Many of us are new immigrants to Canada and North America. Many others find immigration status elsewhere. Language is the first challenge that as a new immigrant you want to overcome. If you are an adult trying to learn English as a second language for the most you translate your own language to the English words. By the time you have a larger vocabulary baggage and you think that you are improving in English you are able to correct yourself and be your own teacher when you make mistakes. This process of learning and re-learning is a constant work that you have to do, if you are interested to improve your language skills at all. As a new immigrant or as someone whose mother tongue was not English, you are always aware of how people react or listen to your spoken words. You are always aware of your limited language skills even though you believe you are doing perfectly well. If you are in an academic setting you will not miss out the comments about your language skills. The more you try to write professional documents, the more you feel the anxiety of grammar mistakes here and there.

If you are in a work environment people would not care much, while at times there is someone who tries to confront you with your language limitations.

In the academic settings on the other hand you can always expect your professor comment on your grammar or structure of your paper.

Anxiety begets anxiety particularly when you want to submit a paper that you have worked hard at and you consider the work as flawless.

You feel that there is no another minute you can spend on that paper. Once the paper is back you know the familiar comments there and no one word of the hard work you did.

It is unfortunate that you sometimes meet people who try to put you down due to your language barriers. People who repeat every single word you say with the comment: sorry! They show you that your accent is basically bad and they can not understand you. The more you try to be clear in what you try to communicate with these types of people, the lower you feel.

On the other hand there are plenty of people out there who are patient with you and listen to you without any judgment or disapproval of your language skills.

We do agree that in an academic setting the written words should be comprehensive and conceptual. Still you can not distance from the reality of your language being what it is. Ideally as a student you access an editing soft ware or an editing service that gives you a chance to do your best performance, yet, not always you have those services close to hands.

Some universities offer the editing services opposite to many others who do not make any efforts to help students with English as second or third language. As a student for the most part you are humiliated because your English is not perfect, although sometimes you have a better grammar skills compare to students with English as their first language.

At time you deplore yourself, at times you are upset. Other times you feel hopeless and lonely. You can never get away from the fact that you are not an English minded person. Now what is the solution?

I guess government sponsored editing services would be of a solutions for students like myself. In general living in multicultural and diverse world, authorities should consider offering more language classes and language support to new immigrants who really do their best to integrate into their communities.

Strengthening people in their language skills help to strengthen communities.

Poran Poregbal
Vancouver, B.C.
July 14, 2008