My name is Sophia. I go to Smith. I'm a senior, and I'm taking Sinhala. And I started
taking it at the beginning of this year, so now is second semester and I'm in Sinhala II.
The main load why I'm taking my language is because I applied for a
Fulbright fellowship to go to Sri Lanka for next year. So it's recommended that
you learn the language, like obviously. How are you anticipating, should you get
the Fullbright, that that experience will be different from Spain. Okay, um, I think
it's going to be different because when I was in Spain I was with like a whole- well I was
with a program, so it was like 30 other American students. I had a- I
lived in a home say and so like everything, like the logistics of my life
were all taken care of, and then my only real responsibility was like going to
class, and like I did some volunteer work. But like this will be very different because it will be
just me and four other people in the whole country. I'm not even sure like if
they'll be more than one of us in a city. I think it's- I think we're mostly
going to be, if you get assigned to be there, you'll be in Colombo or in Kandy.
But i don't even know like what, like if I'll known anyone else, you know. So that'll be
interesting. I'm also going to be like, being a teaching assistant full-time, so
I'm going to have like a real job that I'm like responsible to people for so that's a whole
other level. And then I'm just excited, like how is like- how's cooking and like
just getting around. Like it's gonna- I'm going to be a lot more
independent. So I'm like a little nervous with that because I don't know, to be
honest like, I'm, you know, I don't know how to navigate adult life in any
circumstance, so it's gonna be really funny trying to do that in Sri Lanka.
It'll be amusing. Yeah, that was literally my experience in Morocco, I was like cooking in my
first apartment, cooking for myself for the first time, buying
groceries, and budgeting. I was like 'I don't know how to do this in English'. Yeah, yeah I don't like- and like
the whole grocery system, it's gonna be really different.Whatever like a cooking
plans, like the accommodations, I have no idea what it's like, so. Oh my gosh, so in
terms of- so do you speak Spanish, is that a second language or first language?
It's a second language, yeah. Okay, so in terms of Spanish which is what, one of the most
commonly spoken languages, versus Sinhala, which is definitely among the less
commonly spoken/taught languages. Have you taken Spanish formally in a
classroom? Yes. So what has been your experience here, even just from one
semester in Sinhala versus, you know, Spanish and all of the resources that exist. I think it's
interesting because i started learning Spanish when I was young, like when I was
like nine or ten. And so then I've kind of just been like taking it on and
off like, you know how in like middle school like language classes are kind of
like garbage, and then high school like a little bit better, then you really don't
learn till you have an immersion experience. But um, I think it was just
interesting because I've just had like, since I was younger I think, I definitely
didn't acquire it the way you acquire like a first language, but it was more
sort of ingrained so that by the time I got to college, like speaking Spanish, I
had sort of an idea of like what sounded right. And I couldn't, you know, but it was
really interesting to learn a new language like at this point, like to
start learning a language like in college because it was a very different
experience than my experience with Spanish because I'd been a lot younger.
Also it was difficult, like there's a different like alphabet just which is
challenging. I know like Arabic, that's definitely challenging.Yeah, same thing. And
like grammar structure's really different. Also learning it in the- like
conversational, just learning it with you and the tutor, and not being in a formal
classroom environment makes it different because you don't really learn like here
are the grammar rules, like here's the conjugations, like all of that you kind of like
come across those things and like sort of learn them, and then eventually you
get there. But, so that was different. One thing I think is interesting, though, that
I didn't expect is that Sinhala actually has a lot of
cognates with Spanish. Yeah, which really you wouldn't expect because Sri Lanka was
colonized by the Portuguese for a long time. And so, so like words like, like 'mesa'
it's the same pretty much. It's like a different like slightly different pronunciation,
but a lot of things like 'shoes', 'zabatos' in Spanish, and in- and in Sinhala
it's 'සපත්තු' like things like that. And I was talking to my conversation partner
from last semester and she was telling me that, you know, because of the
colonization like a lot of people in Sri Lanka have like Portuguese or like
what sounds to me like Spanish-sounding last names. And I was like 'oh really like could you
give me an example?' and she's like 'my grandmother's last name is Fernando'.
