Djackson Interculturalinvestigationproject

DEVELOPING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE 1
Derek Jackson
October 20, 2018
Developing Intercultural Competence: Agency, Parallels, and A Sense of Belonging
Introduction
Intercultural competence is a phenomenon that is the focus of world language teachers as
cultural themes are explored in and outside of the classroom. A shift from fact memorization,
intercultural competence allows individuals to work outside of their own constructed societies
and communities. The purpose of this paper is to explore intercultural competence with relation
to agency, parallels, and a sense of belonging through language-learning and identity
construction via immigration. This paper attempts to answer the question: How does a person
develop intercultural competence through cross-cultural experiences?
Informant
The informant for this project is a 32-year old middle school Spanish teacher in my
school district. More importantly, she is an immigrant from Croatia who fled the Bosnian-
Herzegovinian War to escape ethnic persecution. Her journey to the United States began after a
few years as a refugee in Germany. This upbringing and immigration led to several
opportunities for development of intercultural competence through personal experiences which is
a primary reason for selecting her for this research investigation. The constant moving
throughout her childhood led my informant, whom I will refer to as “Nina” in this paper, to
develop a personal identity intricately crafted through a multitude of experiences.
Background
The informant of this investigation is someone who has explored several cultural
differences throughout her childhood that gave her numerous opportunities to develop
intercultural competence. Therefore, it is appropriate to establish a definition of both culture and
intercultural competence. First, this project will use a comprehensive definition of culture
described by Liddicoat and Scarino (2013) as “a framework in which people live their lives,
communicate and interpret shared meanings, and select possible actions to achieve goals” (p.
22). Additionally, Norton (2000, as cited in Liddicoat and Scarino, 2013) noted that culture
“varies with time, place, and social category, and for age, gender, religion, ethnicity, and
sexuality” (p. 22).
As for intercultural competence, this paper will explore ideas related to the notion that
“Intercultural competence means being aware that cultures are relative and behaviors are
culturally variable” (Liddicoat and Scarino, 2013, p. 24). Likewise, the definition as stated in
Byram et al. (2002) is equally important to add to our understanding of such a complex
phenomenon. An individual’s “ability to ensure a shared understanding by people of different
social identities, and their ability to interact with people as complex human beings with multiple
identities and their own individuality” will also help explore the cross-cultural experiences that
developed intercultural competence (p. 10).
Finally, an overview of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian War is appropriate to establish an
adequate background on Nina. As a part of the aftermath of the break-up of Yugoslavia, a war
broke out amongst the citizens of the newly established territories of former Yugoslavia.
Muslim, Serb, and Croat populations fell in numbers as several members of these communities
emigrated. When Croatia and Slovenia received independence and recognition of the European
Community, which eventually became the European Union (History.com Staff, 2009), Bosnia-
Herzegovina followed suit and was also given recognition. However, because the Bosnian Serb
populace felt as though they were not heard in the decision making of gaining independence and
E.C. recognition, attacks on Sarajevo commenced the start of the civil war. Lampe (2018) states,
“Serbs were the primary perpetrators and Bosniaks were the primary victims” and Croats were
divided on both sides. Studies claim that about 100,000 people were killed in this war while
more than 2,000,000 people were displaced during 1992-1995 (Lampe, 2018). “My dad is
Croatian and my mom is Bosnian” (Lines 152-153); therefore, Nina and her family were among
those who fled to avoid persecution and possible death.
Methods
Information gathered in this project came from two ethnographic interviews with Nina.
We first met in school to establish a safe and familiar environment to share ideas and thoughts in
relation to my questions. The first session lasted about forty-five minutes. The second session
was held at Nina’s house. Based on some of the themes that I wanted to revisit from the first
interview, I thought it best to work in an area that would allow her to relax and open up more as I
asked more personal and specific questions about her upbringing, language-learning experiences,
and identity construction throughout her life. This session again lasted forty-five minutes. Those
interviews were recorded using voice recording software on my iPhone and then transcribed
using an online transcription software called Transcribe (https://transcribe.wreally.com). After
reading through the transcripts for accuracy, I began to notice themes related to language
learning: an “Us. Vs. Them” mentality, immigration, and being American. As Taylor-Powell
and Renner (2003) discuss in their article on coding, classifications can emerge from the
information once the data has been reviewed and coded into various categories (p. 3). More
specifically, I used a process called pattern coding as described in an article by Saldaña (2012).
Within the pattern coding process, I predominately relied on focused coding which is
“categorizing coded data based on thematic or conceptual similarity” (p. 151). Then, I organized
these quotes into three overarching categories of agency, parallels, and a sense of belonging.
These categories form the central themes of this paper.
Discussion
Before developing an argument about Nina’s journey toward developing intercultural
competence, it is important to understand her childhood as it relates toward this development.
Nina was born in Croatia in a time when it was part of the former Yugoslavia. The fall of
Yugoslavia led to her family’s decision to leave Croatia and move to Germany. Once here, Nina
continued her primary education in a new school. Her language skills landed her in an English as
a Second Language (ESL) course in Germany. She learned German alongside English while still
engaging in Croatian conversation with her family members.
After a short period of living in Germany, it became apparent that Nina and her family
needed to move again, as their stay in Germany had reached its expiration because “the German
government did not grant us…like a full-on residency” (Lines 125-127). Like many immigrants,
an opportunity to apply for immigration to the United States became a reality. Nina’s family
received an acceptance to the U.S. and began their journey to immigrate to another country.
Nina and her family lived in Michigan where she learned English, again in an ESL classroom,
and began her study of Spanish. Through this study, Nina developed a passion for the Hispanic
culture and language and pursued a career-path in undergraduate school to allow her an
opportunity to share her love of language learning with others.
These instances along with many others provided a foundation for Nina to experience
intercultural occurrences as well as develop an identity deeply impacted by these phenomena.

Furthermore, Nina’s developed intercultural competence led her to explore culture and ideas
beyond her understandings and create a blended world for herself and her family across several
individual cultures.
A Lack of Agency
Korhonen’s (2014) definition of agency includes ideas about personal choices made
based on social, interactional, cultural, institutional and other factors. These choices can be
influenced by an individual’s perceptions, behaviors, and goals (p. 67). In Nina’s life, several
instances of agency, or lack thereof, are evident, most of which were imposed on her rather than
carried out based on her personal choices.
Schumann’s (as cited in Holliday, Hyde, and Kullman, 2016) study focused on two
factors that lead to learning additional languages: social distance and psychological distance. His
study concluded that “the degree of social solidarity between the two groups will affect how a
second language learning group acquires the language of a particular target language group (p.
119). Additionally, ‘language shock’ and ‘culture shock’ were components of the second
language acquisition. Holliday, Hyde, and Kullman (2016) note that learning a second language,
“especially when it is ‘forced’ upon an individual through a move to a new language-speaking
community” can be linked to issues of culture and identity (p. 119). On the contrary, Nina’s
recollections of her language learning experiences through immigrating to Germany and the
United States did not mention any kind of culture shock. However, Nina recalled that
“obviously at first it was very strange for me” (Line 15) and “I was a mute, I think, for like at
least six months to a year, I mean I did not say anything… [language learning] was just
absorption” (Lines 21 -22). These lines depict an adolescent immigrant trying to make sense of
her family’s necessity to move from her birthplace to an unknown territory. Then, through
“absorption”, as Nina calls it, Nina began to learn language and overcome the psychological
barriers that Schumann (1976) identified as a major factor in second language learning.
Throughout Nina’s childhood, she was not able to make choices for herself in language
learning or educational gains. Having been born in Croatia, her parents fostered the Croatian
language in her at an early age. “Croatian was their mother language, so they just talked… they
predominantly use that” (Lines 62-63). Even to this day, Nina and her parents will converse in
Croatian even though she “never received exposure to the academic language. Everything after
second grade is from my parents and their communication” (Lines 90-91). This pressure to
continue to use her native language even though her “comfort language now is Spanish and
English, because I’ve been speaking them for a long time…” (Lines 86-87) does not give Nina a
personal choice as to which language she would like to use when speaking to her parents which
illustrates her lack of agency in language use.
From infancy to early primary school, Nina was exposed to the Croatian language from
her parents and family members. After fleeing the war-torn country to Germany, Nina began to
learn German and English in her new school. Nina began learning English in an ESL classroom
that mainly consisted of refugees like her. These students were taught in haupt schule – a school
designed for students that were non-college bound and had language deficiencies. This school
was chosen for her by her teachers; however, one of her teachers questioned why Nina was in
that school and started the process to have her moved. Again, Nina did not have much of a
choice in the matter, and the process to move to another school, gymnasium, began in order to
gain a better educational experience. This process was put on hold when Nina and her family
received an acceptance letter to move to the United States (Lines 541-542).

Finally, Nina continued her English studies in Michigan. She was taught in an ESL
classroom that “looked like a small closet. The teacher used pictures and repeating the English
over and over again” (Lines 45-46). When she moved to a new high school before the start of her
freshman year, Nina’s choice in language learning was denied again when her new high school
only offered Spanish as the foreign language graduation requirement instead of the desired
French course. “I was actually signed up to take French I in ninth grade, and we moved during
the summer to a different [smaller] school district” (Lines 241-242). This caused Nina to enroll
into Spanish courses, a choice that was forced upon her by course limitations within her new
surroundings instead of her own free will and desires.
Through immigration and course offerings, Nina was not afforded an opportunity to learn
language in a way that she would have liked. She was forced to learn German, English, and
Spanish outside of her native language of Croatian. Although she was not able to choose these
educational opportunities for herself, it’s the Spanish language-learning that developed an
identity construction that enriched her intercultural competence. Therefore, Nina was able to
establish agency with her continuation of Spanish studies beyond the high school graduation
requirement into her adult life.
Recognizing Parallels
The ability to make connections between one’s own cultural identities and those around
him or her is just one aspect of intercultural competence. The comparisons made can reveal
parallels between two distinct entities. These parallels can make the transition between the
native culture and the target culture more seamless. For Nina, noticing the parallels between her
established identity as a Croatian and her studied cultures of Spanish-speakers provided an area
of exploration with great reward.

