Have you ever been in a situation where you had to take time to translate words in your head before you say them out loud in a different language? Or have you ever been nervous about how you sound when pronouncing a certain word in English? If you are living in the U.S and your mother tongue is different than English, I bet you understand the struggle to communicate in a language that you are not used to speaking all the time.
Students at USC come from all corners of the world, bringing with them different cultures to Los Angeles and well… different languages. Many of them grew up speaking Mandarin at home with their families but also enjoyed watching Hollywood movies in English. Some may be used to reading books in Hindi while also feeling comfortable to have their language setting set to English on their smartphones. Other international students only recently started practicing the English language and had to study really hard to pass the required language proficiency exam (i.e., IELTS or TOEFL) to get admitted into USC. The point is, for a large portion of the USC student body, English is the second – maybe even third or fourth – language.
As an international student myself, I am accustomed to think and speak in a combination of Arabic and French. English language words do not always come to me naturally when I try to express myself conversationally and that has definitely caused me anxiety since I started my studies at USC. On top of that, I am pursuing a communications-related degree at one of the best communication schools in the world! Does my linguistic background make me a less effective communicator? Will it reduce my chances of having a successful career as a storyteller?
In one way, I do believe we should be aware of our weaknesses and work on improving them in order to accomplish our goals. After all, we are students, which means we are already in an environment that encourages us to challenge ourselves, to learn new things and to grow. To assist us in that journey, USC offers resources for undergraduates and graduates who wish to refine their English. These services are available through multiple departments such as the American Language Institute (ALI) and the Writing Center, where students are not only supported in their academic and professional endeavors, but can also learn to become more confident during basic everyday tasks and conversations.
On the other hand, it is also important for us to recognize that we have the ability to turn said weaknesses into strengths in certain situations. Being bilingual is a huge asset and I encourage every nonnative English-speaker reading this post to celebrate the linguistic diversity they bring to the table – even if they have an accent while doing it or if they make a few grammar mistakes along the way.
Long story short: we international students should constantly put ourselves in situations where we can practice our English, while also embracing our bilingualism as a superpower.
Written by: Tamara Amhaz, OIS Communications Editor, Master of Communication Management, USC Annenberg 2022