OPEN ACCESSReview Article

Linguistic Hurdles Shaping Opportunities in the Immigrant Integration Experience

Author(s): Siddharth Munjal

Publication: The Journal • 23 Janurary 2024

Abstract

There is a multitude of languages spoken worldwide, yet English has emerged as the predominant one, widely accepted as the international standard. However, not everyone can communicate through this “standard”. Even if they can, they may not communicate at the level of proficiency comparable to someone from America or England. Most of the people who are classified as having the ability to speak English are not from either of these regions, thus not indulging in the “standard” that the world keeps as a form of universal communication. The social norm is to speak English with some level of an American accent, resulting in that being the national language spoken without it being declared as the official one by the government. The principle is when speaking with anyone unknown everyone is “assumed” to know at least English. Individuals speak with their variation and accent, which come from the country/region of which they are from. Thus, they will naturally have speech that is distinctly different not only from the “Standard American English”, but also from other countries/communities' versions of English. Due to this predicament, there is a challenge for those speaking with different accents and variations to speak with one another, even if everyone is doing so in what they have learned in English.

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