Throughout Nina’s educational experiences, she was able to see similarities and
differences between the cultures in which she grew up. The one that stuck out to her the most
was between the Croatian and Spanish cultures. She noted that these similarities are easily
visible because of her lifestyle today. Married to an Ecuadorian-American, Nina has spent
approximately twelve years embracing the Hispanic culture and language. She stated that “the
first connection was with music” (Line 338). Nina’s speech was more animated as she recalled
the first time she heard Shakira, a Latina singer/songwriter, on the Video Music Awards in 2001.
“It was the video… Best Latin/Spanish video or something like that… I was like ‘Oh my gosh,
this is amazing; I need to look this up!’ So this was in the time of Napster… Shakira Ojos así…”
(Lines 345-356). Nina’s ability to tell this portion of her autobiography was electrifying. Her
eyes lit up and her excitement could not be contained in her body as her hand gestures and body
language shifted to allow for more animation. She continued “I have found the connection
[between Bosnian culture and Spanish culture]…pretty much the passion for life, music,
language, people…all that is like parallel” (Lines 330-333). Then, Nina surmised that “It was [a]
super easy [connection]” (Line 335). Although Nina is relating norms of the Spanish culture as
she perceives them to her own upbringing, she begins to touch on the idea that her first
connection to the Spanish culture was through high culture described in Liddicoat and Scarino
(2013) as “art, literature, music, etc” (p. 18). While this kind of exposure has been the go-to for
language teachers to explore cultures in the classroom, it does not allow students to go beyond
memorizing facts (Liddicoat and Scarino, 2013). However, it did provide a starting point to
ignite an interest in the Spanish language and culture which ultimately led to Nina’s decision to
become a Spanish teacher.

Another parallel that Nina made throughout our interview process between her native
culture and that of Spanish-speakers is the presence of the family at the center of everything.
She noted that it is super important for her families to get together and converse and just be
together. Nina once told me that she shares almost every meal with her in-laws because of the
closeness of the family. She also feels that living in a Hispanic relationship for over twelve
years, she is able to see the connections between the importance of family. “The whole way of
life of family involvement…there’s an American stereotype that when you’re 18 years old,
you’re going to move out. My mom would never say that to me, you know? And that’s the kind
of culture I come from… you could live with me into your 50’s, because you’re my daughter,
you’re my son. I can never get you out” (Lines 923-927). This statement shows the parallels
between the two cultures because she is referencing her own mother’s beliefs in raising a child as
well as noting the tight-knit togetherness of a traditional Hispanic family dynamic. Therefore,
Nina’s understanding of values within some Spanish-speaking communities mirrors her personal
upbringing which allows her to develop more sense of familiarity as she adapts an identity within
her husband’s Ecuadorian-American family. Finally, Nina concludes, “…the family comes first.
You do family before friends, before everything. That is ingrained in me so much…”(Lines 929-
930). It is my belief that it is this parallel between cultures based on family values that allowed
Nina to establish a sense of belonging within her studies of the Spanish language and culture.
A Sense of Belonging and Identifying as American
Holliday et al. (2016) summarize othering as reducing people to a particular defining
characteristic, separating them, and refusing to understand their values and beliefs. They
elaborate on this concept to include stereotypes, culturisms, power, and patronization (p. 23 -33).
When reviewing Nina’s insights on her childhood language-learning experiences and

immigration, a continued theme of being categorized into various groups was discussed multiple
times. The descriptions of these events led me to believe that Nina experienced othering in ways
where she was included and excluded based on phenomena that were out of her control. This
exposure to othering allowed Nina several opportunities to increase her skills of gaining
intercultural competence.
First and foremost, Nina experienced othering when living in Croatia. As previously
mentioned, her ethnic identity caused strife throughout the feuding territories of the former
Yugoslavia, and Nina’s family sought refuge in a more safe and accepting environment. Nina
stated, “…the war was an ethnic war. There was a lot of issues between people who moved and
this mentality of ‘you versus them’… a lot of them didn’t have that mix of Croatian and
Bosnian” (Lines 648-650). Being mixed between two differing national groups led the family to
leave the war-torn homeland and begin anew in Germany.
One of the most prevalent instances of being ostracized from her community was in
Germany. Nina recalled a specific incident of being called an ‘Auslander’ in opposition to
native-born Germans. “They are very nationalistic, and they actually have a word for [others];
they kind of call them ‘Auslander’ which is kind of like saying an outsider or not from here”
(Lines 203-206). This is a literal example of othering where an “us vs. them” construction is
made between two different groups. With this identifying term being in the German language,
immigrants cannot assimilate into a community of native speakers, because they are reduced to
be identified as someone who is not like them and does not belong. This notion limits a person’s
ability to develop intercultural competence as a denial of access to an inner community is
preferred and executed with the use of this term.

Holliday et al. (2016) suggest that “the struggle for identity is connected to border
activity – how they are being seen by people who do not know them” (p. 31). The reference to
boarder activity simply means that an individual is acting between two distinct cultural boarders.
Another example of Nina being judged for being a stranger in Germany was with her primary
schooling. She explained that after early elementary school, students were separated into three
different schools that had separate focuses for its students. Nina was recommended to go to
haupt schule “because of my language limits” (Lines 512-513). The school officials identified
Nina as a student who needed additional supports of her language deficits. Furthermore, Nina
explained that “haupt schule was a school for non-college bound students who still need certain
skills like English” (Line 530). This kind of othering had a direct impact on Nina’s education.
Her inability to attend a school designed with rigor for students headed to college limited her
chances of educational gains. Fortunately for Nina, a history teacher in haupt schule identified
Nina as a student wrongfully placed and began the process of having her moved to real schule,
the school for college-bound students. However, as fate would have it, the application for
immigration to the United States was accepted, and Nina and her family moved before the
transfer could be completed. I thought that maybe the process of identifying students into
various tracks would establish a power over various communities. For example, I asked Nina if
she thought that the other students that were in haupt schule with her were fellow immigrants or
blended families. She exclaimed, “Yes!” (Line 549). When I continued with that revelation, I
asked Nina if she thought that they were being separated from native speakers as a way of
providing a specific type of education for college-bound students to receive ‘better’ jobs over the
other residents of Germany. She stated, “I don’t know that; I don’t know that” (Lines 554 &
556). She did conclude that, “A lot of [immigrants] wouldn’t know any better…” which
increased my thoughts of separation of immigrants from native speakers. Nina continued to
repeat that she did not know if the recommendations for schooling were purposeful in intentional
segregation or if they truly were for the best interests of the students. Nina’s critical cultural
awareness shows that as an adult who has experienced various forms of discrimination, she
cannot definitively state that the educational system in German discriminated against her or not.
Yet another way that a sense of belonging is denied when students are segregated based on
academic achievement and possible educational placement.
A sense of belonging became evident while critically analyzing the transcripts when I
asked if Nina felt that she was American. She grinned from ear to ear and delightfully
responded, “Oh, that is a good question…” (Line 279). I prompted her by saying that there is not
a right or wrong answer and that I was curious about her identity having lived in the United
States for almost twenty years at the time of the interview. She concluded that she was and was
not American. She felt the U.S. is “a country that has accepted me and the way I am” along with
the idea that she has earned her citizenship “on a piece of paper” (Lines 283-284). Here we can
see that Nina identifies as a member of a larger group of people based on her merits of earning
dual citizenship upon immigrating to Michigan from Germany. When she stated “the way I am,”
I can see her connections back to Croatia where people like her, mixed nationalities, were not
accepted and needed to find refuge in another location while here in the United States, Nina
presents the idea that people of mixed nationalities are more accepted. She continued with this
notion when she acknowledged that “America is a Melting Pot” touching on the idea that the
United States is a place of blended cultural identities united together (Line 302). In my etic view
of these statements, I questioned whether Nina felt more included based on her physical
appearance of being Caucasian with blonde hair and blue eyes (Lines 384-385). Nina
responded, “I think for me it’s because I am white, blonde, and it could be because of that…”
(Line 391). Although she recognizes that there are issues in the United States with acceptance of
immigrants (Line 389), Nina feels as though she has been accepted regardless of her previous
labels as immigrant and refugee. In this way, Nina feels like she belongs in the United States
and considers herself American.
In opposition to feeling American, Nina notes that she still identifies as Bosnian-
Croatian. In many ways, she still maintains this identity as to pay homage to where her family
comes from (Lines 286-287). Nina explained that the values and beliefs that her parents instilled
in her during her childhood are a direct reflection of the cultural values prevalent in Bosnia and
Croatia. For her, this upbringing had a way of establishing a strong foundation of experiences to
provide “fond memories” of her time growing up in Croatia (Line 301). One way that Nina
maintains her Bosnian-Croatian identity is by frequent travel to Croatia to visit family members
and the grave sites of deceased friends and family (Lines 309-314). She does this to instill a
sense of importance for her daughter who is the first native-born U.S. citizen in her family.
While being American is very important for Nina, creating an environment for her daughter to
explore the multi-faceted heritage of her families is equally important to her. “I want her to
identify as American. And it will be our job to expose her to our cultures… I want her to feel like
she’s at home and I want her to feel like ‘this is where I’m supposed to be’” (Lines 439-441).
For someone who is culturally rich in heritage and upbringing, Nina’s intercultural competence
allows her to value and have skills to explore various cultures and provide opportunities for her
daughter to discover her heritage through travel and language learning establishing a sense of
belonging not just as a United States citizen but as a member of several international cultural
groups moving seamlessly among each distinct group.

