Intro

The person I would like to interview is Will Churchill. I met Will this year at JMU during FROG week and he currently lives in the same building as me. Will has an easy personality for an interview and always talks about his past. Will has already agreed to doing this interview.

 

Brief Biography

William Peter Churchill was born in Viersen, Germany on a British Army Base. He returned to England about 6 weeks after being born. Throughout his childhood, he moved around because of his father’s involvement in the military. Will lived in multiple cities in England (mainly London and Oxfordhsire), 3 cities in Germany, and Nicosia, Cyprus. Will and his family came to the U.S in 2012 when he was 14. He completed high school in Washington D.C. at an international private school. Will currently attends James Madison University as a freshman.

 

Preliminary Research

Early British settlers came to the U.S to find wealth or religious freedom. Through recent years, British citizens leave their home country for various reasons. These mainly include work and education.  Fortunately, many U.S. employers are prepared to jump through expensive hoops to secure the services of talented foreigners and the British are particularly appealing because they’re already fluent in English. As for education, the British government lifted the cap on tuition fees, students increasingly struggle to find a reason to confine their course search to the U.K. Now, more than ever, Brits are looking to sign on with foreign universities, including ones in America. In 2011, almost 9,200 students attended universities in the U.S.

 

 

LC: Why did you and your family come to the United States?

 

WC: My dad’s job…He was involved in the military so I had to move around quite a lot as a child.

 

LC: Where else in the world have you lived?

 

WC: I’ve lived in multiple cities in England, mainly London and Oxfordhsire. I’ve also lived in 3 different cities in Germany, but there I attended English boarding schools so i wasn’t really out of my domain. One year in Nicosia, Cyprus (an island in between Egypt and Turkey for those who aren’t aware of the location), and obviously now in the United States.

 

LC: Can you describe the process of coming to the United States?

 

WC: Travel was easy since it was only a few years ago, so we just hopped on a plane. We did have to stay in a hotel for a few weeks while work was being finished in our house to be.

 

LC: Was it difficult meeting new people and making new friends?

 

WC: This honestly wasn’t really an issue for me. It’s actually harder to keep my old friends from England because I don’t relate to them as much and they don’t relate to me as much. I remember talking to them and asking what they are doing for Thanksgiving and all of them just didn’t know how to respond.

 

LC: Even though it’s still English, do you face any language barriers in the U.S. If so, please describe how.

 

WC: Yes. All the time. People just don’t understand the words I’m saying occasionally, so I have to translate and sometimes they have to do the same for me if I don’t know a word or two. As of now I know most slang words that my friends, roommates and suite mates use, but there is still much to learn.

 

LC: What are some cultural differences between here and your hometown in England?

 

WC: Everyone here is a lot louder, but actually tend to swear less. Americans also are a bit more polite in public. For example on the train systems in the U.S. it is not frowned upon to strike a conversation with someone you have never met opposed to in England where everyone just kind of minds their own business.

 

LC: What U.S. habits have you picked up since being here?

 

WC: Speaking wise, I say “bro and dude” more often than I would back in England. I also like watching American sports we don’t have. Since I live in D.C., I went to my first ever basketball game and watched the Wizards play and thought it was a cool sport to watch and pick up on.

 

LC: What English habits have you held on to since leaving?

 

WC: Drinking tea is definitely one thing I still do frequently (laughs). I also wear my socks a different way, because instead of pulling up my socks I keep them bunched up near my ankles.

 

LC: Has being in the U.S. changed you overall as a person?

 

WC: Yes of course. I had to definitely grow up faster and deal with it. I honestly wasn’t happy being here at first, but I couldn’t leave because of my dad. None of us really wanted to leave but we all grew as individuals from the experience. It also made me more cultured because I have experience living in so many different countries that I think no matter where I go I could adjust to any circumstances.

 

LC: Okay, that’s pretty much it. Thanks for your time.

 

WC: Yeah of course, no problem.