Tuesday, January 20, 2009
While some KU students who study abroad assume traveling to an English-speaking country will be simple, many find that the subtle differences in language and colloquialisms can make speaking their native language seem foreign.
The transition can be equally as hard for students who come to the University of Kansas from other English-speaking countries, such as Rebecca Harrington, London, England junior.
Becky Harrington, International Student from London is studying American Studies at KU. Harrington arrived on campus in the fall of 2008 and is adjusting to the cold weather.
“I realized when I got here that there are language barriers even though we speak the same language,” Harrington said. “I asked for tomato sauce once in a restaurant and spent an age explaining it when I could have just asked for ketchup.”
Harrington came to the University last semester and will study here for the rest of the school year. Back home, she studies at University of East Anglia in Norwich, which is located in eastern England, where she majors in American Studies.
“I chose (American Studies) as a major as it was a degree which includes many different disciplines and allows you to almost build your own degree,” Harrington said. “I chose to go to KU as it was a place where I thought a lot of research could be undertaken and I had not learnt about Kansan history in particular.”
Many native Kansans are surprised when they meet students from other parts of the country, let alone students who hail from a foreign country and choose to study in Kansas. For Harrington, she liked the uniqueness Kansas offers.
“I wanted to go somewhere where I haven’t been before, and somewhere where I probably would not go if I wasn’t studying” Harrington said. “I also chose Kansas because I didn’t want to go somewhere which seemed to be a common place to study.”
Similar to the dialects and accents of the United States, England has its own regional differences in how people speak English.
“People from London have a different accent to the rest of the South,” Harrington said. “Many people characterize it as being Cockney, but that is a very harsh sounding accent that most people don’t have anymore. But we definitely sound different from people who live in the other areas of England.”
Although she was used to these differences at home, Harrington was still not prepared to adjust to American English.
“In Wal-Mart [I was] attempting to ask if there were any duvets before I discovered they were called comforters,” Harrington said.
Harrington’s favorite things about studying abroad are learning new things and meeting new people. Along with making many local friends, Harrington has also gotten to know many other international students. Knowing people who also attend UEA, like Kirsty Mair, London, England, junior, helps make the transition less stressful.
“There are a few weird and wonderful aspects of your American culture that I’m still trying to get my head around, but I’ve met some amazing people and am learning so much about myself. It’s a good experience,” Mair said.
American culture’s peculiarities make for many differences between it and other foreign cultures.
“[I was] surprised at how culturally different the U.S. is compared to at home,” Harrington said. “Sororities and fraternities are not present at UEA, so I was surprised as how much more the student body is segregated. I was also surprised how involved the local community is, and how much the students and community support the Jayhawks.”
Studying abroad requires students to leave their comfort zones in order to experience a new place, but for Harrington, the things she has learned have made her trip to the University a worthwhile trip.
“I’m not afraid to live abroad or away from friends and family back home,” Harrington said. “I learned to ask more questions and realized I can be more independent than I thought.”
— — Edited by Carly Halvorson
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