Personal

Of course, people of whatever race ere individuals and cannot be categorised. The extent to which the individual is affected by the above considerations varies enormously. However, language difficulty, in my opinion, is the worst obstacle to successful adjustment. Language development is governed by the society in which one is raised, and its standard of reference is limited by the surrounding emotional and other conditions. Consequently the Asian probably finds difficulty in expressing his deepest thoughts while here in New Zealand. He finds he must use a language unable to convey the emotional fibre of his character. The student whose English is poor prefers to withdraw into the shelter of his group of Asian friends, while the student whose English is good is amused and disgusted by the condescending English with which New Zealanders often address him.

But the Asian student has problems common to all students. The emotional upheaval caused by the sudden transference from one society to another often blinds both Kiwi and Asian students to this fact.