Conclusion
In conclusion, Nina’s intercultural competence seems to have been established through
her constant need to migrate to escape persecution. Throughout this immigration, Nina was
forced to learn language for survival and to establish a sense of herself as she created a new
identity in each location that she once called ‘home’. Agency, parallels, and a sense of
belonging allowed Nina to make tremendous growth in her intercultural competence and
establish herself as a respected citizen of the world. It is with this foundation that she hopes to
instill a sense of belonging and identity construction for her daughter. Nina stated, “you kind of
take the best of both cultures and you pick and choose the best… and almost create a third
culture” (Line 936 – 941). That process is the development of intercultural competence which
world language educators can strive to emulate within their classrooms.

References
Byram, M., Gribkova, B., & Starkey, H. (2002). Developing the intercultural dimension in
language teaching: A practical introduction for teachers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.
History.com Staff, (2009). Bosnian Genocide. Retrieved from:
https://www.history.com/topics/bosnian-genocide
Holliday, A., Hyde, M., & Kullman, J. (2016). Intercultural communication: An advanced
resource book (3rd edition). New York: Routledge.  
Korhonen, T., (2014). Language narratives from adult upper secondary education: Interrelating
agency, autonomy, and identity in foreign language learning. Journal of Applied
Language Studies, 8(1). pp. 65-87.
Lampe, J. (2018). Bosnian conflict. In Encyclopedia Britannica online. Retrieved from
https://www.britannica.com/event/Bosnian-conflict
Liddicoat, A. J., & Scarino, A. (2013). Intercultural language teaching and learning. Malden,
MA: Wiley.
Taylor-Powell, E. & Renner, M. (2003). Analyzing qualitative data. Madison, WI: University of
Wisconsin System.
Saldaña, J. (2012). The coding manual for qualitative researchers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Schumann, J.H. (1976) ‘Second-language acquisition: the pidginization hypothesis’ in Language
Learning 26 pp. 391-408, reproduced in Brown, H.D. (ed.) (1995) Readings on Second
Language Acquisition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents, cited in
Holliday, A., Hyde, M., & Kullman, J. (2016). Intercultural communication: An
advanced resource book (3rd edition). pp. 119-120. New York: Routledge.
Appendix
Intercultural Investigation Project

Complete Transcripts
Interview #1
Interviewer: INT Informant: SRT
INT : When you first came to the United States, tell me about your learning language
differences between here and Croatia.
SRT: Okay well I have to go back to actually there was a middle point which was in
Germany. . I had schooling and Croatia and then I had going in Germany and then I came to
the US. Actually, English is my third language so it wasn't even a second language so you
know I learned English… actually I started learning English in Germany. So one of the
biggest differences was my teacher in Germany taught me English; she taught me the British
way, so she's say I will always never forget you have to say <<orange… orange>> you never
,never say “can't” it's <<can't>>. you know so I had to learn the British idioms and their way
of saying it, and being here obviously at first it was very strange for me, but I was like okay
all right, but then I was put immediately into an ESL classroom…
<laughter>
INT : In Germany?
SRT: No no no no
SRT: In Germany it was full but they really didn't have that, they didn't have any programs
for me, so I was in 3rd grade. I like went right into… I was a mute I think for like for like at
least 6 months to a year, I mean I did not say anything it was just like absorption of just
language. I didn't have any friends or anything I just like went to school and the good thing
is, I mean it's elementary levels, so I mean you are kind of learning a lot of the things with
them… with the other students, I mean the language, I mean obviously was very… the
immersion part was really how I learned German.
INT : Okay
SRT: It was basically through immersion.
INT : Was it a dual-language school? With German / English? Or was it just full-on German?
SRT: No. Just German. So when I got to fifth grade is when they started learning English…
it was just like a little like class for like an hour a day…
INT : So you mentioned moving to Germany and third grade so you started your education in
Croatia?
SRT: I did first and second grade.
INT : So you had first and second grade…
INT : …and there was no like Preschool..like like kindergarten or preschool or anything like
that?
SRT: No, there is nothing like that.
INT : So you start right away in like 1st grade?
SRT: Yeah
INT : So what is what is your first like tell me a story about your first time you remember
learning either German or hearing all of the German or even learning English and then
hearing all of the English for the first time.
SRT: Oh my goodness. I have to go back…I remember; I remember being in the ESL

classroom when I was first you know came to the US, I remember being like a very small
almost like a closet, and I remember the teacher showing us always like pictures… like we
do like a visual… and I just remember like visual things and just started repeating the English
words over and over again. I mean a lot of it was for me at that point repetition but actually a
very interesting story that I will never forget is that when I first moved to Germany before I
started school… cuz I actually moved to Germany in the summer, so I didn't start school until
the fall… I remember my parents had a dictionary… they actually, they had a dictionary, but
in the front of the dictionary there were numbers, and I remember teaching myself
numbers… how to count in German from 1 to 1000 by repetition, so that was like my first
really, like exposure to the language before I even learned the alphabet I just learned… I
learned how to count; that was like one of my first things that I did.
INT : Do your parents at the time, like in your household were they speaking predominately
Croatian or a little bit of...
SRT: Croatian. yeah.
INT : German or...no?
SRT: No German. No they didn't… well you know what? They… they never spoke… they've
never spoken the language that we were living and, you know, the country that they we were
living and they always had their native tongue; they always… Like Croatian was their mother
language, so they just talked… so they just always predominantly use that. Like now my
mom will sometimes speak to us in English cuz, especially my sister, I mean my sister
moved here when she was in second grade, I think, so she was very little, so English is like
her main language.
INT : Her main language. Okay.
SRT: And so she'll like speak to her in English, but for with me for example she'll speak to
me in Croatian and...
INT : Why do you think that is? That it's mainly Croatian?
SRT: I don't know. I mean for them it's their comfort… I mean they feel more comfortable
expressing it. You know my dad, my dad speaks well too, but he's not very comfortable, I
mean he'll understand everything, but he just does it…he's not very vocal to begin with. My
mom is, I mean so she can she can definitely communicate everything you know whatever
she wants, but she I think the comfort goes back and...There's another funny thing I want to
tell you..
INT : Perfect!
SRT: Whenever I find myself nowadays counting like even if I'm like in the classroom, at
home, I'm counting anything past like 10. If I'm counting to something like 30 if I'm keeping
track of something or counting money or whatever I always count in Croatian it's like the
weirdest thing ever!
INT : Really?
SRT: Yeah, I can count in English, I can count in German. I can count in Spanish, but I
always go resort back to Croatian. I don't know if that's the easiest thing for me or if it kind
of goes back to like what I said with them like their easiest language is their comfort you
know so they go back to that and for me my comfort right now is… really I would say
English and Spanish are my comfort, because I've been speaking them for a long time
consistently and even though you know Croatian is my native tongue for some reason I can, I
can still converse with them, but past second grade I never academically you know….
Really… you know what I'm saying, had the exposure to the academic language and stuff
like that. Everything after second grade is for my parents and their communication.
INT : So you had no formal language learning experience of Croatian?
SRT: Yeah, yeah.
INT : So you mentioned English, German, Croatian, Spanish… Are there any other
languages that you speak
SRT: That's it <laughs>
INT : That's it?! <laughs>

