When I traveled to Poland for an MBA program and the orientation was in Polish English, I had to come back to Ethiopia because of the language barrier., which is a commonly faced challenge by international students. Upon arriving in a new country, international students have to process a lot of new information. The acculturation process generates the need for them to adapt to a new way of life. Language not only entails the speaking of works but also non-verbal cues such as the way one dresses and presents themselves in different places. Indeed, this can be difficult if one has not conducted enough research before getting to the new country.
International education is beneficial not only to the individual students but also to the entire global community since it enables the sharing of ideas by bringing together people from different places in the world. By tabling the different world views, human beings are able to come up with better solutions to problems affecting the human race as a whole. International education is, therefore, vital for humans to be able to understand their world better. It is thus important to establish solutions to the barriers that challenge international education, the language barrier being a key one. Both the students and institutions offering international education have the responsibility for overcoming the language barrier.
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Students who wish to study abroad have to research their destination to be well prepared for the new environment. One has to research the culture of the destination country and learn basic things. For instance, one has to know about the language the people speak in that country, their cultural beliefs, the currency they use, and any laws and regulations unique to the country. For example, when traveling to an Islamic country, one has to understand the unique religious beliefs that affect the people way of life in such a region. Such research will help one to adjust better to the new environment.
Both the students and institutions involved in international studies can overcome the language barrier problems through solutions such as finding reliable translation services, enlisting interpreters, communication classes, recognizing and respecting the language differences, as well as using visual methods of communication. The institution I attended for the MBA program in Poland did not appreciate the diversity of the students. They went on with the orientation in Polish English as if they did not care about students who were not familiar with the language. That way, they discouraged some of the learners and challenged international education.
With the current advances in technology, there are phone applications that can be used for translation. Mobile phones are easy to carry around, and such applications can be reliable for translation services. Both the coordinators of the learning programmes as well as the international students should consider using such applications to overcome the language barrier and hence promote international learning. Otherwise, the institutions or even the learners can get translators to help them understand the foreign language. The institution should also offer communication classes, which will help the students advance their communications skills in both familiar and unfamiliar cultures. Such skills help the students not only during the times they are schooling in a foreign country but also when they will need to work amongst people of different cultures. Understanding and embracing diversity are vital for globalization. People from different places of the globe hold varying beliefs and practices. For the people to work harmoniously, they have to understand their differences to avoid offending each other. This way, the human race can experience development.
