​Section 2 Contents: Student Stories

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1. Kelly's story. Kelly speaks Cantonese and English. She tells us about her experience moving from Hong Kong to Toronto, and shares with us what it's been like to learn and speak Canadian English as someone who also knows Cantonese. Go to page: Kelly's story.

2. Sofiia's story. Sofiia speaks Ukrainian and English. She tells us about the importance of the Ukrainian language to her, especially when her home country, Ukraine, is under attack. She tells us about what she has been doing to fight for Ukraine during these unstable times. Go to page: Sofiia's story.

3. Meryem's story. Meryem speaks Turkish, Turkmen, Russian, and English. She tells us about a funny incident where her multilingualism was useful. She reflects on how people are sometimes quick to assume things about her based on her appearance. Go to page: Meryem's story.

4. Alicia's story. Alicia speaks Anishinaabemowin and English. She tells us about her journey of learning and revitalizing the Anishinaabemowin language. She reflects on the role of Anishinaabemowin for her identity and for decolonization more broadly. Go to page: Alicia's story.

5. Hafza's story. Hafza speaks Somali and English. She reflects on her journey with her identity as a heritage Somali speaker in Canada, and tells us how undergraduate research has helped her connect with her Somali identity. Go to page: Hafza's story.

6. Tim's story. Tim speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, and English. As a heritage speaker of Chinese languages, he tells us about how his relationship with his heritage languages has changed over time. He also explains to us why he's more fluent in Japanese than in Cantonese or Mandarin. Go to page: Tim's story.

7. Mustafa's story. Mustafa speaks Urdu and English. He reflects on how his English expresses his neurodivergence, and tells us about the times he has been misunderstood by neurotypical English speakers. Go to page: Mustafa's story.

8. Iben's story. Iben speaks Afrikaans and English. She shows us what an interesting mixed language Afrikaans is, and reflects on the complexities of speaking a language with historical baggage. Go to page: Iben's story.

9. Amina's story. Amina speaks (UAE) Arabic and English. She tells us about some of the misconceptions that people have about Arabic, and how there are many different kinds of Arabic. Go to page: Amina's story.

10. Maham's story. Maham speaks Punjabi, Urdu, and English. She tells us about the power differential between Punjabi and Urdu in Pakistan, and she also reflects on her identity as someone who speaks multiple languages equally comfortably. Go to page: Maham's story.

11. Tarkan's story. Tarkan speaks Uzbek and English. He tells us about his fond memories of his childhood speaking Uzbek, and thinks about what is needed for a community to be able to sustain a heritage language. Go to page: Tarkan's story.

12. Mariela's story. Mariela speaks (Argentine) Spanish, (Brazilian) Portuguese, and English. She tells us about how she has navigated her complex multilingual identity, and what it's like to feel like you don't quite fit into just one category. Go to page: Mariela's story.

13. Ido's story. Ido speaks Hebrew and English. He tells us about the rich history of the Hebrew language, and also about his struggles of finding Hebrew speakers in Canada. Go to page: Ido's story.