Suddenly Passed With Flying Colors

(My family immigrates to the US and I attend ESOL classes in the local school. Many of the other ESOL students are refugees from poorer countries than the US or my birth country, so they are going through major culture shock as well as learning English. One particular student struggles with very simple concepts, such as colors. No one understands why he can’t progress, especially since he studies so hard. One day, I come into class and he is wearing glasses.)

Me: “Oh, you have glasses? You need glasses?”

Student: “Yes, the teacher give to me these glasses!”

Me: “You could not see before?”

Student: “No, I could not. The teacher, she give to me these glasses, and now I see the colors!”

Me: “See the colors?”

Student: “Yes, I am what is called colorblind!”

(It turns out, there are many countries that, for various reasons, do not recognize or test for colorblindness. He steadily improved and caught up with the rest of us. A friend of mine whose younger sister is still going to that school told me the ESOL administration now regularly tests for colorblindness and other learning barriers in the ESOL students to help them integrate and learn English better.)