Practical: Link Between Language, Culture, and Identity
Dear Margaret,
My name is Laura McEwan and I currently attending Raha International School in Grade 11. I understand that you have never been or lived abroad in a such a setting, so I'm going to tell you a bit about life here. Before I moved to Abu Dhabi, I had never lived in such a diverse place either. However, I was used to moving around and so I felt comfortable adjusting to a new community. Raha is made up of 1,200 students from over 80 different nationalities, therefore you should fit in just fine. There will be plenty of people from Canada for you to make a cultural connection with. You don't need to worry about finding only Canadians though, all the nationalities mix and it's great. My friend group is made up of British, American, German, Scandinavian, Kiwi, Australian, Brazilian, South African, Russian, Indian, etc. I found making friends here so much easier than in my past non-international schools. I believe this is because people here have been exposed to more experiences and different types of music, for example. I have more similar interests with people here than anywhere else in the world. This is not connected to cultural experiences though, I believe it is due to the similar lifestyle of moving around. There is no pressure to fit into a specific stereotype, because there isn't one. Everybody is unique because they all have their own background. We have different travel and life experiences.
You will find that, obviously, the majority of students will speak two or more languages. It's not uncommon. Just like you, I only speak English, and I find that sometimes I feel left out when two people next to me start having a conversation in Arabic or French. I can't help but wonder what they are talking about... sometimes I'm even paranoid it's about me. This is where communication becomes limited. Yes, everybody at Raha speaks English, but there are occasionally language barriers.
Culture is one of my favourite things about being at an international school. Other than asking what your name is, the most popular question new students are asked is, "where are you from?" Living here will definitely make you feel more connected to your culture than ever. Your culture becomes your identity, and it's what makes you a unique individual because you are not surrounded by a thousand other Canadians. Suddenly, you are representing your culture. When I realised this, I felt more proud to be British than I felt when I lived in Scotland, which is where I am from.
The transition from your homogenous monolingual community to this diverse bilingual community may be a bit overwhelming for you considering you have not experienced these circumstances before. However, I'm sure that after a week at Raha you will feel completely comfortable in this environment. Everyone is so friendly and accepting of all races and nationalities. In such a community, language, culture, and identity all link. As I mentioned before, your culture becomes your identity. You will be known as Margaret From Canada. Although this is not the way you will perceive yourself, you may see a slight change in your personal identity from when you arrive compared to the future as you become exposed to different types of language and culture.
Safe travels,
Laura.
My name is Laura McEwan and I currently attending Raha International School in Grade 11. I understand that you have never been or lived abroad in a such a setting, so I'm going to tell you a bit about life here. Before I moved to Abu Dhabi, I had never lived in such a diverse place either. However, I was used to moving around and so I felt comfortable adjusting to a new community. Raha is made up of 1,200 students from over 80 different nationalities, therefore you should fit in just fine. There will be plenty of people from Canada for you to make a cultural connection with. You don't need to worry about finding only Canadians though, all the nationalities mix and it's great. My friend group is made up of British, American, German, Scandinavian, Kiwi, Australian, Brazilian, South African, Russian, Indian, etc. I found making friends here so much easier than in my past non-international schools. I believe this is because people here have been exposed to more experiences and different types of music, for example. I have more similar interests with people here than anywhere else in the world. This is not connected to cultural experiences though, I believe it is due to the similar lifestyle of moving around. There is no pressure to fit into a specific stereotype, because there isn't one. Everybody is unique because they all have their own background. We have different travel and life experiences.
You will find that, obviously, the majority of students will speak two or more languages. It's not uncommon. Just like you, I only speak English, and I find that sometimes I feel left out when two people next to me start having a conversation in Arabic or French. I can't help but wonder what they are talking about... sometimes I'm even paranoid it's about me. This is where communication becomes limited. Yes, everybody at Raha speaks English, but there are occasionally language barriers.
Culture is one of my favourite things about being at an international school. Other than asking what your name is, the most popular question new students are asked is, "where are you from?" Living here will definitely make you feel more connected to your culture than ever. Your culture becomes your identity, and it's what makes you a unique individual because you are not surrounded by a thousand other Canadians. Suddenly, you are representing your culture. When I realised this, I felt more proud to be British than I felt when I lived in Scotland, which is where I am from.
The transition from your homogenous monolingual community to this diverse bilingual community may be a bit overwhelming for you considering you have not experienced these circumstances before. However, I'm sure that after a week at Raha you will feel completely comfortable in this environment. Everyone is so friendly and accepting of all races and nationalities. In such a community, language, culture, and identity all link. As I mentioned before, your culture becomes your identity. You will be known as Margaret From Canada. Although this is not the way you will perceive yourself, you may see a slight change in your personal identity from when you arrive compared to the future as you become exposed to different types of language and culture.
Safe travels,
Laura.
You mentioned that the language barrier sometimes makes you feel slightly left out. Do you think that being monolingual could possibly have an impact on your future when you are in a work place and so on? Have you ever considered learning a new language? If you have tried learning a new language, do you think that exceeding in learning that language will have a huge impact on your day to day life?
ReplyDeleteOne should be always proud of their language even if they don't know any other language because it represents their native culture and introduce their culture to other cultures.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that all Raha students can communicate in English, do you think this commonality is what allows students to easily form friendships, as they can communicate and express themselves with ease?
ReplyDelete