Shining My Light on Bilingualism and Fulbright

∞ Now that I have caught a glimpse of Miami through a plane window, I know my U.S. adventure has finally started! I can’t wait to ask my participants these same questions I have just answered and find out their perspective.

A charming and super educated bilingual (Apoorva, India)

Languages spoken: Hindi, English, Urdu.

Field of study/career: Literature, Higher Education and Administration Policy (Teacher’s College, University of Columbia).

I met Apoorva, an epitomy of the Bollywood beauty, during the Fulbright orientation event in Miami and was really amazed by how charming she was from outside and inside. She comes from India where English is quite widely spoken.

During my first days in New Jersey where my host university was located as well as during my first (quite humble and intimidating) commutes to NYC, even being a university English teacher, I had to admit to have been struggling with English a bit. For example, while ordering my coffee at the university diner I would sometimes have difficulties interacting with waiters as they spoke super fast and there were too many options to choose from, which I wasn’t used to at all. That certainly reinforced that stereotype of the culture of consumerism so prevalent in the U.S.

NYC can be too much – visually, sensually and linguistically as well. When a fellow Russian Fulbrighter, Apoorva and I met in Central Park in New York City, we all probably needed a break from the city’s linguistic hustle and bustle.

The choice of the first interviewee wasn’t intentional or scientifically justified. Back in Miami I had mentioned my project to Apoorva and she volunteered to participate. Probably I felt she had just the right energy as I knew from the get-go, it wasn’t going to be a purely rational and rigorously scientific endeavor…

Being in Central Park and picking a random bench to get comfortable for the interview had a certain cinematographic feel to it. As I was filming it (as well as most of the interviews that followed), for some reason I had a random thought of Woody Allen. So many iconic Hollywood films have been made (and I guess some by many other companies in many other languages as well) right in this spot. I knew I would be writing about this moment so here I am…

Apoorva started learning English as part of a basic curriculum at school at the age of 3. In India it is common to go to an English-medium school as this country used to be a British colony. So, as a result, Apoorva thinks that «50 to 60% of Indians speak English very well».

At her English classes back there was a lot of focus on grammar and eventually the emphasis on writing well increased. Then in what could be an equivalent of an American «high-school» spoken English skills got «polished». Apoorva attended a convent and in these institutions students actually got penalized if they were found speaking any other language rather than English and their mother tongue were only allowed during recess. As for mistake correction, there was also an «over-emphasis» on pronunciation and the teacher had a rather strong authority.

According to Apoorva, in her home country speaking English is looked upon as something «very respectable». Initially she didn’t feel confident enough as she hadn’t grown up in an English-speaking environment even though her parents are «fairly fluent» in English. There are actually households in India where different generations of a family would speak English with each other in private settings. It wasn’t till middle school that she finally gained enough confidence to speak English.

As being able to speak this language well is «imbued with a certain sense of superiority» even in India, some younger people might start ignoring their own mother tongues. Of course, with India being so big, English eventually acquired its own varieties inside the country and «grammar may differ from state to state». Apoorva emphasizes the role of the native culture which finds its way into the way people use the language.

She said she had been contemplating issues surrounding language acquisition and use more after completing her undergrad in Literature which gave her «a renewed passion for languages» and «a newfound respect for my own language». Reflecting more on her adolescence, she recollects how even for formal requests back at school students still had to use English. Also, in formal gatherings rarely would you find someone asking you questions in Hindi or any other language spoken in India. So, Apoorva often heard fellow Indians approaching her with the questions such as «What’s your name?», «How are you doing at school?». Then the conversation might «transgress» into another language.

Apoorva admits that she is still struggling with syntax which is so different from her mother tongue – Hindi. For example, she is annoyed by how every once in a while she still uses wrong articles. Another thing she can’t get her head around is how some grammar rules might vary from country to country. After studying in institutions around the world where English «has been a medium of instruction for centuries», Apoorva concludes that sometimes it was «just the matter of taste».

There were instances when she felt somehow upset by her interactions with native speakers of English. She remembers how after arriving in London for her Masters she had to struggle trying to understand what the receptionist at her bed-and-breakfast was saying. Back home it was not a problem to approach people and ask them as many questions as you needed, but that man seemed to have gotten annoyed as it might not be so common in the UK. So, he turned to his friend and said, «She will not be able to survive in England. She can’t speak English!». Apoorva’s friend in her turn replied, «But she has a degree in English so she probably knows more than you!».