It's just like, it's bizarre I didn't expect that at all but there is.
So you didn't know that until you took the language? No, I mean I knew it'd been colonized by the Portuguese by
didn't realize it like left such as strong like language mark. Oh that's so interesting.
And that I would be able to really pick up on it, yeah. That's something you should
definitely explore if you go. Yeah, it'd be really fun, there's like a whole genre of
music too that's like, it's actually called like 'බයිලා'. And it's basically sort
of like a- it sounds like, oh, it sounds kind of like the way we think about it
sounds kind of like a fast kind of like 'polka' like it's more like a
'European style' of music and it doesn't really sound like a lot of other music in Sri Lanka
It's just, it's all like // That's called බයිලා? // Yeah // Weird. I had no idea,
I guess yeah that is- if you don't know the history, like I went to Morocco and didn't
know anything about Morocco before I- like you just apply because you want
to go there right. Um, no that's so interesting. So overall are you
enjoying or did you enjoy last semester, and this semester, and the format of the small
like, is the tutors- is that a way you learn a language or? Yeah it's a way I'm
learning definitely um, I think it just sometimes it's hard for me because I
really do kind of want to understand the rules and sometimes I can't always get
those. So that's hard. Another thing, I mean it's
hard having to do more things independently, but I think what's good
about it though is that you have to if you're in the conversation session like
you're going to be- your partners is gonna be saying things that you don't understand
and you're going to have to say things that are like wrong and in like a larger
language class like you kind of have the option to sort of like not say anything
unless you're fully sure like you can you can be more scared of making
mistakes for longer whereas you really do have to speak up and you really just
have to like sort of live in that space where you don't really know what's going
on. And so you can't be embarrassed, like you just have to say stuff, so you do a
kind of like you past that barrier I think a little sooner in the tutor
sessions rather than you would in a large classroom. That's so true you could
sit the whole semester and like just sit there quietly not understanding
anything that's going on in a big class. Or could just like, you just don't have to say anything
until like you like you think through the sentence in your mind like 'okay this is
right' and then you say it. So true. So I guess Sinhala is kind of like Arabic,
but even more so, might be kind of difficult to find material like TV shows,
songs, food, even people that speak it. So are you engaging- I mean like. // I actually, it was funny
because um so last semester my conversation partner, she was at UMass
and I was I had to go to UMass every week, which now it's ironic because I was like 'oh
I don't wanna keep going to UMass because I go to Smith', and so I actually kind of like
hunted down a Sri Lankan international student and sent her- I didn't like hung,
you know, but like I was talking with one of my friend who's like in a house leadership
position and I was just just chatting with her and she's like 'oh there's this girl in our house
she's from Sri Lanka' and I'm like 'what's her name?' So I sent her an email,
and then like now she's my conversation partner. But it's silly because now I have to take a class at UMass
anyway, but whatever. Hey, so you got her hired, look at that. Yeah so and she's a first
year too so. And the other person was a senior.
So outside of the class
are you like are you able to find are you able to speak at our engage with it
or is it mostly just like in the classroom, leave speak English. It's mostly an in the
classroom thing like I tried to find like occasionally I can find um like
songs and stuff like on YouTube and that's sort of like I listened to that
while i'm studying. I found a website that's like kind of like a constant
streaming of like Sinhala radio, I'm like 'okay, I can do this'. That is good googling I wanna try that, oh my god. It's like one random website.
