Language learning while abroad in an English-speaking country

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Tazrean Hossain

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hello <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> Wellesley College <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2024 <i>Destination city & country:</i> London, United Kingdom <i>Program provider:</i> SOAS University of London <i>Major/minor:</i> Women's & Gender Studies and South Asian Studies <i>Demographics:</i> Asian/Asian American, South Asian, First-Generation American, First-Generation College Student, LGBTQ+, Person with an intellectual disability <i>Future career aspirations:</i> I'm interested in the fields of government, law, and public policy! Right now, I'm most interested in becoming a lawyer or working in local government. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> Immerse myself in the diverse communities London has to offer, practice independent living, and get really involved with student life at my university!

One of the reasons I chose my particular study abroad program is because of its Bengali offering. Learning my parentsโ€™ native language has always been a dream of mine, and in recent years, Iโ€™ve developed a passion for foreign languages. I took Hindi and Urdu in college, Spanish in middle and high school, and grew up speaking and listening to Bengali in the household. However, one thing thatโ€™s always kept me from improving is that I struggle to feel confident in my speaking abilities and push through any grammar and/or pronunciation mistakes I may make. As a result, I tend to be very quiet in my language courses and any situation where I have to speak a foreign language, ultimately stalling my progress and making it hard for me to practice what Iโ€™m learning.

By choosing to take Bengali in London, I get to pursue a language I have grown up with and thus am relatively more comfortable with speaking, while still staying within my comfort zone by living and studying in an English-speaking country. I definitely could have chosen to improve my language skills even further by studying in a country that isnโ€™t English-speaking, but frankly, I was nervous.

This past weekend, I visited Madrid for a short weekend trip, my first time visiting a country whose primary language isnโ€™t English (not counting the family trip I took to Bangladesh when I was very young). I am planning to take Spanish when I return to Wellesley, as itโ€™s a language I enjoyed learning and wasnโ€™t able to make time for after I graduated high school. So when I was in Madrid, I decided to primarily speak Spanish, both to practice and to communicate on behalf of my travel buddy who didnโ€™t know any Spanish. Doing so helped me build my confidence and change my perspective on learning new languages. When I made mistakes in my speaking, it wasnโ€™t as embarrassing as I thought it would be; rather, as long as I got my message across, it was okay. Going forward, I want to keep this in mind as I continue my pursuit of languages.

Although I donโ€™t regret my choice of study abroad program, this weekend gave me a lot to think about regarding how my language learning process has been while here in London. My practice with Bengali continues to be in a formal, academic setting and phone conversations with my parents. Itโ€™s great because Iโ€™ve never had the opportunity to learn to read and write Bengali before, so this was exactly what I was looking for. At the same time, I wonder what would have happened if I studied abroad in South Asia, such as in West Bengal or Bangladesh. Ultimately, I think being in London has been a great introductory experience for someone like me who has never been abroad before. I think I feel more equipped to take on traveling to unfamiliar places and hope my next abroad experience can be in a non-English-speaking country, so I can step out of my comfort zone even further.

Pictures from Madrid: me in front of the Royal Palace, a view of Madrid at night