Page 25 - ELG1802 Feb Issue 454

COMMENT . FEATURES & COMMENT

OF THE
Point from landlords over status. The Toeic test importance of student mobility. Brexit OUT
scandal back in 2014 is just one example of
negotiations are under way, and the
Immigration Bill is around the corner. We
the hardships international students face on
of View a daily basis. The accusations hurled at tens must act now to protect the transformational BOX
experiences of our international students and
of thousands of international students about
cheating on their English tests resulted in the experiences of UK students who study
thousands being wrongly deported. abroad, in Europe and beyond.
Yinbo Yu The ONS figures published in August showed I recently organised the first ever
just how wrong the outlandish claims that international student leaders’ conference at Swearing
international students exploit the system the NUS. It was so inspiring and invigorating
really are. We now know that over 97 per cent to be in a room full of students from such
‘It’s outlandish to of students return back home after completing diverse backgrounds with such passion and shouldn’t be
imagination.
their studies.
We worked on building leadership skills and
Many people are now beginning to
taboo
claim international acknowledge the economic, social and knowledge, we discussed the rhetoric and Swearing in a foreign language may be
cultural value that international students
language around international students on
bring to the UK. And we know that home
campuses and we shared best practices and
experiences.
students here in the UK are as supportive of
What I saw was a group of individuals
their international peers.
students exploit In April this year, the NUS published a report who together could genuinely change the ill-advised but students need to
that showed a majority of students in the UK
understand the basics
felt their degrees would suffer if international
student numbers dropped. Our research
the system’ found that 70 per cent of UK students agree of students return back home Although the UK is famous express pain or anger, casually
97 %
that any reduction in international students
to reinforce friendship or shared
for ‘effing and blinding’, bad
would impact their cultural experience at
university. after completing their studies language is not usually the first interests, as well as to insult and
kind of language our visiting
provoke.
A quarter of students believe that their course world. It is vital that we continue to build students encounter. Sooner or Teaching them presupposes
Host countries need to show international students could not run without international students, these networks and inspire and empower later, though, many teachers too an awareness of nuances of
will find it’s time to broach the
international students to take up leadership
meaning – the terms don’t mean
which shows the reliance many courses in UK
that they are welcome as they battle against red- universities have on attracting international positions. That is one way we can continue to topic, or else their students will exactly the same thing for all
tape and suspicion, says Yinbo Yu students. An important finding was that 75 show the value of international education and demand that they do. ages, genders or nationalities.
For learners trying to grapple
per cent of students agreed that international
fight for improved student mobility.
Finally, you must remind your
students should be allowed to work in the UK I’ve said before that without international with TV and movie dialogue, students that while it’s a good
came to the UK from China for the Comments last autumn from the Home after graduating. study I would not be the person I’ve become. for example, we can begin by idea to understand swearing,
reputation and history of its educational Secretary about removing international These are not just numbers, this is reality. I want as many students as possible to have helping them decode what used it’s almost impossible to swear
institutions. What I found was so much students from net migration figures offer a We must not underestimate the power of the opportunities I have had, and I will work to be called the ‘four-letter convincingly in a foreign
Imore than that. It is not just my education golden opportunity to finally show them that international education. Without education every day to make that happen. words’. language.
that has benefited me, but the huge diversity they are appreciated, they are valued and they we wouldn’t all be living in this developed, These include the ‘f-word’, At best, it’s likely to provoke
of cultures present in the UK education are welcome here. And, at the beginning of globalised tech-age. n Yinbo Yu is international students’ officer at the ‘sh-word’ and the ‘c-word’.
sector. January, it was encouraging to see a growing This is why we must not downplay the the National Union of Students in the UK. Judging by the language Teachers
I started out as the archetype of a Chinese group of voices within the ruling Conservative trending on social media and in
student – isolated, nervous and only mixing Party publicly urge the prime minister to make the UK press we may need to will need to
with other students from my homeland. But the move. add the ‘tw-word’ too.
then there came a major milestone moment In British English, ethnic or negotiate cultural
in my life – I joined the Chinese Students and We must act gendered slurs – the ‘n-word’ sensitivities very
Scholars’ Association (CSSA) at my student and ‘b-word’ in particular – are
union. I never thought back then that I’d now to protect the now just as shocking if not more carefully when
someday be elected CSSA president, but I felt transformational so, especially for a younger
that anything I could do to help international generation much less bothered they explain these
students integrate into the community was experiences of our by old-fashioned sexual or
worth it. religious oaths. terms
Looking back on my journey is emotional international students and Teachers will need to
for me. I was the first ever Chinese full-time the experiences of UK negotiate cultural sensitivities
officer at the University of East Anglia, I got very carefully when they explain mockery, at worst, instant
involved in many great national campaigns students these terms. physical retaliation.
and am now the elected officer at the Then, perhaps, learners can So, if you have been avoiding
National Union of Students that represents identify equivalents in their the sensitive subject of swearing,
over seven million students in the UK. My Former education secretary and MP Nicky own languages and consider the take heart.
experience was life-changing, but so are the Morgan even said that students were part of assumptions that come with There are many ways of
experiences of every international student the ‘global Britain’ brand. them. teaching it to different kinds
who comes here to study. It is of course vital to show international But beware: teaching taboo of students and they will thank
students they are welcome. Because language at anything but the you for it too.
while these students will have incredible, most basic level demands a lot
transformational experiences here, they also of teachers. n Tony Thorne is Language
70% face countless barriers. The force of a swearword Consultant at King’s College
of UK students say that reducing To access a decent international education, varies according to who uses it London. He is the author of
international students would international students must battle through Students share and in what circumstances. The Bloomsbury Dictionary of
impact their cultural experience visa restrictions, being denied access to basic a cuppa Expletives may be used in Contemporary Slang, among
healthcare or student loans and interrogations the heat of the moment to other publications.
24 February 2018 editorial@elgazette.com 25