INT : Okay alright so far good… Okay, okay so you mentioned your parents speaking
Croatian and your mom will speak to you in English and your dad does Croatian. Where do
your parents live now?
SRT: They live in Florida.
INT : In Florida? To this day, do you know if their interaction with each other is that in
English or...?
SRT: No.
INT : It's in Croatian?
SRT: Fully Croatian always.
INT : And do they have jobs that of which they would need to interact in English or…?
SRT: Yes they do, yes they do, they both do. So they speak English separately.
INT : Outside? Okay…
SRT: Yeah. I mean they speak English too; I mean like whenever my… like Jonathan's
family comes over because they don't speak Spanish, so yeah so they, so they will come and
they will speak English, but they to each other it's Croatian.
INT : Very cool.
SRT: But you have to understand, they moved they moved out of their country when they
were… I’m trying to think… they were, I think like well into their mid-30s, you know, so
there were very well established.
INT : Okay. And that was based off job relocation?
SRT: The war.
INT : The war?
SRT: Yeah, There was a war. the Bosnian Herzegovinian Civil War in Yugoslavia.
INT : Okay. So they fled...?
SRT: Fled the war to go to Germany,
INT: and from Germany what was the deciding factor to come to the United
States? Continued War?
SRT: We were… well no not continue to war but the German government did not grant us…
they did the thing where they would renovate a work visa every 6 months but they didn't give
us a like a full-on like… like a residency...
INT : Citizenship or whatever?
SRT: Like even like a green card you know or… We left everything behind, like we literally
left everything so didn't want to go back because of the persecution of ethnic groups… and
plus no job outlook. Now you know my dad was in the military...
INT : Starting over?
SRT: My dad was in the military and the military dissolved because of the war, so there's
really nothing for us left so we, we just decided to… well my parents decided….to try to see
what was the… what was… what other opportunities were there and the possibility of
applying for coming to the US.
SRT: We have family, we actually have family in Canada so we were going to go to Canada;
we wanted to move there… They actually live in Quebec, in Montreal. And… But in Canada
you actually have to go with, with capital. They ask you to if you're going to come you have
to have a certain amount; there is no like… and we didn't have anything so another option
was an application to the US so it was like…I remember it I will never forget it was like a
50-page application that had to be fill out all in English and my English teacher at the time
would come to my house. My mom had asked her to come to my house, and she would come
at night to my house and help my mom write this application in English… so like my mom
might have to like she would have to write her whole story, her whole life story how she…
you know… what led her to leave Germany and all of that and then the application gets
processed, and if you got accepted, you have to start going to these like orientations, and they
teach you like life, and they taught us. They pretty much tell you what to expect life in the
U.S. is like… ‘Do you know where do you want to live?’ Like you could pick
anywhere. Well my parents knew some people who had already been through this you know
because a lot of refugees… we're not the only story…. Hundreds of thousands of people
from Bosnia really because Bosnia was where the war was really situated because my dad is
Croatian as my mom is Bosnia and that was the issue so with a Serbian last name, my maiden
name, that was a big problem so...
INT : Okay...
SRT: …my, my parents decided it was best to leave. They had friends in Grand Rapids who
had left like a couple years before that they were already there that's what they chose they
chose Grand Rapids, Michigan. so that's how they kind of what they do is called a I will
never forget it it was a bag a plastic bag that my mom had to carry around the airport that
said “ION” and what they do is this organization who does it and I don't know what “i-o-n”
stands for, I can look it up, but I don't know what it stands for ,but I will never forget it
because it's like a white bag with a blue… and it has all of your documents, and it's so when
you travel you have to travel with it but you, you have to pay them back. They pay for your
tickets and you have to pay them back and there was like there was a local Catholic charity
who helped us. They helped with houses; they gave you… like they actually give you an
apartment where you can stay. They pretty much, pretty much start you off you know, and
they gave my parents like some very like low-level jobs and opportunities and stuff, and they
can start off and…
INT : What age was that that you then officially made the moved out of Germany into the
United States?
SRT: It was 1998 or so, it'll be 20 years this year… yeah in August.
INT : Wow
SRT: Yeah,
INT : And when you learned of like being in Germany obviously you had some schooling in
there, so how many years was that of your living actually in Germany?
SRT: That was four years.
INT : So you had four years of your adolescence living in Germany. Did you ever at one
point think, try to think back, that you thought okay this could be my forever home or this is
where I'm going to live the rest of my life?
SRT: Oh my God, yeah I wanted to. I wanted to. Because that's where my friends were
that's what I after you know after I was a mute after I actually learned that… I mean, I
learned it pretty quickly because of the immersion you know that you know happens fast
especially when you're young… the third grade… I learned German pretty quickly.
[00:14:35]
SRT: …and I developed a group of friends. We had a place where we lived and I have the
neighborhood friends and, and I loved …German is very near and dear to my heart, as you
know, I love Germany. Um probably because of that reason but we would have stayed there
and, think about it, I've been back to Croatia and to my family it's not that far you know like
6-7 hours drive from where we used to live.
INT : so when they said that you have to leave did you ever think like but I'm here; I'm one
of you; I'm part of what it is to be here?
SRT: yeah yeah
INT : I'm doing your things, I'm speaking your language, I'm doing what is what how do you
conceptualize that I guess as a child and even looking back on it knowing what you know
about language learning as a teacher of language how do you process that?
SRT: I mean as honestly as a child I was like 12 years old I think at the time...
INT : Well 12 year olds know it all… we know that... <laughs>
SRT: I just, I remember feeling I was felt really sad it was one of the saddest days of my life
really, because I didn't want to leave… like none of us wanted to leave. Not any of us four
and you know we had our life there we were wanting to stay there… we didn't have any
plans of coming here you know that was not our plan, and like you said even though I felt
like you know I kind of belong there, I had German friends...in Germany, there is a big still
like they’re kind of a very nationalistic, and they actually have a word kind of… like…
trying to think in Spanish to see if there is one that we would use… but they have a word for
they kind of call them Auslander which is not not from… kind of like almost like saying an
outsider or not from here...
INT : Outcast?
SRT: Not Outcast but people who are not German... you call them Auslanders.
INT : Okay.
SRT: And I was an Auslander you know because I was not German and that I feel sometimes
like that I did. They have a big Turkish population there and even though there was a… I
think in the forties or the fifties they had a time where they actually bring them in for cheap
labor, but then after they kind of almost actually regretted it. and the now, there are so many
of them that they have pretty much mingled with in the you know what I'm saying like there's
a lot of like Germans and Turkish.
INT : Mixed ideas and cultural norms?
SRT: And even like marriages and stuff like so obviously become part of Germans, but the
Germans still that's why I was kind of surprised, you know? When that thing came out to...
remember the Syrians. and when they said we will accept all these refugees?
INT : Yes.
SRT: …and I remember that clearly and I remember saying that it's only time until they, you
know, they send them back, because that's how I know Germany like they'll accept them, and
then they'll say like there's a time limit. you know. you have this much time then you …you
know you have to either move on or we will pass you along.
[00:18:31]
SRT: I mean I'm very, very grateful for Germany you know and what they've done for us of
course but did I ever feel like a German not really… you know. I was a child though, my
parents probably…they would probably even say more so that they didn't feel like a German
just because it's kind of hard although we, we tried to integrate a lot we didn't have a lot of.
friends. Actually my uncle lives there and he still lives here because he was there before the
war and so he and his wife got a job as a nurse, so she was able to stay. It's enabled her to
stay… it was a different situation it was not a refugee situation so that's why they are still
there they're actually citizens. well she is I don't know if my uncle is.
INT : Okay.
SRT: As far as for me like I'm grateful that I was there but now looking back at all that at the
time I was not very happy but now I’m content and things happen for a reason.
SRT: So move on.But I'm grateful that I'm here.
INT : So, life in the United States… you come to the United States and you start learning
English you're living in Grand Rapids, Michigan and then where does Spanish come from?
SRT: Spanish comes from… actually a funny story is I because I started, I didn't start till 9th
grade because that's where it was, you know, required and you kind of have to take a
language, and I was actually signed up to take French 1 in ninth grade, and we moved during
that summer to a different School District; it was a little bigger than Onsted, but kind of a
rural area and only language offered was Spanish, so guess where I was? In Spanish class,
and here we are now.
<laughter>
SRT: So my first for some reason I really don't know why I wanted to take French, just
sounded cool at the time, so it was, and then when I started learning Spanish there was just, I
don't know why I wanted to learn French, I don't understand, but it was exactly where I was
supposed to be, and I took it one through four; so I did it every year you know, and I had a
Cuban teacher like this little Cuban Sra. Dykgraaf and she was my upper level teacher, but I
love them all… but she was like the reason, you know, the reason I learned Spanish…
INT : And when you went to University you chose Spanish?
INT : Well I actually I tested out of 3 college classes I'm so I went to the higher level and I
had a great professor she was also Cuban, but that was in Florida, and I went to college in
Florida. So I did a minor in Spanish is really what I was. So I tested out of three classes I did
three others ,but it wasn't technically a minor I actually had to finish up at Siena Heights
University, because it was not like a full on minor. It wasn't like a full-on minor I guess,
because they only had so many classes because it was a very small college so I did it with Sr.
Conklin, and I finished my minor with him and all the other classes that I needed.
INT : Super. You have your Spanish minor, you’re teaching Spanish, you're married to an
Ecuadorian…who is Ecuadorian by right or United States citizen? Dual citizenship? How
does that work?
SRT: Dual citizenship.

INT : Dual citizenship, so he...
SRT: You are really always a dual citizen unless you revoke your citizenship. So I'm
technically still a citizen of Bosnia and the United States, because that's where I was born but
it was actually formally Yugoslavia.
INT : So your husband was born in the United States?
SRT: No he was born in Ecuador.
INT : And then his family moves.
SRT: When he was 8
INT : When he was 8?
SRT: We both are US citizens
INT : And did you go through the application process to become a citizen?
SRT: Yes. We both did.
INT : So my next question is somewhat loaded and that's okay. ? Do you consider yourself
American?
SRT: Oh that is a good question. Well you know.
INT : There's no right or wrong answer I'm just curious, because now you're a citizen, so like
what does that mean for you?
SRT: For me, I can honestly say yes, and I can say no. Because… yes because I do identify
myself as American, because I have it on a piece of paper but it's more than that because it's a
country that has accepted me and you know the way I am so yes and that's * yes
SRT: In the other sense of the culture piece, I would say not completely because I very much
identify myself still with my culture. You know that I'm still very proud Croatian and
Bosnian because that's where my parents came from so like. You know what I'm saying?
INT : How does it differ?
SRT: How does it differ?
INT : When you say that you identify as a Bosnian and Croatian what does that
mean? What ideas do you have? It can even be images that can be thoughts. When you say
I'm just as much Bosnian as I am American.
SRT: Yeah
INT : Yeah explain that to me because I don't know what Bosnian means other than I know
you as a person what does that mean to be Bosnian.
SRT: There are certain things that I was raised with like different like values and like beliefs
and values and how I was brought up you know and a lot of that has to do with the fact that I
went through a war and my family and I went through a war, and I was also brought up many
years without my parents that's a whole ‘nother story but while my parents were in the war, I
was actually living in Croatia with my grandparents for almost four and a half years.
SRT: …to me like I identify myself a lot because I have a lot of fond memories and just. I'm
not saying as far as American viewpoints like I know that America is a Melting Pot, you
know, I understand but what I'm thinking of like also the location… I am very much a
Croatian, because I'm thinking and picturing in my mind because that's where I have some of
my fondest memories I think that is really to what it comes from… is just where, where are
you like you know where your heart was… where you… where you have… I don't
know. Experience some of the best things that you have your favorite people in your life.
INT : you grew up there
SRT: …your grandparents are there you know they have their tombstones there by the right
by the sea and they're… both of them have passed away but I just identify myself there as
well because I don't know if that will ever go away from me and maybe for my daughter it'll
be different because she is next generation so it looks a lot different for her for me I very
much identify with over there because I got a lot of my family is still there most of my family
is still there so and I go there as much as I can so.
INT : So I want to take that who you are as a Croatian and who you are as an
American... who are who are you as a Spanish speaker? Because that's your fourth
language, and we know taking on learning a language is the language teachers you
sometimes construct a different person you are. Sra. Tobar to everybody in this community
so what does that mean to you and how do you construct that person...?
INT : You know...
INT : In your experience.
SRT: One of the things that I because of you know people are always ask me "oh you speak
so many languages". and I always tell them it's all…nothing was by choices…at the only
choice I had was Spanish really and even that was not a choice for me it was forced upon
me.
INT : You didn't even choose that one!