Ironically, Apoorva notes, the first department of English Literature was actually founded in India (Bombay) in the 19th century. In the UK English wasn’t considered to be important for studying, so they were focusing on Greek and Latin. From the scientific perspective, Indians are «supposed to have the most perfect pronunciation of English». So this case «was a pinch of salt» as Apoorva was proud to have maintained her «Indian/Hindi accent».

At this point, Apoorva describes herself as «well-versed» in English. She feels so natural using a combination of languages that it is actually difficult to express herself «in one language entirely». Speech that «flows from Hindi to English and Urdu and back to English» is «an expression of who I am», says Apoorva. This is so much «part of my identity and I’m not trying to fit in either mode». This, as she calls it, «mélange» of languages is an essential part of her linguistic personality.

Reflecting on the image she projects onto others based on her language choices, Apoorva says that outside India people might have a different impression of her when she’s not speaking English. But once she starts doing that, they might change their impression of her. As it is a «superior» language, suddenly others «take notice of you».

Here in the US from the moment she landed, people have been saying «You speak English so well». But that might come «from the ignorance that Indians don’t speak English very well». Apoorva is adamant that there are a lot of people she knows who speak much better, their grammar is «fantabulous», so she takes these comments «with a pinch of salt». She feels lucky that unlike some people who have to make an effort to acquire this language, she learned it as part of her school curriculum back in India.

Her linguistic journey continues as after 4.5 years of working in the field of Higher Education Administration Policy, she got a Fulbright scholarship to study at Teacher’s College (Columbia University).

Finally, when it comes to some tips as to how to master a language well, Apoorva believes the key is to find a way to feel comfortable in it. Speaking in any language «involves your own style». So you don’t have to imitate your teacher’s language. Once you achieve that level of comfort and whatever you are saying is perfectly right in your own head, you will be very confident. «Don’t think of it as a language outside yourself», but rather «make it your own».

∞ It was enlightening to hear about a linguistic adventure of someone living in a country where English has a different status than in mine. It is obvious that the way any language is used and treated in any given state can be subject to change, but what cannot be denied is that in general English learning and teaching experiences would be different in India and Russia.

Delving into Apoorva’s internal and external beauty as well as her beautiful English was an absolute pleasure. That was how I knew I was going to continue working on this interview project – even just for meeting such smart and truly articulate individuals as Apoorva. I couldn’t help but notice how eloquent she was and how her own individual style of putting her thoughts into words shone through during our talk. It is true indeed that a radiant personality cannot possibly be hidden – no matter what language one chooses or has to speak.

Whenever I got to meet Apoorva throughout my year in the U.S., I felt that special bond we had, which shows how coming from different countries might not matter as long as you have one language you share – even if the way you both speak it might differ in terms of pronunciation, syntax, vocabulary choices, etc.

As I felt I had gotten off to a good start with my project, I was more than ready to dive deeper into an intrinsic linguistic fabric of the Big Apple as well as my home state of New Jersey…

A humble and hard-working bilingual

(Masumi, Japan)

Languages spoken: Japanese, English, Chinese.

Field of study/career: Linguistics, Business (Baruch College, CUNY).

I met Masumi from Japan on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Coney Island, Brooklyn, around an hour’s subway ride from Downtown Manhattan. For the International Coastal Cleanup Day, One To World, an organization whose mission is to promote intercultural understanding, organized an event bringing together international students and scholars. It was a really interesting way of meeting new like-minded people, which is particularly essential during the first days of an extended stay abroad.

Getting together with a multilingual team for an environmental cause to pick up some trash along the coastline was a nice experience. At this point being in the US felt more like an extended vacation with everything being new – including the host university campus as well as the NJ and NY area. Being able to spend a day at a beach wasn’t something I believed I would do so casually and I’d never seriously thought being in NYC would allow me to do that.

Masumi must have been the first Japanese I’d ever met. She was what one would expect a typical citizen of this state in the northwestern Pacific to be: quiet, focused on the task at hand, disciplined. She didn’t participate much in any of the conversations around a dozen participants from different countries were having. But in a private conversation Masumi – which I have to admit I do as well – opened up a lot more and volunteered to be my second interviewee. As we were done with making our own humble contribution to keeping the Coney Island beach clean and enjoyed a burger at an iconic American fast food establishment Nathan’s Famous, we sat down on the beach to have a chat.

Back in Japan Masumi went to «an English immersive school» from Grade 1 to Grade 12 where all the subjects were taught both in Japanese and English. Masumi believes that was how she ended up picking up the language «naturally». At this private school most teachers were from English-speaking countries. Studying there definitely put Masumi in an advantageous position compared to her compatriots who normally start learning English during junior high/middle school through regular English classes focusing on grammar, vocabulary and making simple dialogues. Sadly as Masumi notes, as a result of such an education most ended up not being able to «produce» any English at all.

