Nadia's Interview Analysis: The sibling Factor |
Although I knew Nadia before interviewing her, I learned so much from our discussion. It made me realize how important of a role siblings and family play in a hyphenated American’s ability to retain their native language. We both shared similar struggles adapting to a new culture at such a young age. However, her struggles with learning English were different from mine. I learned a lot from her experiences, and it gave me a clearer idea of which direction I wanted to take for my next interviews.
I believe one of the biggest factors that affected Nadia’s fluency in Twi is her siblings. Since she had three younger siblings who knew less Twi than her, she was forced to speak with then in English. I never felt that influence, because I am an only child. Outside of school I did not speak English, because there was no one to talk to besides my parents. Another important factor is that my own parents are not bilingual. They do not speak fluent English. Therefore, in the same way Nadia had no choice but to speak to her siblings in English, I had no choice but to speak Vietnamese to my parents. In Sammie's and Kenny's case, it was easier for them to speak in their native language with their siblings, because Sammie and Kenny have older siblings who have had more exposure to their native language.
I believe one of the biggest factors that affected Nadia’s fluency in Twi is her siblings. Since she had three younger siblings who knew less Twi than her, she was forced to speak with then in English. I never felt that influence, because I am an only child. Outside of school I did not speak English, because there was no one to talk to besides my parents. Another important factor is that my own parents are not bilingual. They do not speak fluent English. Therefore, in the same way Nadia had no choice but to speak to her siblings in English, I had no choice but to speak Vietnamese to my parents. In Sammie's and Kenny's case, it was easier for them to speak in their native language with their siblings, because Sammie and Kenny have older siblings who have had more exposure to their native language.