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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Rasti Ali discovered a passion for the English language but because he had no one to practice with, he started talking to the cattle he takes care of in order to improve his speaking skills.
The 20-year-old dropped out of school in the seventh grade to take care of his cattle in Omer Gumbed village, east of Erbil. In order to fill up his free time, he decided to learn English.
He began taking online courses and practicing new words by speaking with his cows.
"My area was empty and there was no one to practice my English language with. I used my cows to speak to them and I named them," Rasti told Rudaw.
Ali says his solution proved to be fruitful as he can now easily read, write, and communicate in English.
After learning certain English words, he started making friends online from English-speaking countries to familiarize himself with the different accents.
Ali finds Joe Smouse in the beginning of 2022 in the United States and they become close friends, inviting the American man to the Kurdistan Region to meet in person and introduce him to the Kurdish culture and history.
"In the summer of 2022, I had the opportunity to visit Kurdistan, Iraq. And I went to see my friend, Rasti, whom I stayed with his family for a while," Smouse told Rudaw via skype.
The 20-year-old dropped out of school in the seventh grade to take care of his cattle in Omer Gumbed village, east of Erbil. In order to fill up his free time, he decided to learn English.
He began taking online courses and practicing new words by speaking with his cows.
"My area was empty and there was no one to practice my English language with. I used my cows to speak to them and I named them," Rasti told Rudaw.
Ali says his solution proved to be fruitful as he can now easily read, write, and communicate in English.
After learning certain English words, he started making friends online from English-speaking countries to familiarize himself with the different accents.
Ali finds Joe Smouse in the beginning of 2022 in the United States and they become close friends, inviting the American man to the Kurdistan Region to meet in person and introduce him to the Kurdish culture and history.
"In the summer of 2022, I had the opportunity to visit Kurdistan, Iraq. And I went to see my friend, Rasti, whom I stayed with his family for a while," Smouse told Rudaw via skype.
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