Because you have to like google it in the language too that's like // a lot of songs are
written out like phonetically in English, so it's not too hard. Because sometimes I'll like-
I don't if you've ever used google with Arabic letters but i will occasionally
type it in Arabic, and it's like this whole other world of resources that I of
course I have to like read much slower. But so much exists if you actually type it in
the language. Yeah, I'm sure that would be true, yeah. Um, so I guess you can talk
about whether Spanish or Sinhala, but I'm wondering if you can talk a
little bit about how was studying a language has affected your life outside
of the language study itself. So like in terms of your other subjects, your work
ethic, who you are as a person if that's changed as a result of the abroad
experience, or just studying the language. That's probably really difficult
question. Oh no I just need to think for a second. Yeah take your time. I think that- I
think first of all like I think studying Sinhala is one of those things where
it's something like people kind of expect to study Spanish, you know, like
'this is like a language that you study, it's not gonna be like- it's not that different
from English blah blah blah' and like you expect to like achieve some sort of
proficiency in it, but I think a lot of people when they see a language that is
like really not in their language family, or especially doesn't use like like the
Roman letters and that kind of thing, like people are like oh no that so hard
you can't do that and like it is interesting, it's definitely difficult,
but like it is doable like if you really do like put attention into it and like
practice. And yeah. So I think that's been really eye-opening to see that like if
you really do dedicate yourself to it you can like
learn some of a language, you know. Um I think that, I think it's just like a
difference in mindset when you know more than one language or you study more than
one language is that I think people kind of really just- you can get really
focused and then just like all there is really is English and like what's happening
in like English media or like history and things they do the English and things like
that. I think if you study like different languages you can also see like just
even small things like differences in like grammar structure and like how you
can really exist in this sort of like different way but it's still there it's
totally still valid. I don't know, I think I think living in living in Spain was
really great, and also spending time in India too was just seeing that like
you really can live in different ways like you're- like how you like how you
study like how you go to classes, or how you spend your free time, or the foods you
eat, or the places you go and all those things can be really different, but you
can really adapt to them. Do you find that you're that you're more attuned to
that part of the world? I guess the Indian sure probably did it, but also
just studying language or you like more apt to read the news about it? Yeah like if
I hear something I yeah like I can tell you like different things that I
probably would be able to tell you before, or like my like my geography
knowledge is definitely a lot better. People will be like 'where even is that', even if
it's not like a country in that area that I've like directly studied, I'll be like 'oh it's
right there'. You know but like you wouldn't know like my radar's definitely up
like whenever I hear Sri Lanka I'm just like. Oh my god yeah, I don't think that will ever go
away now we were just talking like- I don't know if you have this experience
because again, much less spoken than Arabic, even out here. But if like I'm on the public
transit I'll like take out my headphone if I hear someone speaking and then like
be really creepy and try to listen. I definitely do that in Spanish. Yeah oh for sure, same thing.
Oh god yeah out here a lot of Spanish speakers. Um okay, so let's say that
this Fulbright thing either works out or doesn't work out. What are you, after the
year, what do you- do you have any intention of potentially maintaining this or is this
something that you see just as a short term goal. So I think um depending- so if
I get the Fulbright, and I spend the year in Sri Lanka, and I enjoy it- so I enjoy
you know like living there and I- my Sinhala skills get better, and I get
experience working there, I would definitely consider- like I want to go to
medical school so I definitely consider like coming back to the United States, going to
medical school and then eventually doing medical practice in Sri Lanka- I would
seriously consider that. At least for like a time, you know. It also just
depends sort of on like what sort of contacts I make while I'm there, like if I make
any contacts with any like NGOs or like health groups, things like that. Or if I
just get really invested in the school that I'm at and I'm like- I talked to my
friends and family like 'I might go to Sri Lanka and just stay there forever,
we'll see.' So I'm definitely open to that. Um, I think if I don't get the Fulbright-
that'd be sad, but like life will go on and I'll- I'll try to find- um it's hard to find things
to go to Sri Lanka, but I'll try, I'll at least try to visit at some point, you know. But
i'll try to find sort of like a one or two-year fellowship to do there. Is there
a reason why you chose ETA instead of research? I feel like you could have come up with a
really good research project off of like medical stuff. Yeah, I think my thing with it is
that, so I actually have a lot of teaching experience and then last
semester while I was in Spain I taught, um, I volunteered as an ESL teacher, and I
just had such a fun time. It was great, like I love- like I did it with adults.
