Fieldwork: Orientational questions for a semi-structured interview

Questions for Parents – First Generation
• How do you present yourself when you are in a new gathering/new environment?
• How well did you speak English when you came to the USA?
• How do you feel when you use English: do you feel part of the majority community?
• How do you feel when you use Serbian: do you feel part of the Serbian community?
• Do you feel equally comfortable in English and Serbian?
• Do you think it is necessary to ‘preserve’ your native Serbian language?
• Do you think it is necessary to speak English like a ‘native speaker’?
• Do your children think your English is ‘good enough’?
• Is it ‘worth’ knowing Serbian in your professional sphere?
• Do you think someone who doesn’t speak ‘nativelike English’ can be successful in their job?
• Is Serbian useful in online communication, work, searches…?
• Has it ever occurred to you to search the Internet in Serbian?
• Do you ever read news portals in Serbian?
• Do you ever communicate on social media in Serbian?
• Do you like to know what is happening in Serbia? In culture, politics, sports…?
• Do you follow cultural life in the USA? Which aspects?
• Can you describe what a conversation looks like when you are all together, for example, at a meal?
• Do you insist on the use of any language with your children?
• Do you think your children (and grandchildren) should learn and preserve the Serbian language? Why yes or why no…
• Are your children interested in learning and using Serbian?
• Do you think your children should be fully bilingual? Why yes or why no….
• How would you teach your child Serbian?
• Do you associate the English language with success in your children’s school and work?
• How important is your connection with people who speak Serbian? What is the community of people who use Serbian to you?
• What would you call the language of your homeland: native, heritage, family, or something else?

Questions for Parents – Second Generation
• How do you present yourself when you are in a new gathering/new environment?
• How well did you speak Serbian when you started school?
• How do you feel when you use English: do you feel part of the majority community?
• How do you feel when you use Serbian: do you feel part of the Serbian community?
• Do you feel equally comfortable in English and Serbian?
• Do you think it is necessary to speak English like a ‘native speaker’? Why?
• Do your children think your English is ‘good enough’? For example, at work, at children’s school, at the playground, in the store, at formal gatherings…
• Do you think your Serbian is ‘good enough’?
• Do you think it is necessary to ‘preserve’ your native Serbian language?
• Is it ‘worth’ knowing Serbian in your professional sphere?
• Do you think someone who doesn’t speak ‘nativelike English’ can be successful in their job? Why?
• Is Serbian useful in online communication, work, searches…?
• Has it ever occurred to you to search the Internet in Serbian?
• Do you ever read news portals in Serbian?
• Do you ever communicate on social media in Serbian?
• Do you like to know what is happening in Serbia? In culture, politics, sports…?
• Do you follow cultural life in the USA? Which aspects?
• Can you describe what a conversation looks like when you are all together, for example, at a meal?
• Do you insist on the use of any language with your children?
• Do you think your children (and grandchildren) should learn and preserve the Serbian language? Why?
• How would you teach your child Serbian?
• Are your children interested in learning and using Serbian?
• Do you think your children should be fully bilingual? Why?
• Do you associate the English language with success in your children’s school and work?
• How important is your connection with people who speak Serbian? What is the community of people who use Serbian to you?
• What would you call the language of your homeland: native, heritage, family, or something else?

Questions for Children – Second and Third Generation
• How do you present yourself when you are in a new gathering/new environment?
• What language do you speak with your parents?
• What language did you first speak as a child?
• How do you feel when you use English: do you feel part of the majority community?
• How do you feel when you use Serbian: do you feel part of the Serbian community?
• Do you feel equally comfortable in English and Serbian? Please explain…
• Can you describe what a conversation looks like when you are all together, for example, at a meal?
• Do you think it is necessary to ‘preserve’ your native Serbian language?
• Do you think your Serbian is ‘good enough’? – at home, at work, with friends from Serbia, at school (if you use it…)
• Do you think it is important for knowledge of Serbian (or any other language) to have some kind of schooling in that language? Why?
• Is it ‘worth’ knowing Serbian in your professional sphere?
• Does English represent a prerequisite for your success in school and/or work?
• Is Serbian useful in online communication, work, searches…?
• Do you think you should know how to write in Serbian?
• Has it ever occurred to you to search the Internet in Serbian?
• Do you ever read news portals in Serbian?
• Do you ever communicate on social media in Serbian?
• Do you like to know what is happening in Serbia? In culture, politics, sports…
• Can you describe what a conversation looks like when you are all together, for example, at a meal?
• How important is your connection with people who speak Serbian? What is the community of people who use Serbian to you?
• What would you call the language of your homeland: native, heritage, family, or something else?