This is my first year of college and I find that I am the only guy in my Engineering College class who speaks fluent English. The others speak Tamil and have different backgrounds, by way of schooling and interests. My Tamil is not very good. This makes me uncomfortable and I am anxious that I may be discriminated against.

Nirupama Dwivedi answers:

Being new in college is never easy, and there is no doubt that there is a strong need to ‘fit in’.

This is also perhaps your first experience of being in an unfamiliar situation and being out of your comfort zone might be making you feel nervous. Firstly, it is important to focus on the job at hand, i.e. your studies. It may be helpful if you have a discussion with your teachers in private. They could come up with some viable options that would benefit the whole class. I wonder if they could use both languages.

In terms of your relationship with your class-mates, initially you may not find it easy to communicate with the others. It is always polite to greet others and to be approachable. Non-verbal cues like eye-contact, nodding or smiling can break barriers. For you, personally, this could be a good opportunity to make efforts towards improving your language skills, and you may find that your fluency in English can be used to your advantage in helping your classmates.

I knew a young man in a similar situation. By the time he completed his degree, he became so fluent in Tamil that he was able to explain engineering concepts to his classmates in the language.

He valued that teaching experience as well as he felt it provided opportunities for revision. He also discovered his talent for teaching.

So, my thoughts are to stay positive and concentrate on your learning.

The author is a clinical psychologist, interested in working with adjustment issues through young adults.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW