by Innocent Mvundula
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.
Nebert Kamoto: Navigating Language and Culture in Higher Education
Nebert Kamoto, a first-year graduate student at Morgridge College of Education, is on an ambitious journey to earn his degree in higher education. Hailing from the northern region of Malawi, which borders Tanzania and Zambia, Nebert brings with him a rich linguistic and cultural background. This unique upbringing provides both a wealth of experience and a set of challenges as he navigates the educational landscape in the United States.
Fluent in Tumbuka and Chichewa, with English as his professional language, Nebert has also dabbled in French, Japanese, and other native languages like Yao and Kyangonde. His passion for linguistic diversity has driven him to learn and understand multiple languages, although he is most comfortable and fluent in Tumbuka, Chichewa, and English. However, despite his impressive multilingual abilities, studying in English poses significant challenges for him.
Learning and communicating in English, which is a second language for Nebert, often involves mentally translating conversations from English to his native language and then back to English to respond. This process, while enriching, can be slow and occasionally hinder his ability to engage in classroom discussions fully. Although English has been beneficial for conducting business and interacting globally, the nuances of British English, which he is more accustomed to, sometimes create barriers when communicating with American English speakers, including his professors. This difference in dialects can lead to misunderstandings and a need for clarification, which can be frustrating and time-consuming.
The cultural shift from Malawi to the United States has also been profound for Nebert. In Malawi, frequent and communal conversations are the norm, contrasting sharply with the more individualistic lifestyle he observes in the U.S. This cultural difference, coupled with language barriers, has limited his interactions and made it challenging to forge connections. In Malawi, the community-oriented way of life encourages constant communication and social interaction, which Nebert finds lacking in his current environment. This shift has affected his social life and academic performance, as he feels isolated and less supported.
Nebert’s educational experience is further complicated by the lack of tailored support for multilingual students. While some professors at Morgridge College are accommodating and provide clarifications, others are less mindful of the unique challenges faced by international students. This inconsistency highlights a gap in the university’s policies regarding multilingual learners. The absence of a standardized approach to supporting these students can lead to feelings of frustration and helplessness, as they navigate their studies without adequate support.
Nebert advocates for the University of Denver to develop policies that better support multilingual students, ensuring they can effectively engage and succeed in their studies. He suggests that the university could establish a framework allowing international students to seek assistance from professors whenever language barriers impede their learning. This, he believes, would foster a more inclusive and supportive educational environment. By implementing such policies, the university can ensure that all students, regardless of their linguistic background, have equal opportunities to succeed.
Furthermore, Nebert points out the American curriculum’s lack of integration of educational perspectives from other countries, which might pose difficulties for U.S. students working abroad. He urges the university to consider these global educational aspects to prepare students for international careers. This lack of international perspective can limit students’ ability to adapt to and understand different educational systems, potentially hindering their success in global environments.
Nebert’s concerns are not just personal but reflective of a broader issue faced by many international students. In his class, five out of twelve students are African and face similar language challenges. This shared experience underscores the need for universities to adopt more inclusive and supportive measures for multilingual students. “By recognizing and addressing these challenges, institutions can create a more equitable learning environment that benefits all students,” Nebert suggested.