Language is the way we make connections with our surroundings. At home, we are comfortable with the languages we speak. It’s the anchor that keeps us going. Imagining the possibility of being somewhere else, completely alone and not knowing how to speak the language everyone else is speaking makes moving forward difficult. Language barriers are an issue especially when it comes to education, social life and finding your place in the world.
I collected a few responses on how students have found it difficult to cross such barriers but have overcome these challenges. The first two people I interviewed were my classmates and both have been here for 3 years. As students who didn’t know much English initially, they both struggled in the beginning quite a lot. Being far away from where you speak your language daily and adapting quickly to the culture, education and students can be uncomfortable. This made it difficult for them in the beginning to build a social network. Both students were able to find their place through the diverse communities present in our school. Such communities helped people who are joining the school bond with others who share the same culture.
They would often feel completely alone even in a classroom full of other students, because being alone is also feeling lost when everyone else knows what to do. English Language Service ( ELS) teachers were the biggest support for such students. Every subject requires the basic skill set of knowing English. It is the way we converse and having difficulty with this skill completely shuts off any communication with everyone: whether it was asking for help, having a normal conversation with friends, or even standing up for themselves.
Throughout this time what helped one of them was participating in sports. Practicing football and playing in the team alongside some of our peers helped my classmate to build connections which can’t be formed in a classroom. I was a part of the football team and learning about my classmate helped me form a better friendship with her. I heard that she enjoyed reading and this made me visit her room and talk about books which helped form a bond. These relationships aren’t able to be fostered in classrooms because this comfortable communication is hard to create. Being in a secluded environment with lesser people helps to start a conversation. Being a new student made her distant to her peers. Joining this sport helped her build connections with everyone.
My other classmate found solace through shared dinners. She would bring food from her homeland and everybody would join in my bringing food from their culture and trying new things. This helped build this community of sharing food that brought people together and learned about each other’s cultures.
There were ups and downs for both of them. Struggles with managing a balance between friends and studies, feeling isolated when people spoke about things they didn’t understand and feeling completely alone. Throughout these 3 years both of them have developed their skillset and overcome that barrier. Although there are still times where not every word is understood, constant perseverance and effort has kept them going.
Next, I interviewed my classmates who joined this year. They didn’t struggle with a language barrier but had difficulty with accents. I interviewed them to get a newer and fresher perspective about language barrier. One newcomer said that coming here, so far from home, was not easy. One of the main reasons for this is because everything she had built, all her friendships and memories, were left behind for new ones. She was so used to speaking daily in her native language that even knowing English and speaking it every day felt unusual. A breakthrough for her was trying new things, drawing in her sketchbook and listening to music.
The other newcomer spoke English fluently, but her accent was different while speaking, which made others question where she’s from. This made her feel uncomfortable and confused. To cope with this she made her opinion stand out and used playing volleyball as a distraction. This not only helped her form friendships but also helped her earn respect and make her voice stand out, which helped her throughout this year.
Both my classmates’ education is impacted by the new language phases like French, Spanish and Hindi which are difficult to adapt to. Personally I have been in this school since sixth grade and over the years people from all parts of the world have joined my classes. I have noticed the difficulties they face especially in education and learned that just because people have language barriers doesn’t make them less valuable than anyone else. And it’s important to understand we are a community that relies on one another to grow.
Written by Vaari A, Staff-Writer at The Woodstocker
Edited by Arjuna T and Tisya K, Chief-Editors at The Woodstocker
