by Nebert Kamoto
This Spring we will be publishing a series of spotlight articles about multilingual students and faculty at DU. These articles are based on interviews that Dr. Kamila Kinyon and a group of multilingual students conducted about interviewees’ lived experiences, including continuing connection to heritage languages, role as writers and teachers at DU, and thoughts about multilingual and multicultural identity. This project is funded by a Faculty Research Fund Grant awarded to Dr. Kinyon for 2023-25. We welcome this opportunity to celebrate DU’s multilingual community.
Innocent Mvundula was raised in the Dedza district, located in the central region of Malawi. This district is home to three distinct tribes: the Ngoni, the Yao, and the Chewa. Chichewa, which is also Malawi’s national language, is one of the languages spoken in this region. Although Innocent is of Ngoni descent, he is not fluent in the Ngoni language. Instead, he is proficient in Chichewa and English, the two languages he grew up speaking.
Innocent recalls using Chichewa to communicate with people from neighboring countries like Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. While Chichewa has been useful within his region, it has limitations in facilitating communication with people from other parts of the world. Therefore, Innocent greatly benefited from his proficiency in English, a language he learned growing up. His knowledge of English has enabled him to travel to various countries, including Israel, Lebanon, Greece, Jordan, South Africa, and now the United States.|
One story Innocent shared about the importance of being multilingual occurred in Israel when he needed directions. Unable to speak Hebrew, he used English, which caught the attention of someone who recognized the language despite not being fluent. Additionally, Innocent explains that being multilingual provided him the opportunity to study in the United States.
Innocent remembers that in school, students were discouraged from speaking their native languages to ensure they learned English, deemed essential for learning and recognized as an official language. He recounts an incident where students were made to wear a placard reading “I am speaking Chichewa” to shame them into speaking English.
Interestingly, Innocent learned to speak English from an unexpected source—a person who was mentally unstable. This individual, despite his mental condition, developed a friendship with Innocent and took it upon himself to teach him English. Over the course of six years, this unconventional mentor provided Innocent with lessons and practice, significantly improving his language skills. This long-term, dedicated interaction not only helped Innocent become proficient in English but also underscored the unique and sometimes surprising ways in which people can learn and grow. This experience highlights the profound impact that compassion and willingness to teach can have, regardless of the teacher’s personal challenges.
Despite finding multilingualism valuable for communication, Innocent also notes the challenges of understanding and being understood by native speakers of foreign languages. For instance, he struggled to understand his professors at the University of Denver due to their accents. He remembers attending classes without grasping the professor’s message. Another challenge Innocent talked about was the need to write assignments following a specific type of format such as APA. He said apart from struggling to speak and understand the language he also found it difficult to follow the rules required by the APA writing format.
Innocent believes that the University of Denver could do more to support students whose first language is not English. He emphasizes that, during his early days at the university, he did not receive the necessary support from the institution as a whole. Instead, his primary assistance came from a specific professor who noticed his struggles and took the initiative to help him. This professor’s support was crucial in helping Innocent navigate the language barriers and adjust to the academic environment.
Innocent suggests that the university should offer orientation sessions focused on language use to help international students acclimate to the accents and speaking styles of their professors. Such sessions could provide practical strategies for understanding different accents and improve overall communication within the classroom.
Additionally, Innocent found it particularly challenging to adapt to the style and content of academic writing in the United States. Having been accustomed to writing about topics related to Africa, he faced difficulties when required to write about U.S. educational subjects and other unfamiliar areas. This adjustment was made more difficult without institutional support, highlighting the need for tailored writing workshops and resources that address the specific needs of international students. Innocent’s experiences underscore the importance of comprehensive support systems to help non-native English speakers succeed in their academic pursuits.