Introduction
Immigration is becoming one of the exciting events in a person’s life. At the same time, it carries the positive aspects that an immigrant expects and several difficulties that not everyone knows about in advance. Because of this, many immigrants can have a negative experience. Simultaneously, observing the behavior of immigrants through the prism of their own consciousness, people do not always understand the challenges that visitors face at every step due to ignorance of generally accepted rules, language, or cultural features.
Issues Arising from Immigration and Examples
“No Speak English” by Sandra Cisneros
After immigration for a long time, many adults feel like strangers in a new country and do not want to adopt the traditions and rules (María Herrera-Sobek 54). Therefore, in the story “No Speak English” by Sandra Cisneros, an immigrant woman is depicted; the culture of a new country is alien to her. She does not want to join it or become part of contemporary society. That is openly shown in her reluctance to learn the language and her quarrels with her husband when she rejects his idea that the place she lives in is her home. Moreover, her neighbors do not seek to help her adapt, support her in an uncertain situation or stand on her side (María Herrera-Sobek 55). That only aggravates the problem, and at the end of the story, poor Mamasita even begins to dissuade her child from speaking English just because she is uncomfortable with the whole situation in which she is.
The Relationship of Language Skills to Work
Moreover, learning a second language is one of the most global problems when immigrants take root in a new place. Asking for help from new acquaintances or neighbors with language learning is awkward for immigrants due to differences in cultural background, expression of emotions, gestures, words, and facial expressions. However, without knowledge of the language, which is the basis of communication, it is impossible to integrate into a new environment and society (Pot et al. 4). Moreover, even though people are often patient with immigrants, almost no employer will hire a low-skilled person who does not know the language (Ruhs 23). That is why gaining knowledge through training centers, teachers, or self-study books should be mandatory for all immigrants.
Consequences of not Overcoming the Language Barrier
It is important to note that knowledge of the country’s language in which the immigrants arrived should be accompanied by help from friends, neighbors, sellers and other people from communities. During assimilation, immigrants face many problems, for example, they overcome the language barrier due to the fear of showing ignorance on some issues (Pallaveshi et al. 1153). In the most unfortunate cases, immigrants are no longer interested in learning and developing their communication skills. They begin to communicate more and more with their compatriots and no longer try to overcome their fears. That is why external support and assistance in developing communication skills in immigrants are necessary (Pallaveshi et al. 1149). Simultaneously, many immigrants want to follow their own traditions and culture. They often do it at home; however, they speak a common language in public places.
Example of Overcoming the Language Barrier
For example, when one of my friends started learning Spanish, it was not easy for her. Since everyone around her speaks only English, practicing an accent and speaking was difficult. Despite her efforts, she did not succeed until she went to a Spanish school, where professionals began to teach her. Furthermore, even though she had enough time to explain herself in small talk, she was still shy about speaking to a native speaker in Spanish. She was afraid and embarrassed because of the mistakes that she could make during communication. However, it all ended well; one day, a saleswoman in a nearby store spoke to her in Spanish, and she answered her. My friend says that this was one of the most critical moments in her learning Spanish because she felt much support from the saleswoman.
Society’s Responsibility for the Assimilation of Immigrants
The “Official Language” Policy
Society should be concerned about those who need their help. In schools, additional classes should be held on how important it is to maintain the position of an assistant in the situation of working with an immigrant. Many of them often feel vulnerable, depressed, and lonely (Lu et al. 96). It is vital to illustrate the problems of immigrants in fiction and films. Sometimes residents of certain regions or countries where a multicultural environment is not widespread are calm about the fact that they have the position of “official language”. Inhabitants need to have a common language that they can use to communicate with people belonging to different nations.
Ways to Help Overcome the Language Barrier
Everyone should be able to take responsibility for the events that are happening around them. Therefore, it will be easy for me as a native speaker to practice any language with those who are learning it by talking about different topics. It is also possible to communicate in writing with me; moreover, it is an excellent way to make friends and meet new people. Learning languages during immigration is imperative to establish communication and get a job in a good place.
Conclusion
To conclude, people are constantly getting into difficult life situations. Everyone should be able to support people because mutual assistance is an integral part of the communication and life of any person. Due to it, a person can cope with all the difficulties and become a full-fledged member of society. Support is an integral moral support for a person; it instills confidence and encourages. Therefore, it is necessary to approach immigrants with care and support.
References
Lu, Shengfeng, et al. “Language Barriers and Health Status of Elderly Migrants: Micro-Evidence from China.” China Economic Review, vol. 54, 2019, pp. 94–112, Web.
María Herrera-Sobek. The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros. Salem Press, 2011.
Pallaveshi, Luljeta, et al. “Immigration and Psychosis: An Exploratory Study.” Journal of International Migration and Integration, vol. 18, no. 4, 2017, pp. 1149–66, Web.
Pot, Anna, et al. “The Language Barrier in Migrant Aging.” International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 2018, pp. 1–19, Web.
Ruhs, Martin. “Can Labor Immigration Work for Refugees?” Current History, vol. 118, no. 804, 2019, pp. 22–28, Web.