They were just great guys. It was hilarious, and just like really fun, I
just like really enjoyed the process. And I was think about the
Fulbright before, but I really wasn't sure if I wanted to do research or
teaching, and I was like I could be good at teaching, like I could enjoy
this. So you can see yourself as a teacher someday? Yeah, or at least
temporarily. Like I don't know if I'd want to do that for like my entire life, but I definitely
want that to be like one part of my life, you know. And then also I just I had like a
research project that I was thinking about doing, but then it just didn't end up
being feasible. Um, and I just felt like unless I had something really
coherent, it was just better to go into teaching. Especially since like I
was happy to do teaching anyway, you know. Like if I didn't want to do teaching
that I would have like found a research project, but I was happy to do it so it worked out.
Do you know what level of students you have? So it looks like middle and high
school is the age group I applied for, but I'm not sure what level they'll be at? I'm
interested in hearing from you- well, I guess you have kind of a foot in both doors.
You have like the more science-y, STEM-y sort of fields and then the language, but
like I'm studying Middle Eastern studies entirely like humanities, and it would
make sense to study language. But why do you think that people, particularly those
aren't studying humanities, should study a language? So like people who want to go
to medical school, right, like do you think that it makes sense or is a good
thing for them to study language? I think it's super important to do a language for
medicine, like super important, because I think that especially if you want to
practice in the United States like more and more people like English really isn't
their primary language and it's not like- when you're in a medical situation with
someone you want to be able to be as comfortable as possible. You want to make
sure that you understand everything that's going on. So I think it's really
important for doctors. I mean obviously the highest demand language is Spanish,
but the other languages are also important too. So I think that's- I
think it's also just- if you know a language you can go places and you don't
have to feel like a creepy tourist. Like I felt- I personally felt really
uncomfortable in Morocco when I was there, because first of all I was
there in like this creepy tour group, which was a bad idea. Oh... Did you do
the camels, and you did the whole thing? The desert? Ugh. It was so bad. It was
basically like my- my study abroad program was like don't go in Morocco unless you can be in a
group because like you don't know what's gonna happen. Yeah, and it was just
like 'alright, better safe than sorry'. But it was just kind of- // You didn't go by yourself did you? // No, I went
with a couple friends and then we went on this tour group, but like the tour was actually really
funny it was like us and these like Spanish frat guys. And they were just like 'we're in
Morocco, let's go shopping', and I was like this is so sad. I thought the advantage of being on
a tour group is like you'll be like a tour guide with like historical insight and things
like that, and there's like none of that. And so I think that if you actually do
speak another language you can travel and you can get around much more easily,
and you can like feel better about yourself as a traveler. But I think also if you
ever want to like live or work somewhere else like, now it's like I could pretty
much if I wanted to move to Spanish-speaking country I could. Give me
a little more time, if I want to move to Sri Lanka I could, you know what I mean? It
opens up your horizons and also like just like meeting different
people, if they speak that language and you speak that language, like there's
automatically gonna be some sort of connection there, or just like excitement.
You know like, 'Oh my god, you speak that?', and you can talk and everything?
Like it just- it makes your life I think like a lot larger, if that makes
sense. Or like your- your options are more, and I think you get a deeper
understanding of like people and places. I think they like- I think everyone
should study language. If you really hate languages, like don't do it. But, you
know. If it doesn't like make you cringe, it can be enjoyable for sure and
important. Do you think that- this just came to me- do you think that in the Fulbright
classroom, in the English classroom, you would use your Sinhala skills? Or do
you think that you would try to avoid it and do like an English-only thing. I
think it really depends on what the school is looking for in class and what
the like, because you work with a teacher, like what the cooperating
teacher is looking for. But I think be a nice gesture, and also like it would also
just be fun like if they could have some sort of component
where like they teach me or I speak my like very rudimentary Sinhala, they
kind of like laugh. Like I think it'd kind of like make things a little bit
more open to be like 'look, I'm trying this too', you know what I mean? Like we're in
kind of the same boat, and you don't have to worry about speaking
English perfectly perfectly and that sort of thing so. Yeah. I would like to
but I'm just not sure what the school environment's going to be like.