SRT: …but Spanish in the end because I did choose to continue. In the end what I really
wanted as a top choices. I really identify with the language because I love the culture of
because a lot of the things that is true of the Spanish culture is true of the Croatian and
Bosnian culture and I think because of the lot of the similarities I have found the connection,
and I have been able to have that, you know, personification the personified… you know
“here's the Spanish teacher” and I have that. pretty much like the passion for
life, music, language, people all that is like parallel.
INT : Wow so it was an easy connection for you?
SRT: It was super easy
INT : We naturally gravitate towards places that are similar or comfort and Spanish that was
something that
SRT: My first connection was with music.
INT : Okay
SRT: What's Spanish like Shakira.
INT : Oh tell me about Shakira. So music like Shakira? Tell me about what was your first
experience with Shakira… on the radio? in class?
SRT: No.
INT : No?
SRT: Video Music Awards.
INT : The VMAs ?
SRT: 2001. Ojos así.
INT : And she was performing?
SRT: Nope! It was the video. It was the Best Latin / Spanish it was like the best Spanish
Video or something. because it was the category… actually I think it was the regular
Grammys. I was like. It was the song of the year. the music was played in the video, I heard
the song, and I was like what is this and I was like “oh my gosh this is amazing I need to look
this up.” So this was in the time of Napster....
<laughter>
INT : Oh yes! Oh God.

SRT: Napster! Shakira Ojos Así. since then and all the albums later I literally bought every
single album of hers and it was just like every single lyric of hers I translated… this was
before internet on our phones and stuff …like I would just do this on my own...
INT : So I'm curious to know, you translated from Spanish to which language?
SRT: English.
[00:31:10]
INT : Because you were still in High School… 2001… yes?
SRT: Yes.
INT : So… but not back to Croatia and not back to German?
SRT: No and you know I've been here for almost 20 years like I said, think about it, I mean I
revealing my age but I'm 32, so 12 years I've had almost 20 and English… English has been
pretty much… English and Spanish almost have been the longest languages that I have
spoken consistently, you know, on an everyday basis. You know because, school because
you know interactions with people.
INT : Okay
INT : So. Sra. Tobar. Sitting across from me. You identify as American. And Croatian.
SRT: Yes
INT : Little bit of Spanish influence between the two. What American things do you feel
other than just having the paperwork what else is at about being American…?
SRT: The American thing for me is the fact that in this country we can all live for the most
part I've not experienced any type of adversity like I understand that we have issues to here
but coming from a place where they judge you by your ethnic background and different
thinking coming from that kind of environment and coming here where they don't really look
at your last name and say "oh you know you're Serbian so you're this"... and the fact that
were can accept people for who they are and not for what they say you know what kind of
last name they have or what they choose to speak. For the most part I think we're pretty
accepting, so I think that part of that the acceptance of others and just the… the welcoming of
all these people from different … different backgrounds.
INT : Do you think that's more for you because of the way you look because you look more
European with the blonde hair and blue eyes or when you say acceptance...
SRT: Yeah...That could be...

INT : Just because we also are having issues with immigration but within that there's
underlining racism and things like that so.
SRT: I totally understand.
INT : So I guess for you personally
SRT: I think for me it's because I am white, blonde and it could be because of that and also
because I've experienced nothing but acceptance and I totally understand that. but I think we
also need to realize that, yes we do have issues but when talking about you know, the war
there are across in different parts of the world that we don't necessarily know we're not really
aware of things that go on… like I want…. fully you know like you'll get killed
because.... you. just very like trivial things that you would never do that for. You would
never think about that year and with different ethnic backgrounds you know like you're from
Ohio and I'm from Michigan so we're going to have a war because you're from Ohio and I'm
from Michigan and that's really what happened in my country. and they didn't act like
cleansing that way because you're from Ohio and you're getting rid of all the Ohioans…
SRT: Coming from that and coming here, yes we have issues, but I see it from a different
perspective because I see it was an extremist
INT : From what end from the Spectrum you've moved to a different area of the spectrum so
it's different eyes.
SRT: Yes overall I do see acceptance. and yes there are some there are always will be some
kind of issues, and I don't think we'll ever have a perfect country. I mean we can definitely
have different sets of like you said perspective and the way we do and handle things I
definitely think especially coming from me as an immigrant and me as a refugee I definitely
have the passion for obviously coming here legally the way I did. I do have a passion for that
too because I think that people should be allowed to do that, because I had the opportunity to
do that and I did it and I was able to be here because I didn't want to go back to my home
country because there is nothing there for me. I would not have all that I have here I would
not have that opportunity to go to college because maybe I could not have afforded
it. Because you can't go to college if you can't afford it if you don't have the capital. You
know the opportunities here are just…people dream about coming here, people that I've
talked to… people that I know and other countries they dream about living in the US people
dream about it and it's just when you're living here. Yeah you know we have our bad days
and we have a bad things that we do as a country as a people but we have one of the best
places on Earth to live.
[00:36:58]
INT : So my last question for you and you can answer it in park today and will do a follow-
up in like a week or two.
SRT: But your daughter, comes from several backgrounds,

INT : Yes.
INT : You've talked about them from your perspective. I know about your husband's
background as well. What is important for her to know when she you know is growing up
and she says she looks in the mirror and she thinks who am I?
SRT: Wow. Yeah, that's a very. Um. That's, that's something… how do I say… different
multi-faceted question where a lot of different things………. I mean for me I would want for
her to be... I'm going to, I mean we already have, I mean she speaks Spanish at home now,
and she speak Spanish mostly, and we don't really speak English to her, but I think I want
her to know that her parents came from a different place. But even though she is the only
American born, she's the only one who could actually from both sides of the family born in
the US she's the first one, knowing that, that's pretty powerful, but to me because I'm
like, you know, like you said “who will she identify with?” and that's for me I would hope
that she would think that she is part this and part that. I want her to identify as American.
And it will be our job to expose her to our cultures, and I think we will do that because we
already have been doing it we already have taken her to Croatia or taking her to
Ecuador. That will be definitely something that's a part of her life so how she identifies later
will really be like you said, I want her to feel like she's at home and that's really what I want
for her… and I want her to feel like this is where I'm supposed to be.
<<crying>>
INT : I'm sorry.