Detailing on the strengths of her language instruction back in her home country, Masumi remembers how listening was the easiest as she was exposed to English daily in her classroom. Then she gradually learned how to read and write. Unfortunately, speaking was really difficult and, in fact, she still finds herself struggling with it, which has her wondering why she «can listen but can’t produce English’. One of the reasons might have been that all her classmates were Japanese and even teachers who were foreigners could understand English so all interactions were in Masumi’s first language. Besides, she never used English outside school.

When it comes to the level of importance attached to learning English in Japan, it is not that high as a lot of companies use Japanese. But despite that being able to speak English would be «a strong point» for a job candidate as not so many Japanese people speak English well. But even without speaking it much one can work «normally».

Now that Masumi has been in the U.S. for a month, she has had more opportunities to use English as she is studying at Baruch College in NYC. Back in Japan whenever these limited opportunities to speak English occurred, Masumi used to be afraid to speak for fear of making mistakes. Being a foreigner here, she knows it’s ok for her to say something wrong.

Actually Masumi feels more confident speaking English compared to her native Japanese as in her first language she feels she cares about other people too much. As she says, in English she can be «selfish in a good way».

During this first month in the U.S. she has faced quite a lot of misunderstandings caused by her «mishearing» what people are saying. She is perfectly aware of answering some «weird» things when asked a question, but she has learned not to mind that too much.

Masumi is still too young for making a solid career choice, but she would love to use English in her future job. So, she might pursue translating or anything with «a connection to languages».

Currently she is learning Chinese, which she considers a quite important language to learn these days. On the surface, Chinese looks like Japanese, but grammar and vocabulary are totally different. Some parts of written «symbols» are a bit different, which makes it particularly confusing. At this point Masumi isn’t feeling confident enough to use any Chinese, but becoming a «good user» is part of her plan.

She believes that the most important thing in mastering a language is to actually use it. As for her own example, she feels that

her English is «showing some kind of improvement» as she uses it daily. Besides, the fact that there aren’t many Japanese people in NYC helps quite a lot.

∞ Not only was the ocean landscape against which we were sitting and talking soothing, but also so was Masumi’s manner of speaking. She seemed reserved yet totally relaxed speaking with me. What she said about rigorous language instruction back in Japan might be in line with what we believe an Asian education system to be – with a strong focus on achievement and discipline. That might in a way explain why people in Asia tend to generally feel uptight about using English for the same reason Masumi did – for fear of making mistakes… Some causes of certain linguistic barriers run so much deeper than a wrong teaching methodology indeed…

Unfortunately, we never crossed paths with Masumi again, but I would go back here to this exact spot in Coney Island quite a few times during the fall to contemplate these and many other things we talked about while enjoying my burger from Nathan’s. Even as a linguist, you sometimes feel like paying no attention to what languages are being spoken around you, but just want to listen to the sounds of the ocean waves instead…

A level-headed bilingual full of determination to succeed (Sharifullah, Afghanistan)

Languages spoken: Dari, Pashto, Urdu, English, French.

Field of study/career: Public Health (Montclair State University).

After over a month in the U.S. I became more proactive about meeting people «locally», i.e., at my host university as physical proximity facilitates longer and more sustainable connections. I met a fellow Fulbrighter Sharif from Afghanistan at an event for international students and scholars at Montclair State.

When we think about Afghanistan, news reports of never-ending war conflicts come up in our minds. But no journalistic report (even the most well-balanced one) or an in-depth research article would replace actual interactions with individuals who have had to witness and/or suffer the consequences of these atrocities committed in their home country.

It was a unique opportunity to do that while getting to know Sharif who seemed longing for company and open for new connections. For this interview we sat down on a lawn in the university campus. Despite 5 years of being a university teacher, I felt we were just students catching up in between classes having profound conversations – that was the way I had been imagining university life to be…

For Sharif learning English was a «long and steady process». He got his elementary education in Pakistan where it is the second language of instruction. Despite limited opportunities to speak, there was a lot of reading and writing practice in English.

Initially, it was somewhat difficult and even teachers themselves weren’t so good at grammar nuances. Whenever a student asked a question, the teacher switched to Urdu for giving explanations. At least a lot of opportunities to practise writing were provided. In senior classes Sharif took control of his language learning and improved his English dramatically by reading extensively outside the school curriculum and watching films.

