During her first couple months in school, she makes an effort to make new friends with a group of girls by claiming that it’s fun to live in trees. When a girl from the group says that living in trees is a pain in the neck, Loung confronts the girl. She yells at Khmer, “‘I am sick of trying to understand! I’m tired of you making fun of me in your foreign language! I hate that you think you’re smarter than me!’” (84). Unable to properly communicate her thoughts, Loung thinks the girl is embarrassing her because she fails to understand that “pain in the neck” is an idiom. English slang can be hard to learn, especially for foreigners. Loung’s actions show that English poses a barrier to her life in America. However, after gaining a couple of years of experience, Loung finally learns how to effectively communicate in English. During her English class, she receives an A+++ on her essay paper. Her teacher says, “‘The assignment was to write about an important event that changed your life. And your paper about growing up in Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge coming into your city was great’” (175). Loung now better understands English and can express her ideas and
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