Interview #2
INT: Okay so the last time that we met we were talking about your application from
Germany to the United States, and you mentioned your teacher at the time coming over and
helping your mom with the application. So can you describe that experience again so that we
can dive a little bit deeper into that experience?
SRT: Yes.
INT: Like what do you remember?
SRT: I remember that my mom was considering this process and of course she did not know
of anyone who spoke English so the only person that came to her mind was my English
teacher at the time. And I'm not quite sure who recommended her it might have been
someone at the school…but it was some kind of recommendation, and then she got in contact
with her. She ended up being a very close friend afterwards.
INT: Okay
SRT: She became obviously more of a relationship because of that connection with our...
with our family because she got to know us on a different level. I just remember as a
child…it's weird to me because I kept thinking ‘what is my teacher doing at home at
night?’ that was from my perspective, you have to remember I was like... I'm trying to
remember how old I was... 9? 10? No, no, no no, I was 12.
INT: Okay.
SRT: Because it was toward the end of my time in Germany. Yeah.
INT: So was this a very common practice you would say? So like native Germans were
helping the Croatian immigrants fill out applications or...?
SRT: I... don't think so...
INT: No, you think this was an individual, unique case?
SRT: This was a special... yes! Definitely!
INT: Okay. okay. Do you feel like that was done in secrecy or like it was okay…? It wasn't
accepted thing? At your house obviously that's a private space instead of doing it out in the
open? "let's talk about these things that happened; let's get your story on paper"
SRT: It was…I don't think it was a secret thing, I think it was just the logistics of my mom
not being able to… move. I think it was scheduling. I can't go to the school so the best thing
for you to do is to come to my house, and her saying that is just fine.
INT: Yeah. Okay.
SRT: You know? It was just one of those things that the teacher just wanted to help.
INT: Right.
SRT: And it was you know for my mom, I remember like she would cook her dinner, and
you know, the way she could repay her because we didn't have a lot of money, so like the
way she could repay her was with food and with other different things.
INT: Right. Like a bartering system.
SRT: The cultural. It was a cultural thing.
INT: Okay. So your teacher was a native German.
SRT: Uh.. yes.
INT: And so, she was teaching you English, but German as well in grade school and then
helped and communicated with your mom in what language?
SRT: In German. my mom spoke German.
INT: Your mom also spoke German?
SRT: Yes so she spoke to her in German and then translated everything she would tell her.
INT: Got it. So then let's go then to where you were talking about you remembering you had
to leave and you had to leave everything behind you and leave your friends..
SRT: Yeah.
INT: Do you have any specific like remembrance of telling your friends goodbye or having
to explain to them what was happening or why those things had to happen?
SRT: Yeah. I mean, I have a friend… I just talked about her to my husband the other day....
for some reason I forgot how she came up but... she comes in my mind a lot because she was
actually a friend who I met, I think I told you about that whole thing in Germany with its
schooling system how after 4th grade you kind of divide? Did I tell you that?
INT: No. Why don't you tell me a little bit about that.
SRT: After 4th grade there are three types of schools that you go to filter into like K through
4 let's say you all go to the same kind of Elementary building but then after when you go into
5th grade kind of like Middle School, you actually go into three different schools. There
is gymnasium, real schule, and haupt schule. So there's three types of schools, and my best
friend I met her when I was in third grade and fourth grade and she was actually my
neighbor. she ended up being my pretty much my next door neighbor and so her and I would
always hang out. She had an older sister, her name was Veda and her sister was Anna, and
the two of them were really close to my sister and I and we would always hang out together
and we went to the same Elementary. But when it came time we did go... so in 5th grade we
did go into separate schools she went to gymnasium and I went to haupt schule. Another
reason I went to haupt schule was because I didn't know any better and haupt schule was
more for like the kids who just wanted to... it was the General School. Gymnasium was for
kids who were college-bound, and the reason they put me in haupt schule was because of my
language limits.
INT: You had limited language? Not because...
SRT: I was still learning German. So they had put me in haupt schule, but like I said that
was more of a recommendation. And she went to gymnasium and I went to haupt schule so
we went to different schools, but we were still like best friends and we would always hang
out. Because we lived right pretty much next to each other. I do remember with her just
because we were inseparable, we did our first communion together, we attended the same
Bible classes together, the classes where you had to have for communion and stuff, so we
were really close, and I remember that leading up to it where she knew that I was leaving and
we were both super upset. And at that time, I couldn't believe it. I had to leave my best
friend behind and it was very hard. And her and I were both, I mean it was super hard for the
both of us, so I do remember us both crying and just being upset. I do remember that.
INT: So you're talking about the lower school, the general school...
SRT: Yes...
INT: You went there because of your language deficiencies...
SRT: And that was more... and I'll tell you about that school. That school is where I learned
English and I wouldn't say it's you know it's not necessarily the lower one but it's more for
non college-bound think of the non college-bound kids who still need certain skills so they
teach you a lot of skills they're so like how to sew and how to do different things like like
English was one of the classes that I had there. it was a lot of interesting things. Then there's
real schule. Real schule is more like a trade school so it's more specific to specific
trades... more like machinery stuff like that...
INT: Yeah.
SRT: I mean once I did go to the fifth grade there when I was there and everything I clearly
remember one of my social studies teachers then, I will not forget this guy because he was an
older guy who would always eat Ricola... do you know Ricolas?
INT: Yes.
SRT: He would always eat Ricolas every single day, and he once told me he said, "Irena, you
don't belong in this school." He told me “you don't belong in this school”. He was the one
who kind of almost started the ball rolling with me going to transfer to the gymnasium.
INT: Yeah?
SRT: Yeah.
[00:08:41]
SRT: But I had moved before that had... before it happened.
INT: Right. Were there other immigrant families students who were put into your school
with you as well…?
SRT: Yes!
INT: ...versus the other one? because of the language deficit...
SRT: Yes!
INT: …and not because they were immigrants? so it wasn't like they were trying to
separate...
SRT: I don't know that.......
INT: You don't know…?
SRT: I don't know that.
INT: okay.
SRT: I don't know that, but I remember, I clearly remember this kid, he was Turkish, and
there are a lot of Turkish immigrants in Germany.
INT: Yeah you mentioned that.
SRT: I remember this he was like a troublemaker. and I try to stay away from, but he was
clearly he was always making trouble. And I didn't tell you this earlier but my uncle, the
reason we lived in that city was because my uncle had moved there and I think I did tell you
that..
INT: Yes! Mm Hmm.
SRT: …and his kids went to that same school haupt schule.
INT: Okay
SRT: But they actually did not switch to gymnasium they were through haupt
schule. Yeah. So I don't think either one of them attended College. And they ended up
staying, they might have stayed or transferred to haupt schule or real schule. the thing about
the school system is that you can transfer at any time between any of the school so you are
not limited.
INT: You're not on a specific path... and that's the path that you follow until...
SRT: You are not limited, so you could jump like if you were starting in gymnasium and I'll
spell that for you. It's spelled like gymnasium. Gymnasium. It's like a College Bound… for
college-bound students. But if you, say, try that a year and you said, you know, that's not
really for me you could go back to real schule or haupt schule.
INT: Very cool.
SRT: Yeah.
INT: Interesting. My thoughts were that maybe their way of separating... if it wasn't
intentional… separation of German citizens going into college so that they get better jobs or
better, you know, opportunities in life… but then take the immigrants and put them in a non-
college bound track so that they couldn't surpass and succeed, but I wasn't aware that you're
allowed to hop back and forth...
SRT: Oh wow. You're allowed to change... I never ....thought... of that....
INT: …in and out of trade school because those people would then become the workers for
Germany but not be...
SRT: A lot of them wouldn't know… you wouldn't know any better, you know, like let's say
your parents didn't know any better… so I was going to be in haupt schule and nobody ever
told me…let's say my teacher never said, “hey you should go to gymnasium.” Like if you
would have never told me that I would have never known… I really would not have an ever
known... Like. Oh... why did he say that I should go to gymnasium, you know? Because
he saw the potential in me and he saw something different...
INT: Right.
SRT: But like you said maybe you know it would have allowed for the Turkish guy or you
know my cousins, you know, never made it to gymnasium. So… I don't know.
INT: It's interesting. Maybe we'll never know how they set that up or why they set it up the
way that they did.
[00:12:25]
INT: So you moved then to the United States after this application was filled out submitted
ready to go.
SRT: Accepted yes it was a whole process where we had to get a letter of acceptance.
INT: Right. And you talked about this bag of documents that you had to carry around can
you describe again what does that feel like when you have to be ushered around in an
airport or through security with a specific item to identify yourself as we're not from
here. Do you remember going through the airports and having...? Yeah?
SRT: <nodding> You know at the time it didn't matter to me, like I didn't care...
INT: Because?
SRT: I didn't care...
INT: Because?
SRT: At that time we were just happy to be coming here, so it didn't even matter you
know. Because we weren't the only one with bags... so that was the other thing there were
other people with bags. So we didn't feel alone in that process so I think that helped but
looking back at it, okay you know we were identified. Like that identified us for everyone.
"Oh, here they are. They're the immigrants," you know. I mean looking back at it ...not that
I really mind... but I really can see that I wonder if they still do that or how they do that
process now... like it used to be a bag this big. <motions with hands about 16x20 inch
space> white and blue all over it.
[00:14:10]
INT: Okay so you mentioned in the last interview as well that when you were in Grand
Rapids in grammar school, that you never felt like ostracized, like you are not part of the
group. Can you define... can you tell me about a time when you were like, ‘I feel like I'm
one of them like I've grown up here, like I've been here my whole life’, or a time in school
when that happened or time when it didn't happen?
SRT: Uhhh... you know that's very interesting because when I first moved to the US, I was
in the school, I went to Forest Hills for Middle School. I was there with a lot of the same
kind of people like immigrants. people with the same situation as me with where they came
from. Most of them from Germany but a few from Croatia / Bosnia so there I was part of the
group. There they were, they’re immigrants because I was in ESL... it was the circle I was in
because we just moved here.
INT: So your peers in your ESL class were essentially people that also were refugees from
the war?
SRT: Yes.
INT: Okay
SRT: So that was the initial, you kind of come here, and you sort of make friends, and their
parents are friends with your parents, and it all just kind of comes together because you share
the same language at first, and you know you have a lot of things in common. But then I
moved to… My summer before freshman year, and that is when they kind of changed,
because I moved to a different school district. And in the new school district, there was no
one from where I came from. No immigrants or refugees. So at that point that's when I
integrated more with the Americans you know that were really natives to the area so I didn't
really have any immigrant friends at that point.
INT: Did you maintain any connections with those kids from your ESL class as like a type of
support group or just once you move schools because sometimes it's out of sight out of mind
you... those relationships got lost?
SRT: You know it's really interesting part is that the reason that I think that a lot of those
friendships…fizzled? Whatever you call that... pretty much go away.... because of me
being Croatian and Bosnian because a lot of them or just Bosnian and they didn't have that
mix because the war was an ethnic War there was a lot of issues between like even these
people who moved from there some head still this mentality of "you versus them" you know
what I'm saying so because of that I think because of my specific... most of the refugees
necessarily were not from parents who were Croatian and Bosnian where I was more of a
unique case in that sense so that there were a lot of friendships that kind of fizzled away
because of that. So because... I really didn't mean to hang that many I mean there were some
but not really, I mean, I am still Facebook friends with some of them today but that doesn't
mean anything...
INT: So when you lived in Croatia did you receive any type of... negative interactions
because you have Croatian and Bosnian Heritage living in Croatia?
SRT: I didn't personally because I was a child but my parents did...
INT: They did?
SRT: Yeah, my parents did.
INT: Do you remember anything specific or just...
SRT: I mean, even like with my own family members my grandma was against my dad
marrying my mother and she even after how many years I must have been 7,8 years old and
she was still talking about it and my grandpa said, “she's the mother of your grandchildren...
we don't say that...”
INT: Interesting, okay.
[00:18:56]
SRT: In Caledonia I felt like I had a group of friends that were all American. Yeah so I did
answer that question completely. Okay. I thought I didn't answer that question.
INT: So learning about... American culture. What was your, was it full immersion when you
came to the US and you are like BOOM! this is what American culture looks like or did you
have snippits when you were in Croatia or even in Germany or...? Tell me about when you
first learned like this is what it is: American culture. This is what American culture looks
like.
SRT: Oh my gosh... well again I don't think it really fully was immersed until I was at the
other school in Caledonia because...
INT: In 9th grade?
SRT: …in 9th grade because then I was still around people that were not fully immersed in
the culture because I really think that you can live here and not fully immerse yourself
because there's a lot of people who stick with their own kind. Yeah they live here but they
don't really interact with one another with Americans per se. So I think when I first… I mean
I had a friend… I didn't drive while I was in high school, so I have a lot of friends in our
neighborhood we lived like in the same set of condominiums, and I had a lot of friends who
actually, tragically died when she was 27 years old... but that's a tragic, awful story. She was
diagnosed with a brain tumor...yeah. She was one of my best friends growing up so
she... Her sister was my sister’s age, and I was her age and the four of us hung out a lot so
with her I mean and her family... I was invited to certain things like… like the first time I
heard about University of Michigan football game was when I was hanging out with my
friends ‘cuz I never heard of or watched a football game and obviously in high school, I went
to high school football games and that whole thing… you know what, the homecoming and
all that.
INT: Yeah
SRT: That school culture really helped. It was like hanging out with my friends and going to
a lot of things like four wheeling and things like that but I really didn't do before.
INT: So those were your first experiences of American culture?
SRT: Culture... yeah!
INT: What does that feel like when you experience something like that because you have a
big smile on your face but like what...?
SRT: Yeah I mean because I had never knew about it before and so it was kind of fun and it
was a lot of fun it was different because I didn't grow up camping, I didn't grow up 4-
wheeling, I didn't grow up watching American football. I grew up watching soccer and
tennis. Not American football. It was just that I don't know, the culture of like... the town
was like always everything revolves around school a lot of times in the Friday Night
