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Linguistic and Cultural Background: Who Is Our Interviewee?

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Linguistic and Cultural Background: Who Is Our Interviewee?

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Name: Kausaliya Sri Indran
Relation to Interviewer: Friend's mother
Background: Kausaliya was born in Sri Lanka and grew up learning how to speak Tamil and English. However, most of her extended family was located in Canada, so her family (her mom, dad, and three sisters) moved there when she was 12.

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How Did Moving To a New Country Impact Her Cultural Identity?

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How Did Moving To a New Country Impact Her Cultural Identity?

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"Although my family and I moved to Canada to be around more family, I felt as though there was more of an overall sense of community in Sri Lanka"; There is a stark difference between South Asian culture compared to that of more Westernized countries. Whereas westernized countries are more oriented around personal goals and individualism, Kausaliya felt that Sri Lanka was more focused upon building personal relationships.

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How Did Moving To a New Country Impact Her Linguistic Identity?

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How Did Moving To a New Country Impact Her Linguistic Identity?

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Although in Sri Lanka she grew up speaking Tamil with her family and family friends, she noticed a quick change in her linguistic identity after moving. The children her age all spoke English so she "felt a pressure to stop speaking Tamil, even at home"

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How Large of an Impact Did Your Cultural and Linguistic Identity Have on Your Overall View of Language?

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How Large of an Impact Did Your Cultural and Linguistic Identity Have on Your Overall View of Language?

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"Now that I have lived a full life, I more clearly see the importance of language. Language is the means of connecting to your culture and passing it on to future generations"; Kausaliya elaborated on how she regrets not speaking more Tamil once she moved to Canada, as that distanced her from her true identity. She is glad that she connected with her native tongue language later in adulthood, and was hence able to pass it on to her first-generation American children.

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How Large of an Impact Did Your Cultural and Linguistic Identity Have on Your Overall View of Education?

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How Large of an Impact Did Your Cultural and Linguistic Identity Have on Your Overall View of Education?

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"At home in Sri Lanka, education had more of an emphasis on ethics / decision making, and somewhat of an element of religious perspectives. In Canada, education was more strictly academic."; She went on to talk about how she wishes that her education in Canada was more oriented around encouraging well roundedness. However, she does feel that she received a better education in Canada compared to what she would have gotten in Sri Lanka because there was more accessibility of resources and better trained and educated teachers.

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How Does This Inform Your Beliefs About the Connection Between Language, Culture, and Education?

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How Does This Inform Your Beliefs About the Connection Between Language, Culture, and Education?

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"My cultural and linguistic identity have allowed me to figure out who I am as a person and what my core values are. This, in turn, has allowed me to develop an open-minded perspective on language, culture, and education. I believe that all three are extremely interconnected. It is important that students feel connected to their culture, and this is often done through language. When a student feels confident within themself, education often comes more naturally to them and is seen as a privilege rather than struggle. Similarly, when a student goes to a school equipped with open-minded faculty that helps students embrace their identities, students will feel more connected to their culture and language. All three elements should work together in harmony"

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How Does Your Linguistic Background Impact Your Sense of Self?

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How Does Your Linguistic Background Impact Your Sense of Self?

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When I asked her about how language impacted her identity, she said that Tamil reminds her of Sri Lanka and her childhood, which played a large role in her development. "I can't even imagine growing up speaking only English. Being bilingual is an important aspect of who I am. I believe that it shows that I possess many life experiences and have a large perspective"

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How Does Your Cultural Background Impact Your Sense of Self?

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How Does Your Cultural Background Impact Your Sense of Self?

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Kausaliya's sense of self was largely stemmed from both her environment and her own inner beliefs. Morals and ethics have always played a large role in her sense of identity. She believes that kindness and authenticity are key to achieving goodness. When I asked her where she got these core values from, she said that it was through her culture. "My parents instilled these values in me at a very young age. They got it from their parents. All my friends got it from their families too. It is deeply imbedded into my culture to strive for this goodness,". When I asked her about how language impacted her sense of self, she said that Tamil reminds her of Sri Lanka and her childhood, which played a large role in her development.

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How Large of an Impact Did Your Cultural and Linguistic Identity Have on Your Overall View of Culture?

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How Large of an Impact Did Your Cultural and Linguistic Identity Have on Your Overall View of Culture?

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"When I lived in Sri Lanka, I had a clearer connection to my culture because I was surrounded by people with similar outlooks. We all celebrated the same festivals and took part in the same traditions. Moving to a new country really tested my beliefs and made me question my culture"; Kausaliya went on to explain how her view of culture was heavily influenced by her external environment when she was a child. However, as she grew up, she had a better picture of what culture meant to her. She now describes culture as a set of morals that she lives by.

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What Advice Would You Give to Teachers to Foster Growth in an Academic Setting? (Part 2)

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What Advice Would You Give to Teachers to Foster Growth in an Academic Setting? (Part 2)

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"Teachers are figures who directly possess the power to mold our next generation. It is important that these teachers be equipped with the proper knowledge and skills on how to help children of color feel comfortable with their culture"

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What Advice Would You Give to Teachers to Foster Growth in an Academic Setting?

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What Advice Would You Give to Teachers to Foster Growth in an Academic Setting?

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Here are some tips that Kausaliya has for teachers:
1) Truly try to get to know the students by encouraging them to talk about their culture and what their life at home or in their native countries is like.
2) Don't punish or discourage children from speaking other languages. This could make them feel inferior compared to their peers.
3) Try to get students to embrace their culture or identity by having them share about themselves. For example, teachers could have little activities to celebrate cultural festivals such as Diwali.