Language Problems

Others you will work particularly on grammar and vocabulary. You will probably take a course preparing you for English tests which you must pass before you can be accepted by a college or university in an English-speaking country. Also in order to practise your Eng­lish you will probably try to do some extra reading in English and, maybe, seek out people who speak English. In these ways you will already be helping yourself to overcome the problem of language.

Nevertheless you will almost certainly have an initial difficulty with English when you begin your studies. As a Singapore post graduate commented: `Preparatory classes do help a bit but they only have limited use as the standard required for academic study is high.' A Korean scientist put her view even more strongly:

When I couldn't express myself, what I try to explain, what I have in mind, what ideas I have about my research, then I feel I have become a fool. This language problem deprives me of my confidence in my study sometimes.

But don't despair. At your university or college there will be peo­ple ready to help you with your english. Some institutions have a special Language Centre where English is taught to both overseas students and to new migrants. Some have special counsellors or tutors who can help you.

In others there are schemes by which stu­dents help each other. There are often organizations which arrange visits by overseas students to local families. And there are usually language laboratories, books and other facilities in the university or college which you can use in your spare time.

So English will certainly be a problem but one that you can gradu­ally overcome. After all, most students have problems with ex­pressing themselves clearly - even in their own language.

demands which university

Sometimes my problem

another major problem

special Language Centre