Lights. I really got the full experience of that, and I lived in like "Hicksville" Michigan.
<laughter>
SRT: It was really like everyone like was the same it was not very diverse at all. But I love
my experience in Caledonia is a great school, and today they're one of that a still one of the
really good schools in that area… so I loved my experience there.
INT: Very cool.
[00:23:01]
INT: So then connecting some of that stuff to you when you were learning Spanish... and
you made mention that the Spanish culture and the Croatian culture are very similar for their
appreciation of people and music and food and togetherness.
SRT: Yes. Family.
INT: Do you find that you gravitated towards Spanish even more than say completing the
high school graduation requirement based off of that familiarity? Would you say that it was
almost like snippets of being at home and experiencing your home culture, and your
background, and your childhood but only in a new place and a new way?
SRT: I mean… analyzing it more, I never really thought about it that way. I always saw
similarities but I never really thought about it like you're analyzing it. And now thinking
back at it, thinking back at it yeah definitely I think… I think there was a big part of it, and
obviously being good at it. And when you're good at something you like to keep going
because you're like ‘oh okay’.
INT: Well you speak four languages... so, so it's another one, bring another one on!
SRT: No, I think that with Spanish being my fourth one at that point I had really, I think, I
kind of almost got the feel of here's how you learn a language. It felt pretty easy for me
maybe because German was a pretty difficult language to learn. And English was a really
difficult language to learn, you know, I'm still learning English today so still don't feel
100%.
INT: Us native speakers learn English every day as new words are invented all the time, so
that's a normal feeling!
SRT: Yeah.
[00:25:05]
INT: I want to talk about teaching. Your role as an educator. And we touched on this the
last time but it's about like your ability to relate to students and to get them to have some type
of cultural awareness.
SRT: Yeah.
INT: …of who am I in this community in this environment and then who am I in relation to
the individuals that also either think like me or speak like me or do things like me. What are
some things that you do in your classroom to help promote these practices?
SRT: I mean, I always try to have my students be aware especially teaching culture I always
try to have them to be open-minded, to definitely, like this is us, and the world is this and it's
much bigger than us. I try to share some of my experiences with them, they want to see what
I've experienced you know to kind of almost like enticed them a little bit to say like “oh it's
possible you can see the world you can speak more than one language it is possible.” You
know? Like I really, I don't know like the awareness... I feel like I tried to create it even
though it's difficult at times because you have students who have never been out of the
country.
INT: Out of the state!
SRT: Yes out of the state so creating that for them it is difficult without taking them
anywhere. You have to be intentional about showing them and sharing with them the
experiences as simple as music and dance and different like different stories and you know
the cultures... and I think having trips for us…for, you know leading those trips really kind of
almost bring that full circle for me.
INT: Do you feel it's harder for you to teach about your non-native culture?
SRT: What do you mean?
INT: So Spanish is not your native culture...
SRT: Oh!
INT: So do you feel it's it harder for you to teach about something that you didn't necessarily
grow up doing day-to-day activities within that culture… within a society that you now have
learned about them or maybe experience them on your own time, and you use those
experiences to fuel your teachings versus you know “I'm am native speaker and we do it this
way, this is how we're going to do it.” Like, “When I grew up I did it like this, so this is how
I'm going to teach my students, because this is important to me because this is something
that... I did on a day-to-day basis” versus I learned about it…
SRT: I see what you mean.... no I think that because, like what you said, that my experiences
from being from the Croatian culture and it does connect to a lot of things I'm living now and
have been living for the past 12 years and have lived. Being married for 10 years and being
in a relationship with a Hispanic for the past 12 years, I have lived this culture like through
and through you know so I really feel like I do speak from my own life every day. I live the
Hispanic culture every single day you know so I think, and I can connect to the Croatian
culture because the cultures are so similar, I mean even my mother-in-law and father-in-law
say things like "wow, these cultures are all like very identical" like when we talk about
things it's like wow this is like identical. And Jonathan too when he went to Croatia I mean
he's been there three times and every time he's like oh wow... even though it's a whole
different language and a whole different world, half a world away it's still like you know
you're amazed by… to see the similarities in the values... What you value and what you
appreciate and everything and how you grow up it's like we grew up very similarly in very
different parts of the world... and then we came together and met in the middle, you know?
INT: Right.
<giggles>
SRT: It's really weird.
[00:30:02]
INT: Do you ever feel like you're trying to... express yourself but you don't know how to
make that connection or you don't know how to say what it is that you mean because you're
not... in your class over in your personal life or even just in general where you're like, "I'm
so frustrated because this is how I know this is supposed to be done but I can't get to X
because I don't have the means to get there... or I don't know how to communicate that or to
express myself physically..."
SRT: Well you know I think sometimes the language barrier, because you know that
sometimes you can't translate literal terms... so definitely when you can translate literal
things... like I'll translate some funny sayings from Croatian to Spanish and I'll tell Jonathan
about them and I'll say “haha this is funny” but he'll be like “this doesn't make sense what are
you talking about?” and I'm like “what?” Like there's a saying in Croatian that goes, you
drive right now like you're driving a sack of potatoes.... meaning like you're driving like a
crazy person... and Jonathan will be like “what are you talking about that doesn't make
sense.” But in our language it makes complete sense and everybody gets it...
<laughter>
SRT: There's a lot of different things.
[00:31:31]
INT: All right and another thing that we talked about the last time we were together is this
idea of what does it mean to be American. And you gave me your ideas on those things, but
I want to elaborate on some of the practices within the American culture and society or even
the United States depending on how you want to define the term American because some
define it as United States only, North America, South America Central America, however
you want to do that…what are some of the practices that you think right now "yes these
things are what it means to be American" other than the last time you mentioned that you had
your citizenship on paper. So, I just want to expand on some of those ideas.
SRT: Okay. what it means to be American to me?
INT: Yes.
SRT: What it means to be an American I think for me because I come where I come from is
the fact that I was able to go to college without, you know, even though I had student loans I
was able to go to college, and I think that America is one of the only places in the world you
can do that if you don't have the resources truly. So for me, the fact that I can do that… I
think a lot of people dream about that and for me that is a huge privilege that I do not take for
granted because I was able to go to college and I am still able to go if I wish at any time. And
the fact that I can freely travel the world, I mean that I'm able to go wherever I want, that to
me is being American because you can't do that with every passport and you can't do that
with every citizenship in the world. You have limits you have a lot of things and you
can't... I studied abroad in 2007 I went to about 12 countries in Europe. 12 countries in
Europe, and I traveled with a group of 18 Americans and I was the only non-American; I
didn't have my citizenship at the time, so I had a Bosnian passport, and every time we travel
through even though I'm European, and they're not, every time we were traveling I was
always, they ended up calling me “Princess” because I was always in the special lane, and I
was always the one who took forever, and I was always the one who they interrogated and so
and so, because I didn't have the American passport that everybody else always dreams and
talks about.
INT: So what does that feel like? Like your put into a different area. Here you are you've
made it to the United States, you haven't gotten citizenship yet but you're still denied some of
the “privileges” that other Americans have you go back to Europe where you're from and
you're still treated like an outcast. You are removed from Europe by choice you know
Germany was no longer going to renew your ability to be there, and so you were removed
from Germany, you go back. and now they're giving you all kinds of issues for coming back.
Or?
SRT: Yeah it's not necessarily that they gave me issues per se, they just make it harder for me
because I had to get like three visas to go, you know I had to pay extra money, I had to go to
different lanes, they had to ask me more questions it's not necessarily that they didn't let
me, but it was not, it was that you're not as free to travel. With an American passport or I
can tell you that like I want to Croatia this past summer and we were through more down the
coast of Croatia and we were going from where my family is from down to Dubrovnik and
there's a small pass through Bosnia it's like 10 miles of land by the sea, and you have to go
through customs because it's not Croatia anymore, and they just saw the front of the passport,
and they just waved us through; they didn't even look at it they didn't do anything they said it
was American, and they just literally waved us through.
INT: What do you think would have happened if you had your Bosnian passport.
SRT: Oh they would have stopped me.
INT: They would have stopped you and interrogated you?
SRT: Oh yeah. Mm Hmm.
INT: And Jonathan? And the rest of your family that you were traveling with or just you
because yours was Bosnian?
SRT: Yeah just mine. And Jonathan he's had an American passport for a longer than I have
yeah. It's just that that's my experience with other passports… most people don't
have…Americans don't have that experience because they don't have a different passport
so...
INT: Right.
SRT: But that's one of the things that like in the world's when we would, I mean I remember
my mom saying when she said we got our American passports she would say “now no one
could give me any trouble when I'm going through customs because that was always” and
anxiety. anxiety. yeah anxiety always.
INT: when I was a single male traveling South America, I got pulled twice into an
interrogation room where they stripped my bags and they rummaged through my all my stuff,
and I had three immigration officers screaming at me in Spanish and of course my first, my
native language is English, and they're like what are you doing here in Peru and I was leaving
Peru to go to Chile for holiday. And it was this like idea of “what are you doing why are you
traveling alone why do you speak Spanish so well, who taught you Spanish,” and I think it
was this idea that you know maybe I was, you know, trafficking something. Or, that I was a
spy....?
SRT: Oh, wow.
INT: Or, because my Spanish was good at that time it was probably at the peak of my career
actually, but I mean I got interrogated, and I just remember sobbing and trying to fight back
the sobs to not show any type of weakness that I could get through the questions. And once
they had thrown all my stuff all over this room and went through it with wands and with the
drug wipes and stuff and one guy was like “he doesn't have anything he has no clue he
doesn't know”... and I was 21. and I just traveled alone and I looked different. And I looked
suspicious. And from there I had to make my flight my flight had already boarded while I
was in this area, and they held the plane because they knew that I was being
interrogated. And I walked onto this plane.... I broke my belt because I was so nervous, I
mean it's very hard to break a belt... but I was so nervous when I was putting it on I had snap
the belt because I was just so fired up. I lost some clothing because I did not pack it
all because I was just trying to make my flight at that point I still had to go through security
because I didn't make it that far. And... that was one of the times where I thought, my
American passport is what caused me this kind of grief because if I had a Peruvian one or if I
had a South American one maybe I wouldn't have received that kind of treatment...
SRT: Wow. Oh wow. You were put under that scrutiny.
INT: But, yeah. I have a very... where you're on the opposite end of “what if I had an
American passport,” I was on the end of I have an American passport and this is what
happened. And granted my password didn't look like me because I was very different back
then, I got it when I was in high school. But it was quite an experience so it's interesting for
you, or for me again to hear a different story because from my background and my
upbringing and my experiences abroad, it's very different. so I appreciate you sharing that
story about being in …the princess of your trip of your study abroad.
SRT: The princess but really there wasn't a princess situation. Let me tell you. I wanted to
be in the fast lane.
INT: So what made you choose then to study abroad in Europe and those 12 different
countries versus doing 12 weeks stay or whatever in a Spanish speaking country full-time?
SRT: Well because our University didn't really offer much they offered really limited study
abroads at the time and one of the ones that we did trimesters so you could get from doing
this, so instead of staying. It was two business classes, one art history and one was like
civilizations or something with art history, we did a lot of like we did museums and we
traveled with the professor and we did two intensive classes and one in Budapest, Hungary
and one near Paris in France. The reason I wanted to go back really the biggest reason is
because I lived in Europe but I never really saw it, do you know what I'm saying?
INT: Yes
SRT: So I wanted to go back and I wanted to explore it, you know? I live there, but I never
really like, I really didn't have a way to... because I have all these people who have seen
Europe because they've live there, so I wanted to go back and see my home continent, you
know what I'm saying? It's kind of like one of the homecoming for me, but at the same time
and I did go to Croatia at the end of it as a stay behind and I went to Croatia, but two and a
half months later I was ready to go back to the US. I was ready. This was fun and this was
nice. But I wanted to go back home. And home was the US.
INT: Wow.
SRT: Because you know at that time I had lived here um…10 years?
INT: Wow.
SRT: Yeah. it's been 10 years since my study abroad so... it'll be 20 years this August that
I've lived in the United States.
[00:42:45]
SRT: The anniversary! <laughs>
INT: Yeah! Another big celebration coming up or maybe you know you go gallivant Europe
again. So then what about American practices that you currently don't identify with like oh
that's something that like not interested and that way of thinking or that way of life or...?
SRT: I mean just like the whole.... just like the whole way of life of family involvement. I
just see a lot of things that like, not saying that all Americans do this, but there's a
stereotype you know with like the whole thing of when you're 18 you're going to move out
kind of thing. my mom would never say that to me you know. and that's you know it's the
kind of culture that I come from it's not like that. you could live with me into your 50
because you're my daughter you're my son you know. I can never get you out.
INT: there's that sense of togetherness.
SRT: togetherness the family comes first you do family before friends, before
everything, you know what I'm saying that is something. That is ingrained in me so much
that I don't necessarily identify with certain things or practices associated with that… putting
your family on the back burner.
INT: MmHmm
SRT: I like a lot of the things I mean we do a lot of American things like going to see
musicals and stuff like that, I think we do football games and stuff there's a lot of practices
that we do that are American but then I think it's kind of like Jonathan said before you kind
of take the best of both cultures and you pick and choose the best. because there's things that
in our culture, the Hispanic culture like the machismo, machista that's not great either, you
know what I'm saying?
INT: Right.
SRT: So there's bad things. Both you know. See you kind of almost create a third culture.
INT: The utopian society.
SRT: Yeah your own mini version.
INT: Very cool.
SRT: Especially for us because they're the Hispanic, the Croatian, the Bosnian, the
American mix you know.
INT: And the Ecuadorian.

