LANGUAGE AND FITTING IN by Yvonne Tagoe

What is language? Without giving it a strict dictionary definition, we can safely talk of a method of expression, and a very important form of identity of a group of people. Language helps us to communicate very easily and helps facilitate understanding. Someone described it as a barrier and a badge. It is a barrier when we find ourselves in a situation where we are unable to communicate through speech with the people around us. It is a badge when we are able to do so, just like showing a badge as a means of identification, making it easy for one to fit in.

How will it feel to be an immigrant in an environment where you cannot understand the language? Wouldn't it almost feel like being deaf and dumb? There are other things one has to cope with in a new country, such as the culture of the people, the weather, and even the simple idea of being in a new surrounding. The inability to speak the language is then one of many problems, yet it is a major one.

The first thing people want to do when they get into a new environment is to try and settle down as quickly as possible. It will definitely take longer if the language is a barrier. Simple things can become setbacks and cause a lot of frustration. This lack of understanding can prolong the process of culture shock and make one uneasy most of the time. This state of uneasiness can result in embarrassment and anxiety, causing the immigrant to react in different ways. One of the ways will be to build a small world and stay in it; but how long can one function effectively in this 'small world'? Coming out of this 'world' into the real world or the foreign environment requires a conscious effort on the part of the immigrant, and it will be an action which will not be regretted. Taking that first step may initially require a push from a family member or someone from the country of origin. The process of learning and adjusting will next have to be tackled, which, like most things in life, has its ups and downs, but which pays off eventually.

When the language, which had been a barrier, is converted into a badge, the new immigrant is on the way to understanding what is happening all around, and is ready to overcome the culture shock, and the feeling of being lost.

Suddenly, all the things that did not make sense, will become meaningful. When people speak it will no longer sound like noise, but rather it will be intelligible words that can be put together and processed. At this point the immigrant begins to feel a strong sense of identity and belonging to the new world, and the door is now open for integration into the society.

This article was originally published in Cross Cultures Magazine in Volume 1 - Issue 3 - 1992. Unauthorized copying, distribution or other usage without express written permission of the publisher is prohibited.