Linguistic Inferiority and Mental Health: Examining the Psychological Impact of English-Medium Education on Tamil-Medium Students in Tamil Nadu Colleges

Abstract

This study investigates the mental well-being of Tamil-medium students in English-medium higher educational institutions in Tamil Nadu, India. It focuses on linguistic inferiority and its impact on participants’ mental health. As English is a global language, it has become a second language in India, where people communicate in various regional languages. In India, English is widely used in higher education, where most participants have a vernacular-language background. The impacts of linguistic transition and mental issues of vernacular-medium participants in English-medium colleges are still poorly studied, and they remain a major localized public health issue. The study used a mixed-methods approach, gathered data through purposive sampling method from 32 participants for quantitative and 29 participants for qualitative analyses. The study revealed considerable psychological distress, such as anxiety, embarrassment, humiliation, and a loss of personal dignity. Language barrier becomes a significant reason for depression or symptoms of depression among 75% of participants and linguistic inferiority increased their anxiety and humiliation. Learning is a group process, and a language can be gained through a good companion, depending on the environment; however, it cannot be learned in isolation. Half of the participants reported feeling isolated. These findings highlight an urgent public health issue, as the challenges faced in understanding and using English seem to cause feelings of inferiority, resulting in serious psychological effects on the participants. In addition, the study emphasizes the need to include strategies and pedagogies to support Tamil-medium students in English-medium higher educational institutions. Furthermore, the study insists on the need for awareness of mental health issues.