The Underlying Language
Introduction
Different countries have
different languages, some unique to their own countries. Often we assume that
it’s the language that’s hard to understand, but in reality the hardest part is
the language that’s not expressed by words. Some countries share the same
language but their cultures are fundamentally different which makes
communication somewhat difficult even though language is a mutual factor. Sometimes knowing the language is is different from using it.
In this research I will be looking for issues
faced by International Students in United States related to language
barriers and social difficulties caused by cultural differences.
Background
On my first day in United
States I was walking down to the Row Hall to meet my International Advisor. On
the way I came across this person who was walking towards me. As he was walking
past me, he looked at me and said “Hey, how you doing?” I stopped to answer his
question but surprisingly he walked away from me continuing his path as if he
didn’t expect an answer from me. This shocked me, at first I thought he must be
insane, but he didn’t look like it. From where I come from, when a person asks
“How are you?” it is a genuine question and we expect a genuine answer. It is a
question that signifies the caring one has for the other, but in America it’s
just a phrase similar to saying “hello”. When I’m having a serious conversation
with someone, if that person asks me “How are you?” it makes me wonder what
kind of an answer that person expects. In Sri Lanka, we often use English to
greet people. A person would say “Good Morning” or “Good Afternoon” to greet
someone she/he meets on the way. It is a short greeting and no long answer is
expected, simply put it’s just like saying “Hello”. Then again, saying “Hey,
how you doing?” and walking away would make no sense to both the parties
because it’s not a greeting, it’s a question a Sri Lankan would only ask from a
person whom she/he has an interest in that persons well being.
This was my first encounter in United States and
was definitely not the last. At first I thought knowing the language would be
sufficient to communicate with someone but apparently its not the case. Its
interesting to know what kind of barriers are faced by internationals in their
day to day life.
My presearching on this topic was mostly within
peer reviewed articles. I also looked into personal experiences by
International Students themselves.
Significance
Its important that the
community understands the difficulties of adapting to a complete different
culture and living as a part of it. The challenges vary to a student
to another but it will be something similar for an American studying in another
country. Understanding these barriers will help the students to communicate and
understand each other. My research will give a brief understanding and a view
on what to expect when living in a different culture and how to overcome the difficulties.
Methodology
I have been searching for
scholarly articles and journals to find information on this topic.
Presearching stage was successful as I found some interesting
articles and pages. They are written by Professors and Graduate Students which
provide accurate and peer reviewed information that are reliable.
Potential Setbacks
At some point I will run out of
sources as this topic is not a widely talked topic. Although its not a popular
issues, it is a personal interest for me and I intend to use the resources I
have. If necessary I will use a survey distributed to the International Student
Club of the University to request and get more information about
personal experiences of the members regarding this issue. The feedback can
be used as statistics as well.
References
Language
Challenges Faced by International Graduate Students in United States
Ya Hui-Kuo
Understanding Of
International Graduate Students’Academic Adaptation To A U.s. Graduate School
Yuchun Zhou
Faculty Perspectives
Regarding Graduate International Students’ Isolation From Host National
Students
Andrea G. Trice
Identifying and Working
With Barriers Facing International Students
Krista
M. Kohlmann
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