SRT: Yeah. We have the whole mix. So we do have a big...
INT: And that's the culture that you've created for your daughter.
SRT: Yes.
INT: Yes.
SRT: Yes. I mean she's growing up in that whole…I don't know why she's going to identify
with I can't tell you that. I would hope that she would say you know. Croatian Ecuadorian
American.
INT: Because when she gets the US Census card later in life and it says “check which
ethnicity you are” and then she has to go down that list. and then... it's more than just a box
and I think that's what's just important and you talked about it the last time we chatted. Who
we are as people is more than just a check box on some form, and I think that's what so
interesting that who you are today as a person partially started because of the form that of
which needed checked-boxes.
SRT: Yeah that's true. WOW..... yeah.
[00:46:19]

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DEVELOPING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE 1

October 20, 2018

Developing Intercultural Competence: Agency, Parallels, and A Sense of Belonging

Intercultural competence is a phenomenon that is the focus of world language teachers as

to agency, parallels, and a sense of belonging through language-learning and identity

develop intercultural competence through cross-cultural experiences?

opportunities for development of intercultural competence through personal experiences which is

develop a personal identity intricately crafted through a multitude of experiences.

intercultural competence. Therefore, it is appropriate to establish a definition of both culture and

sexuality” (p. 22).

phenomenon. An individual’s “ability to ensure a shared understanding by people of different

developed intercultural competence (p. 10).

Finally, an overview of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian War is appropriate to establish an

those who fled to avoid persecution and possible death.

using an online transcription software called Transcribe (https://transcribe.wreally.com). After

These categories form the central themes of this paper.

Before developing an argument about Nina’s journey toward developing intercultural

competence, it is important to understand her childhood as it relates toward this development.

engaging in Croatian conversation with her family members.

opportunity to share her love of language learning with others.

intercultural occurrences as well as develop an identity deeply impacted by these phenomena.

carried out based on her personal choices.

“especially when it is ‘forced’ upon an individual through a move to a new language-speaking

illustrates her lack of agency in language use.

received an acceptance letter to move to the United States (Lines 541-542).

surroundings instead of her own free will and desires.

requirement into her adult life.

of exploration with great reward.

become a Spanish teacher.

A Sense of Belonging and Identifying as American

Holliday et al. (2016) summarize othering as reducing people to a particular defining

When reviewing Nina’s insights on her childhood language-learning experiences and

leave the war-torn homeland and begin anew in Germany.

Germany. Nina recalled a specific incident of being called an ‘Auslander’ in opposition to

ability to develop intercultural competence as a denial of access to an inner community is

preferred and executed with the use of this term.

increased my thoughts of separation of immigrants from native speakers. Nina continued to

academic achievement and possible educational placement.

and considers herself American.

groups moving seamlessly among each distinct group.

In conclusion, Nina’s intercultural competence seems to have been established through

world language educators can strive to emulate within their classrooms.

language teaching: A practical introduction for teachers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

History.com Staff, (2009). Bosnian Genocide. Retrieved from:

resource book (3rd edition). New York: Routledge.

agency, autonomy, and identity in foreign language learning. Journal of Applied

Language Studies, 8(1). pp. 65-87.

Lampe, J. (2018). Bosnian conflict. In Encyclopedia Britannica online. Retrieved from

Schumann, J.H. (1976) ‘Second-language acquisition: the pidginization hypothesis’ in Language

Holliday, A., Hyde, M., & Kullman, J. (2016). Intercultural communication: An

Intercultural Investigation Project

Interviewer: INT Informant: SRT

SRT: It was basically through immersion.

SRT: I did first and second grade.

INT : So you had first and second grade…

SRT: No, there is nothing like that.

INT : So you start right away in like 1st grade?

SRT: Oh my goodness. I have to go back…I remember; I remember being in the ESL

SRT: Croatian. yeah.

INT : German or...no?

INT : Her main language. Okay.

INT : So you had no formal language learning experience of Croatian?

SRT: Yeah, yeah.

resource book (3rd edition). New York: Routledge.  