Poor at English, I wrote 'I angry with you' in my job acceptance letter

I was born in an ethnic family, started learning Vietnamese at the age of 12 and later picked up English at a language center. My work experience included two years at a Vietnamese company and nine years at a foreign company. From this, I learned an important lesson: while foreign language skills might not be essential in domestic companies, they are crucial when working for a foreign company.

This realization reminded me of my days when I didn't yet know Vietnamese. I managed to attend school but my studies were primarily focused on natural sciences, as language barriers hindered my understanding of other subjects.

In 2015, I interviewed for a position at a foreign company where English was the primary working language. The job required strong English skills, which I admittedly lacked at the time. Despite this, I decided to go ahead with the interview.

I was interviewed by an Indian boss. I struggled to understand him, and when I tried to respond, he couldn't grasp what I was saying. Eventually, he had to bring in an intepreter so we could communicate. I was certain I had failed the interview, but to my surprise, I was offered the job.

However, the real embarrassment came when I sent the job acceptance letter. In trying to confirm my agreement on the salary and bonus terms, I made a serious mistake. Instead of writing, "I agree with you," I wrote, "I angry with you."

The Indian interviewer, puzzled by this unexpected message, wondered if there had been a misunderstanding during the interview. He called the translator to clarify, asking if something had been mistranslated. The translator read my letter and burst into laughter, explaining, "He meant to say 'I agree with you,' but wrote 'I angry with you' instead."

Once I started the job, I realized how fortunate I was to have been hired. Everyone around me spoke fluent English, and I was given special treatment only because my interviewer was interested in learning Vietnamese.

*The personal essay was translated from Vietnamese.