Muhammed's Reflections on Language and Graduation
Congratulations to Muhammed, Duke University class of 2022!
College has challenged my confidence repeatedly. On my first day in North Carolina, my Uber driver referred to my ‘bad English’ as the reason he knew I was not from America. Even though English is not my first language, this conversation made me quite self-conscious about my accent. A day after I had the horrible encounter with the driver, the faculty and staff at the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) Department at Duke University invited all the students taking AMES courses to a welcome dinner off-campus. As someone exploring the Arabic language at the time, I was part of the invitees. Although it was supposed to be a fun night, I could not let go of the idea that I was a ‘terrible’ speaker of the English language. I even struggled to place an order at the restaurant because I feared being mocked for mispronouncing certain food items. I nervously pulled out my mobile phone and began googling the American pronunciation of various food items on the restaurant’s menu. To my surprise, another male student looked at me and asked, “Do you need help?” I responded in the affirmative. I pointed my finger at the images of the food I wanted, and he placed the order on my behalf. I never felt so embarrassed!
Internship in The Gambia
As a Global Health major, Muhammed did an internship where he helped collect research on public health issues in rural Gambia
Fast forward to my first global health class at Duke, Biology: Global Diseases, my self-esteem was still damaged from the initial experience with the Uber driver. I would write down my thoughts on a piece of paper and read them to myself a couple of times before voicing them out. I have always known that I learn best when I am engaged in class— if I am not participating in class discussions, it probably means I am not retaining much of the information being taught. Although I wanted to give my input, the Uber driver’s comment replayed in my mind, and I was wary that if I spoke up, my classmates and professor would not understand what I was saying. As my only chance to learn, I decided to shrug off those thoughts and raised my hand regardless. The professor was so impressed with my comments that she invited me to her office for a chat. “Muhammed, your classmates are really impressed with your courage. They all grew up here and went to high school here, but most of them do not have the same quality of speech you do. You are bringing in a new perspective, the African perspective.”
My professor’s positive feedback served as a catalyst that boosted my self-esteem after it plummeted to an all-time low. I told her about my Uber driver’s hurtful remarks, and she quickly shut down my fears, telling me that she could understand me and that the driver’s comments should never be the reason to shy away from contributing to class discussions. Since then, I decided it was not worth worrying about my accent and how I spoke English. Besides, my language of instruction in school back in The Gambia has always been English.
Duke Office of University Scholars & Fellows Graduation Brunch
Throughout my time at Duke University, I have been building my confidence, and now, more than ever, I am unapologetic about how I speak. Whenever people try to make fun of my accent, I ask them how many languages they speak. I speak five languages fluently, and most of the people that comment on my accent speak only one language—the English language. I always remind myself and such people that if we ever hear someone speak a language with what we may consider a “bad” accent, there is utmost certainty that there is another language in which they are completely fluent. Besides, I believe that English is not—and should never—be a yardstick for measuring someone’s intellectual ability. It is just another language used for communication purposes. Thankfully, I successfully graduated from Duke University with flying colors as part of the Class of 2022!