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When bilingualism becomes a threat

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When bilingualism becomes a threat

Duke faculty was dead wrong for telling Chinese students not to speak Chinese

Shamontiel L. Vaughn
Jan 29, 2019
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When bilingualism becomes a threat

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Photo credit: GDJ/Pixabay

News regarding the Duke University professor who warned Chinese students not to speak in their native language made me reflect on some of my worst college memories.

But before I go into that, if you are unfamiliar with the story, here are a few tidbits:

  • Two faculty members (allegedly) complained to the professor that Chinese students were speaking Chinese in student lounges and study areas.

  • Those two faculty members (allegedly) asked for photographs of the Chinese-speaking students so they could “remember them if the students ever interviewed for an internship or asked to work with them for a master’s project.”

  • The professor sent an email to biostatistics students telling them to speak “English 100% of the time when you are in Hock or any other professional setting.”

Deja vu: Why book smarts don’t help with common decency

These professors immediately reminded me of a university I attended to earn a certificate in Chicago Manual Style. My employer at the time was paying for the series of courses while I was also in grad school at another university.

Recommended Read: “Go4Rent Magazine ~ Correcting Miscommunications: Language Barriers With Tenants and Realtors”

But after a comment I heard from a professor telling a student to go “back to her own country,” I refused to return. I continued on with grad school courses but never stepped foot on the other university’s campus again. Click here to read more about that. Read on to find out why I think the Duke university was all wrong and my own lesson learned in anti-bilingualism.

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