As Sharif started building his career in Nutrition and Food Science, he found himself increasingly having to interact (send emails, make phone calls) with colleagues he shared no other language rather than English. Besides, as part of his job duties, he had to stay on top of the latest research in his field which is published in English and only considerably later might be translated into other languages.

In Afghanistan English isn’t taught until Grade 5 and 6. There are two national languages – Dari and Pashto – which everyone learns at school. According to Sharif, that might explain why English isn’t introduced earlier to avoid the pressure of teaching three languages at a time.

Unless a student in Afghanistan isn’t ready to take control of his own language learning outcomes the way Sharif did, there are some extra courses they can enroll in which are taught completely in English. That would certainly require extra time and commitment.

Dari and Pashto are both equally important in the country, but that has not prevented English from gaining increasing popularity. For example, as Sharif feels, around 30 percent of the population have some level of proficiency compared to probably one third of this number decades back. Despite the colonial past, Afghans seem to have become more «liberal» about speaking a foreign language which can now be commonly heard in social meetings. The nation’s natural resilience helps to embrace changes and do their best to incorporate the world’s «primary» language into their day-to-day lives.

Even after having worked on a few international projects and some overseas experiences, Sharif still feels his reading, writing and listening are above his speaking. He has only spent a month in the U.S., but is hoping to perfect his skills during the next 2 years he is going to spend here on his Master program.

Sharif expects English to play an even bigger role in his professional life as his is «a new emerging» field and being able to develop it in his home country will involve continuous interactions with international funds and organizations.

Sharif believes his identity certainly transforms as he switches between languages. Unlike when speaking Dari and Pashto, English and Urdu require some extra time to make up his mind on how to speak, how to react causing him to feel «caught up».

Sharif is sure his little son will grow to be multilingual as there is definitely going to be more need for that in the future. But at the end of the day, the number of languages one speaks isn’t that important.

∞ Humble but very articulate, Sharif seemed quite optimistic about the future of his country back then. We would occasionally catch up with him on campus over coffee «to put the world to rights». He actually became one of the backbones of our Montclair Fulbright group, a «community of practice» we, MSU Fulbrighters, created at our host university to stay connected. Sharif had a consistent and comprehensive approach to arranging group meetups. It seems like this «businesslike» approach to language learning has borne fruit for him. It was also so much pleasure to be able to stay in touch and have insightful discussions online after I left the U.S. a year following the interview.

«Routine» news stories become personal when you know a soul from the place where a report is being made from. I have certainly felt more involved watching reports coming from Afghanistan ever since I met fellow Fulbrighters from there.

Despite new challenges posed by more political turmoil that followed, Sharif went on to have an international career in a few more English-speaking countries.

A European’s experience with English (Milena, Austria)

Languages spoken: German, English, Slovene, Chinese.

Field of study/career: Molecular Biology.

I met Milena from Austria in one of the weekly events at my university called «Connecting Through Cultures». She was one of the very first Europeans I ran into here in Montclair. Having been to quite a few places in Europe, I still held onto this collective image of it despite being perfectly aware of how different the countries making up the EU are (linguistically, culturally and somewhat politically).

Due to geographic and historic reasons, as Russians we might have conflicting views of Europe and the West overall. In the mid-19th century two opposite groups – the Slavophiles (those believing in Russia having its own way and not follow the West) and the Westernizers (emphasizing Russia’s inferiority and the need for it to adopt the Western standards) emerged in the Russian Empire. Probably, up to this day, the Russian society is divided over how they feel about Europe in particular. I personally imagined that Europeans would have access to more educational (including language learning) opportunities compared to Russians.

So, Milena and I sat down to have a slow pensive chat on campus on a bench offering a blurred distant view of the Manhattan skyline.

In Austria it is mandatory to learn English from the 4th Grade. Milena doesn’t feel there was too much focus on grammar. Even though her native language and English are of the same language family, pronunciation is completely different, so that was a bit of a challenge. Grammar wasn’t that difficult, though, compared to that of German.

English is pretty popular all over Europe as it is the language for connecting with people from all across the world. Based on Milena’s experience, everywhere she has been inside the EU all young people were fluent in English. Older generations might not be so open and the main reason for that might be that it is easier to learn a foreign language while you are young.

Milena went to Great Britain for a week with her school where she got to speak English continuously for the first time. That brief trip helped to «get into the language». Of course, living in Europe makes it easier to get around and mostly it is the regular use of social media and watching English movies that facilitates language learning for young Europeans. That is why speaking it is «not much of a big deal» in the EU where it feels «almost like the second language».