Publications and Research

Torture and Second Language Acquisition

Introduction

For someone who is not a survivor or perpetrator, the concept of torture can be difficult to comprehend and as a result, there is a resistance to acknowledging its use. For this reason we must preface any analysis on how to meet the needs of survivors of torture in the ESL classroom with a clear understanding of how the word itself is defined. Although torture has existed for centuries, it has only been in the aftermath of the Holocaust during World War II that any serious attempt was made to study this human phenomenon. Consequently, in 1948 the United Nations defined it as:

...a systematically performed physical and mental violence directed against persons confined in prison or in another way deprived of their freedom. Torture aims at breaking down the victim's personality and identity and getting information. But it is also an instrument of massive political oppression.

To achieve this goal the victim must be mentally and emotionally broken so that long after the physical scars have healed s/he is incapable of fighting back. When the torturer is successful, the effects of the trauma suffered by the victim may still be apparent several years after its occurrence and sometimes are even carried over into the next generation.

The techniques of torture employed range from the most primitive to the most technologically sophisticated, depending on the country and the local conditions which exist there. In addition, they can be broadly classified as either physical or psychological. Physical torture can include beatings, electric shock, cold water torture, burns caused by cigarettes, chemicals and/or hot water, sexual abuse, rape, deprivation of sleep and/or food and the breaking of bones. Psychological torture can take several different forms including isolating the victim, exposing him/her to mock executions, forcing him/her to witness family members and/or friends being abused, tortured or killed. Central to this type of torture is that it attempts to strip the victim of any sense of human dignity. In so doing the illusion is created that what has happened in prison can never be spoken of. Treatment, therefore, becomes very difficult as the most horrifying details of the torture are often never disclosed to the medical practitioner, counselor, or social worker seeking to help the survivor put the pieces of his/her life back together again.

Treatment for individuals who have experienced torture has had varying degrees of success. The outcome depends largely upon three factors. These include: i) the type and severity of the torture inflicted; ii) personal characteristics of the victims; and, iii) the environment within which the trauma of torture has occurred as well as the immediate and long-term environments the victims are exposed to after the event.

Settlement is central to the treatment process at the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT), the largest organization in Canada that provides services to survivors and their families. Settlement is viewed as the first crucial step in aiding victims of torture to rebuild healthy, productive lives. Central to settlement is the acquisition of English. For survivors of torture, learning to understand and to be understood in English often becomes an illusive and unobtainable goal. This is in large part due to the fact that survivors have experienced a psychologically damaging event.

Linguistic research tells us that socio-psychological variables play a major role in second language acquisition. Although there are a wide range of factors that determine how an individual acquires a second language, studies indicate that the most effective language learner is someone who is highly motivated, has a positive attitude towards the new language and its native speakers, does not suffer from memory deficiencies, and possesses a healthy sense of self. Unfortunately, in many instances the survivor of torture is lacking in at least the last two of these requirements if not all of them.

This is not to say that survivors of torture are incapable of acquiring a second language. It does imply, however, that it is imperative that the ESL instructor be aware that those who have survived torture require special consideration. The ideas presented in this publication are the result of research and methods successfully employed by the ESL department of the CCVT. We hope that they will serve as a useful guide for other ESL instructors in the community.