Loncke Lab at the University of Virginia
The Bilingual Interview Project
The purpose of the study is to explore, through in-depth interviews, a person's perception, attitudes and emotional appreciation toward their own languages and the communities in which they use these languages. The interviews are designed to ask about levels of comfort, confidence, etc. toward their own languages and their users and use.
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Open interviews with bilingual individuals can serve as rich qualitative research tools that unveil the nuanced attitudes these individuals hold toward language values and their perception of biculturalism. In an open interview setting, participants are free to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a flexible and conversational manner, often leading to in-depth insights. Bilinguals can articulate how they perceive each of their languages in terms of social status, emotional resonance, practical utility, and cultural identity. They may also express how language proficiency impacts their self-esteem or inclusion within different communities.
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Furthermore, such interviews can shed light on the complexities of biculturalism. Bilingual individuals often navigate dual cultures, and their stories can reveal how they reconcile, integrate, or compartmentalize these cultures in their daily lives. They may discuss experiences of cultural conflict, adaptation, and hybrid identity formation. By discussing real-life scenarios, such as code-switching practices, family language policies, education, and professional environments, bilinguals can convey how their dual language abilities shape their worldviews and interpersonal relationships. The qualitative data gleaned from open interviews can therefore provide a multi-dimensional understanding of bilinguals' lived experiences, reflecting the intricate interplay between language and culture in shaping personal identity and societal participation.
Meet the Team
Hannah Madren
Lab Leader
Hi, I’m Hannah Madren. I’m a graduate student at the University of Virginia in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. I completed my B.S. in Human Development at Virginia Tech. During my undergrad, I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Switzerland and Rwanda. In the Psycholinguistics Lab at UVA, I am the principal investor for the bilingual and bicultural interviews project. My main topics of interest include bilingualism/biculturalism, autism, and augmentative and alternative communication.
