Tibetan student interview 2

Interviewee: "Jamyang" (Pseudonym), 15 years old, Tibetan from the Tibetan area of Sichuan. A student in the ninth grade at Rangtang County Middle School.

问： 你认为你的藏语和汉语哪一个更流利？

答： 应该是藏语，平时就用藏语交流。

问： 一般在什么场合会讲藏语？

答： 家里或者在学校私下和朋友交流时。

问： 你的父母一辈/爷爷奶奶一辈普通话流利吗？

答： 父母普通话还算可以（上过一点学），爷爷奶奶不怎么会。父母是从小时候开始学普通话的。

问： 父母不会说普通话，和你之间会有语言隔阂吗？

答： 没有。

问： 你们学校一般都使用什么语言授课？学校允许课下讲藏语吗？

答： 授课一般是普通话。学校允许课下讲藏语，没有因为讲藏语被劝阻的现象。

问： 你为什么会选择汉语学校？

答： 因为这边汉语是主流，以后找工作也方便。

问： 你喜欢上藏语课吗？

答： 喜欢。

问： 你长大后会教自己的孩子学藏语吗？

答： 会学。

问： 你是从几岁开始上寄宿学校的？你身边同龄人情况？

答： 从小学一年级开始。基本上同龄人都在这个年龄上寄宿学校了。

问： 你们选学校的标准是什么？

答： 离家里比较近（家长放心），最好是名声好一点的。

问： 上寄宿学校是你自愿的还是家里安排的？

答： 自愿的。

问： 你们每天的课程表是什么样子的？

答： 早上四节，中午四节，晚上七节（基本是自习）。

问： 你们一共有哪些课程？

答： 语文、数学、英语、藏文、物理、化学、政治、历史等。

问： 感觉压力大吗？

答： 压力大，因为老师抓得比较紧，希望考上好的高中。

问： 在学校的饮食、身体健康和业余活动有什么体验？

答： 饭菜还好，业余课（体育课等）也挺好，每周有三节体育课。

问： 你们学校的管理是什么样子的，可以随时离开校园吗？

答： 不可以随时离开。必须向班主任请假，且理由必须正当。

问： 班上同学的第一语言是什么？你们私下用什么语言交流？

答： 班上同学最流利的语言是藏文。私下基本就是藏语，也说一些汉语。

问： 上寄宿学校有没有让你感到难过或者不习惯的地方？

答： 没有，基本没有。

问： 你会想家吗？

答： 偶尔在校园会想家。

问： 有人说这个学校会让孩子跟家乡文化有疏远，你会怎么看待？

答： 应该不会，因为我们这边学校就建得离这些村庄非常近。

问： 父母会来看吗？

答： 会，每周基本都会周末来看。

问： 在这所学校有没有遇到信任的老师或者朋友？

答： 有。

问： 感觉你们老师怎么样？

答： 老师非常关心我们。

English Transcript:

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

A: It should be Tibetan. I generally communicate using Tibetan.

Q: In what settings do you generally speak Tibetan?

A: At home or when talking privately with friends at school.

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

A: My parents' Mandarin is alright (they went to school for a bit), but my grandparents don't speak it much. My parents started learning Mandarin when they were young.

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

A: No.

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

A: Instruction is generally in Mandarin. The school allows us to speak Tibetan outside of class; there's no instance of being stopped from speaking Tibetan.

Q: Why did you choose a Mandarin-focused school?

A: Because Mandarin is the mainstream here, and it will be more convenient for finding a job later.

Q: Do you like taking Tibetan class?

A: Yes, I like it.

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

A: Yes, I will.

Q: At what age did you start attending boarding school? What about your peers?

A: I started in the first grade of primary school. Basically, all my peers started boarding school around that age.

Q: What are your criteria for choosing a school?

A: Being relatively close to home (so parents feel at ease), and preferably one with a good reputation.

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

A: It was my own choice.

Q: What is your daily class schedule like?

A: Four classes in the morning, four in the afternoon, and seven sessions in the evening (mostly self-study).

Q: What subjects do you have in total?

A: Chinese (Mandarin), Math, English, Tibetan, Physics, Chemistry, Politics, History, and so on.

Q: Do you feel a lot of pressure?

A: Yes, there's pressure because the teachers push us quite hard; they want us to get into a good high school.

Q: What is your experience with the school's diet, health, and extracurricular activities?

A: The food is okay, and the extracurricular classes (like P.E.) are quite good. We have three P.E. classes a week.

Q: What is the management like at your school? Can you leave the campus anytime?

A: I can't leave anytime. I must ask the homeroom teacher for permission, and the reason for leaving must be valid.

Q: What is the first language of your classmates? What language do you communicate in privately?

A: The most fluent language among my classmates is Tibetan. Privately, we mainly speak Tibetan, and some Mandarin too.

Q: Is there anything about attending boarding school that has made you feel sad or unaccustomed to?

A: No, basically nothing.

Q: Do you get homesick?

A: Occasionally I feel homesick on campus.

Q: Some people say that this school will cause children to become disconnected from their hometown culture. What do you think?

A: I don't think so, because our school is built very close to the villages here.

Q: Do your parents visit?

A: Yes, they basically come to visit every weekend.

Q: Have you met any trustworthy teachers or friends at this school?

A: Yes, I have.

Q: What do you think of your teachers?

A: The teachers care about us a lot.