Tibetan student interview 1

Kelsey
Sep 7
5 min read

Interviewee: "Tsering" (Pseudonym), 19 years old, Tibetan from the Tibetan area of Sichuan. A student in the 12^th grade at Rangtang County Middle School.

问：你认为自己的汉语和藏语哪一个更流利？

答：藏语，因为本身生长在藏族。

问：一般在什么场合会讲藏语？

答：在家里面或者在亲戚聚会的时候。在学校和朋友讲得比较少。

问：你的父母/爷爷奶奶一辈普通话流利吗？

答：爸妈、爷爷还可以，但奶奶有点弱。家族一般都说藏语。父母没读过书，普通话是近几年学的。

问：父母不会说普通话，和你之间会有语言隔阂吗？

答：没有。

问：学校都使用什么语言授课？学校允许课下讲藏语吗？

答：授课使用普通话。课下允许讲藏语，从来没有因讲藏语被劝阻的情况。

问：你为什么选择现在的学校（汉授）而非藏语学校？

答：因为现在最主要的是跟汉族交流，以后找工作会更方便一些。

问：你喜欢上藏语课吗？学校的藏语课和家里有什么不一样？

答：喜欢。学校的藏语课知识点更复杂一些。

问：你长大后会教自己的孩子学藏语吗？

答：应该会，因为藏语是民族语言。

问：你是从几岁开始上寄宿学校的？

答： 8 岁开始。身边的同龄朋友大多比他更小就开始上寄宿学校了。

问：上寄宿学校是自愿的还是家里安排的？

答：一部分是家庭安排，一部分是自己自愿。

问：为什么更愿意来上这个学校？

答：因为上学很好，在家里面如果没上学，一个人会感觉很孤独。

问：每天的课程表是什么样子？

答：上午四节，下午三节，然后晚自习。

问：你感觉压力大吗？

答：压力大，因为是高三。

问：在学校的饮食、健康、课余活动有什么安排？

答：心情不好时出去散散步，体育课打打篮球等。一周有两节体育课。

问：校园管理严格吗？可以随时离开校园吗？

答：不可以。需要向班主任申请，且是否批准要看请假原因。

问：你们班上同学的第一语言一般是什么？

答：汉语。

问：你们私下用什么语言交流？

答：私下在寝室里有很多语言，主要有汉语、藏语，还有地方上的语言。

问：上寄宿学校有没有让你感到难过或不习惯的地方？

答：没有，因为从小（中小学到高中）都在寄宿学校读书。

问：会想家吗？

答：不会，因为离家很近，周末父母会来看望。

问：有人说寄宿学校会让孩子跟家乡文化疏远，你觉得呢？

答：觉得没问题。

问：在寄宿学校有没有信任的老师或朋友？

答：有，最信任的是班主任。

问：感觉你们的老师怎么样？

答：感觉很好，就像我们的父母一样。

English Transcript:

Q: Which do you think you are more fluent in, Mandarin or Tibetan?

A: Tibetan, because I grew up in a Tibetan area.

Q: In what settings do you generally speak Tibetan?

A: At home or during family gatherings with relatives. I speak it less frequently with friends at school.

Q: Are your parents, grandparents, and that generation fluent in Mandarin?

A: My parents and grandfather are okay, but my grandmother is a bit weak. The family generally speaks Tibetan. My parents never went to school; they started learning Mandarin in recent years.

Q: Do you feel there is a language barrier or communication gap between you and your parents since they don't speak Mandarin fluently?

A: No.

Q: What language is used for instruction at school? Does the school allow you to speak Tibetan outside of class?

A: Instruction is in Mandarin. We are allowed to speak Tibetan outside of class, and I have never been discouraged from speaking Tibetan.

Q: Why did you choose this school (Han-language focused) instead of a Tibetan language school?

A: Because the main thing now is to communicate with the Han majority, which will make finding a job easier later on.

Q: Do you like taking Tibetan class? How is the Tibetan class at school different from the language used at home?

A: I like it. The Tibetan language class at school involves more complex knowledge points.

Q: Will you teach your own children Tibetan when you grow up?

A: I probably will, because Tibetan is our ethnic language.

Q: At what age did you start attending boarding school?

A: I started when I was 8 years old. Most of my peers started boarding school even younger than me.

Q: Was attending boarding school your own choice, arranged by your family, or mandatory?

A: It was partly arranged by my family and partly my own voluntary decision.

Q: Why are you more willing to attend this school?

A: Because going to school is great. If I didn't go to school and stayed home, I would feel very lonely.

Q: What is your daily class schedule like?

A: Four classes in the morning, three in the afternoon, followed by evening self-study.

Q: Do you feel a lot of pressure?

A: Yes, there's a lot of pressure because I am in the final year of high school (Gao San).

Q: What arrangements are there for diet, health, and extracurricular activities at school?

A: When I'm in a bad mood, I go for a walk. In P.E. class, we play basketball, things like that. We have two P.E. classes a week.

Q: Is the campus management strict? Can you leave the campus anytime?

A: No, I can't. I need to apply to the homeroom teacher, and whether it's approved depends on the reason for the leave.

Q: What is the first language generally spoken by your classmates?

A: Mandarin.

Q: What language do you use to communicate privately?

A: Privately in the dormitory, there are many languages spoken since we come from different family backgrounds. The main languages are Mandarin, Tibetan, and local dialects.