Imagine having to live in a community where you are unable to communicate with any of the people around you. In a community where no one can understand you the way you need them to, simply because you are the only person who is part of a different language family. This is an obstacle that many people around the world are forced to face on a daily basis. In communities, with diversity comes differences and divisions. In some cases, these differences are what makes communities beautiful and unique. However, in this case, it is these differences that cause people to feel alone and isolated. Language barriers have had this effect on people for many years. Who are these people, and how do they overcome this dilemma?
Tony is a Chinese boarder student at UWCSEA East Singapore. He is currently in Grade 11, he joined the school in Grade 9. He was previously at a school in China which he said to be very heavily focused on academics, and not much else. He explained that here at UWCSEA, there are many more opportunities and resources handed to him, which he greatly appreciates. Tony still had difficulties when it came to adapting to the new environment, regardless of these positive changes.
When he first joined the school, Tony had little understanding of the English language. As English is the main language spoken at the school, he was forced to adapt to the new environment and had learn to speak English quickly. During this experience, Tony found himself in many frustrating and frightening situations. Despite this, he also discovered many methods to knock down the robust barriers that were harshly placed around him.
Tony’s beginning at UWCSEA
Tony’s first couple of months at UWCSEA were very tough. He was only able to speak and understand very little English and not many people could speak his language. In his presentation during Writer’s Fortnight, Tony explained “For the first month, I couldn’t even communicate with my roommate properly. We didn’t understand each other”. Naturally, this made Tony feel uncomfortable and out of place. Another major obstacle Tony faced was learning. Although he came to UWCSEA to learn, this was easier said than done. He could only understand a small fraction of what his teachers were saying in class. He was “afraid to tell his teachers that he couldn’t understand them” so he never received special support and was forced to deal with the problem on his own. Between not being able to communicate with the people around him and scoring low grades due to his language barrier, Tony often thought he “just wanted to give up”.
How did Tony overcome his difficulties?
Throughout many stages of his experience, Tony did not have many people by his side to offer aid or support. If he wanted a solution to his problem, he had to find it by himself. As an attempt to understand his lessons better, Tony resorted to using a translator on his computer every day. This was not the perfect solution as although it helped his understanding, it was not enough for him to be able to achieve the grades he wanted. Another method Tony used to enhance his understanding was simply talking to people. He explained “one thing that helped me the most was talking. I always tried to talk to other people as much as possible”. It took Tony some time to build up enough courage to put himself out there and interact frequently with the people around him. After he began to talk to more people in English, he started to feel more at ease in his new environment. With the help of these methods, Tony’s understanding of the language grew, as did his confidence.
How has Tony’s life changed?
Now, Tony is living a much simpler and comfortable life at UWCSEA. After 4 years, not only has he learnt to speak English, but also how to adapt to a new environment. Tony was placed in a school where he knew no one and only knew how to speak a language which wasn’t commonly used there. Despite his temporarily weakened mindset and confidence, he eventually discovered ways to guide him through his formidable journey. With all of his strength, he knocked down the language barriers which were denying him the pleasant and fluid life he wanted. He is now a much happier student at UWCSEA and he is finding his experience here much more enjoyable. He no longer feels isolated in the community.
To this day, Tony is still uses a translator on his computer, however he is a lot less dependent on it. He continues to make a thorough effort to talk to other people as much as he can to keep his knowledge of the English language expanding. From this experience, Tony has mentally grown dramatically and he has taught himself that he can overcome any obstacle that interferes with his journey, as long as he has the right mindset and is willing to take initiatives.
What does this story teach us?
Tony has proven that even when an individual has not been given a comfortable amount of support, any difficult situation can be overcome. There is a solution to every problem, it all depends on what length that individual is willing to go to in order to find it. Language barriers can be seen all around the globe. Communities in this time period are often extremely diverse, and with diversity comes differences. These differences are what can lead people to feel isolated and excluded. A new language is not what these people need to learn in order to drain the feeling of isolation from within them. What they need to learn is to have a positive mindset and how to use their initiative. Saying this, it is also the people they are surrounded by who can make their journey easier. All it takes is a simple “Hello” to start a conversation and form a friendship. A smile as you walk pass them to reassure them that they can feel comfortable in their environment. What length are you willing to go to help knock down language barriers?