I am not going to lie, it has taken some trial and error to get back into my study. The overwhelming thought of having finished collection my data and finding some way to make sense of it can be difficult to overcome. I am making gradual progress and finding a simple place to start by looking at each of my participants one by one.
I wanted to make note of a thought that entered my mind, which I believe I have hinted at before about the different personalities of my participants. I want their personalities to be part of my thesis and how I represent them because they are people rather than ‘participants’. The way they explain their thoughts and feelings towards language and culture is so unique for each of them and it talks to their natural tendencies, habits and desires in learning. For example, the way that one of my participants talks about her languages is telling of how she uses them. She often shifts quickly between sentences and thoughts in the interview which was evident when she was using her language to make sense of her assignment.
The extent to which I go with this observation is tricky in that the parallels between the nature of their participation in the interview and the ways that they learn through their languages and cultures are endless. Their personalities shine through at all levels. This is the beauty of studying language and culture in people. These elements are inseparable, and I would love to showcase this in my reporting of the data as it is the essence of this study.
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