Nazia Pasha- Journal #6

1) As of right now, I am well informed of our topic because my main idea for my inquiry essay is closely related to it. I have researched and gathered knowledge about every aspect of bilingualism, making me very well rounded in it.

2) Because I understand my topic frontwards and back, I feel very comfortable with it. I am confident that I would be able to successfully conduct this project with my peers.

3) Other than what I already learned through my research, I would like to get actual, personal input, from students of this university, as well as the faculty, about whether or not learning a new language is significant. This would make this project more realistic and relatable. I would also want to personally find out whether or not my research could be applied to real life situations in front of me.

4) In class, I found several classmates that have interest in the same topic, regarding language and culture. Through this common interest, I felt more connected and more familiar to my classmates. I enjoyed the fact that I was not alone, or alienated.

The great thing about my topic is that it is directly related to me. I am bilingual, and I grew up with two different cultures- American and Bengali. Because I myself am a subject of those I am researching, I would be able to verify research and other personal opinions about this topic. I could also be a part of the sample of students we collect data from, allowing me to insert as much data as I possibly could.

5) I believe that learning new languages and becoming bilingual, rather than monolingual, is beneficial for all. I believe that learning a new language would broaden one’s horizons and expand cognitive capacity, of which I learned through my individual research on this topic.

6) I believe this topic focuses on at the least, bilingual people- people who know more than one language. It could also include monolingual people’s opinions as well.

7) We are going to be receiving our data from the student body of Virginia Tech, as well as the faculty-language department. The student body could be divided into those who are monolingual, and those who know more languages.

8) I believe that I specifically fit into the student body category, and under the subdivision of bilingual speakers.

9) My group mostly consists of cultured people who are able to speak two different languages; therefore I would say my group is a part of the bilingual subdivision of the student body. We are not sure if we are the dominant culture until we follow through with more research about the students here at Tech, for now we would be the marginalized culture. If we were to be looked upon as the marginalized culture, it would not make us think differently about our topic- we would still believe that learning new languages is important and can only enhance one’s life experience.

10) While interviewing or surveying the subject group, we must remember to remain unbiased in our questioning in order to receive the most accurate results. As a group, it is also important to keep track of the data and make sure the information is reliable and strong enough to support this project.