Languages Pack a Punch: Social and Personal Impacts

During my research process, I’ve come across different perspectives from students and teachers about language and the personal impacts that these languages may have. I’ve read about the good, the bad, and the ugly, which shows that attending an international school can be a difficult and life-changing task. Especially in the case of the TES School in Taiwan, where culture is always a relevant topic, it can be hard for students to figure out how they want to identify themselves. As students develop emotionally and socially throughout high school, finding how their self-identity connects with culture and language can be a confusing task. On the other hand, some students thrive in this multicultural environment, and enjoy learning from their peers.

To begin, I’d like to discuss some of the negative actions that may occur at an international school. In an interview, one teacher from the TES School mentioned that there was a large bullying problem, especially at the middle school level. The teacher notes, “…it is difficult to tell when students are being bullied, because the students all speak in Chinese so often. By speaking in Chinese, the bullies are able to hide their unkind words…” Differences in language enable some students to take advantage of their peers and teachers. Of course, it is acceptable that students should be able to speak in their preferred language, for no one should feel culturally uncomfortable. However, if students are getting uncomfortable as a result from bullying, then it is important to find the root of that issue and think of ways to resolve it.

Schools that rank high in diversity often run the risk of dealing with segregated friend groups and social cliques. To put it simply, diversity is easier to achieve than inclusion. Therefore, at international schools like the TES School, inclusion is essential in creating a healthy learning environment.

On a more positive note, one teacher mentioned that learning languages can give some students confidence in themselves. When talking about learning English, the teacher explains that many of the students in Taiwan hope to eventually attend an American university. She extends that thought by saying, “… if they say that they came from some American university, people will think they are a really good person and the word you say will be more reliable.” Learning new languages can make students more culturally aware and accepting of the people around them.

I’d like to note that I must be aware of some of the bias I hold when completing this research, for I am a white male from the United States who speaks English. It is not my intention to promote a biased perspective on language; rather, I hope to provide some of the observations that I’ve witnessed throughout my research. When looking at the impact of languages, post-colonial theory is often relevant. Feeling confident about learning English can often be confused with the negative implication of westernization, so it is important to be self-aware when writing about this topic.