audience shape the way in which you wrote your narrative?
(3-4 sentences) Sophia says: Your hypothetical audience extends beyond the people who
will evaluate your narrative. Which individuals or groups were you addressing when you
wrote your narrative, and how did consideration of your audience and your purpose
influence the way in which you wrote it?

I wrote my narrative to appeal to the average reader. I find that when you’re writing a narrative
especially on a broad topic like the one, I covered you have to be able to reach your audience
regardless of their reading level or preexisting knowledge. You’ll see my word choice was very
informal and was focused on setting a very casual and relatable tone.

3) Provide a concrete example from your narrative that shows how you have written
specifically for this audience and purpose. (3-5 sentences) Sophia says: Consider including
a quotation from your essay and explaining how it was written to appeal to your audience,
and to accomplish your purpose. Alternatively, you might describe a theme, tone, or
narrative technique that you used and explain how it was intended to appeal to your
audience and achieve your purpose.
I utilized specific diction in this narrative piece heavily. Word choice in narrative writing is very
important especially when you are writing for a broad audience. You’ll see I included informal
language such as “dumb as a rock” in my narrative to really have the readers relate to the
situation since many have siblings, etc. The purpose of this piece was to really show readers how
to connect with their culture through numerous mediums but from my point of view.