1. Research and researcher aspects
of multilingually researching one language
(Ladino),
through fieldwork in another
(Bulgarian),
& analysis and presentation in a third
(English)
Leah Davcheva & Richard Fay
March 28-29th , 2012
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2. Objectives and structure
We:
 present our narrative study and highlight its
multilingual research processes;
 use a 4-space conceptualisation to explore these
multilingual processes;
 tentatively suggest that this 4-space
conceptualisation is a useful mapping tool when
exploring the complexities of doing research
multilingually.
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3. Linguistic Identity-Play Amongst Sephardic Jews in
Bulgaria: A Narrative Study
 … exploration of the narrativised understandings of 14
middle-aged / elderly Sephardic Jews in Bulgaria re Ladino
 3 languages: Ladino, Bulgarian and English
 Narrative methodology (involving e.g. restorying)
 Collaborative: 2 researchers (no explicit researcher hierarchy)
 For-pleasure (no funding body or examination body etc.)
 Intercultural (involving researchers with differing linguistic and
cultural backgrounds)
 Reflexive (reciprocal reflexivity managed through researcher stories
- of Ladino experiences and of being researchers)
 Diverse audiences for research presentation / report
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4. Researcher identities
 Leah -- Bulgarian, Sephardic, Ladino-memories from childhood,
field- and desk-based
 Richard -- non-Bulgarian, non-Jewish, no Ladino memories, desk-
based
 …. but shared intercultural, narrative and Balkan cultural
interests and research experiences
 English-medium inter-researcher communication (English
is also our shared professional language for research and other
individual and collaborative activities )
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5. Four spaces of RM processes
We have identified four distinct but also overlapping
spaces involving multilingual research design:
the researched space (complex linguistic space)
t the research space (field and desk)
t the researcher (collaborative) space; and
t the research presentation / representation
space (e.g. BAAL, Limud, Erensya)
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6. The researched space
(complex linguistic space)
[…] people of the most varied backgrounds lived there [Ruschuk], on any
one day you could hear seven or eight languages. Aside from the
Bulgarians, who often came from the countryside, there were many
Turks, who lived in their own neighbourhood, and next to it was the
neigbourhood of the Sephardim, the Spanish Jews – our
neighbourhood. There were Greeks, Albanians, Armenians, Gypsies.
From the opposite side of the Danube came Rumanians, there were
also Russians here and there. [...] To each other, my parents spoke
German, which I was not allowed to understand. To us children and
to all relatives and friends, they spoke Ladino. That was the true
vernacular, albeit an ancient Spanish, I often heard it later on and I've
never forgotten it. The peasant girls at home knew only Bulgarian, and
I must have learned it with them. All events of those first years were
in Ladino or Bulgarian. (Canetti, 1977: 6-10)
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7. Research space: RM processes
(field and desk)
Data generation and processing -– overview:
Storytelling encounter [1]
Bulgarian transcript [2]
Bulgarian restorying [3]
Raw English restorying [4]
Polished English restorying [5]
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8. Research space: RM processes
Data generation and processing -- the specifics:
 via encounters - primarily in Bulgarian, with occasional
use of Ladino words, phrases, and proverbs, which the
participants translated for Leah; [1]
 encounters recorded via tape machine as well as through
notes - in Bulgarian, with the Ladino words scribbled in a
mixture of Latin and Bulgarian letters; [1]
 transcription of recordings - in Bulgarian, including a
translation of the Ladino phrases into Bulgarian; [2]
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9. Research space: RM processes
Data generation and processing -- the specifics:
 Re-storying of transcriptions and notes – in Bulgarian;
Ladino phrases written out in Ladino, followed by
translation into Bulgarian; [3]
 Two-tier translation from Bulgarian into English of re-
storied versions:
- first-time (raw translation) [4] and
- re-storying (more polished translation); [5],
Ladino words and phrases presented both in the original
and translated into English; some of those dropped out of
the translated versions.
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10. Research space: RM processes
An example from the data processing step:
Bulgarian version
В къщи ние говорехме на джудезмо. В други семейства - не. Беше само
секретен език. Знаех и български обаче. Това, че у дома говорехме
джудезмо не ми пречеше. Имах 6 по литература. Запазих напевността на
езика, но бързо се съвземах и заговорвах както трябва. Български беше
езикът на гимназията. Там винаги бяхме едни от най-добрите. Имаше
нещо в гимназията, което не ми харесваше - не ни третираха с имената
ни. Все казваха „Еврейчетата са най-добри.” Може би не влагат нищо.
Дали съм им трудни имената? Нас това ни обиждаше. Нещо ни стягаше,
не бяхме като че ли като другите. Нараняваше ни, беше като покрита
рана. Пламваше само когато те засегнат. Не чувствах антисемитизма, но
моята учителка по литетература казваше, „Засрамете се, евреите знаят
повече от вас български.” Това е настройване и нас това ни засягаше.
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11. Research space: RM processes
An example from the data processing step:
English version 1 (rough translation)
We spoke Judesmo at home. In other families – not. It was a secret
language for them. I knew Bulgarian too. Judesmo did not interfere
with it. I had an excellent grade in literature. I kept my drawl, but as
soon as I became aware of it, I started speaking properly. Bulgarian
was the only language for school. At school we were always at the top.
There was something which I did not like – they did not call us by our
names but referred to us as “these little Jews”. It was insulting, we felt
as if we were being oppressed. It felt like a hidden wound. It would
only open when they offended us. We did not think then there was
anti-semitism at school but listen, this is what our literature teacher
used to say: Shame on you, the Jews here speak better Bulgarian than
you do.“ This worked against us. (Sophi)
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12. Research space: RM processes
An example from the data processing step:
English version 2 (‘polished’ translation)
At home, we didn’t speak any other language but Judesmo, but in
other families it wasn’t like that. They only used Judesmo when the
adults in the family wanted to say something which the children were
not supposed to know about. I could speak Bulgarian too, Judesmo
did not get in the way at all. I spoke in this typical sing-song way
sometimes, but every time I caught myself doing it, I quickly reverted
to proper Bulgarian intonation. I always got top grades in my
Bulgarian literature class. At high school we were not allowed to
communicate in any other language but Bulgarian. It was the
language of schooling.
At school, we, the Jews, did very well indeed. We were always top of
the class. … … …
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13. Research space: RM processes
Data analysis – an overview:
Leah Richard
protocodes in protocodes in English
English
shared via analysis of
English-medium
English -medium polished story English-medium
coding coding
Analysis 5-zones of Analysis
conceptualisation of
identity play
Revisit of Bulgarian-
medium restoried
version
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14. RM processes in the Research space
Data analysis – the specifics
 Coding the English version of the stories – individually, by
the two researchers, in English;
 Collaboratively developing a code set – in English;
 Developing a set of coded stories – in English;
 Arriving at a the concept of 5 zones of identity play
 Leah analysing some of the stories for participants’
constructions of self-identity through language for place,
time and identity – Bulgarian version of the stories,
annotated in English;
 ‘Writing up’ of analysis for some of the stories – in English.
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15. RM processes in the Research space
Example
Моите спомени? Аз го The verb ‘hear’ - Gredi ‘hears’ at
чувах този език. Дядо ми, home.
Гершон Рафаел, He ‘sees’ his grandparents
говореше чист reading books in Ladino
шпаньолски и то в Detailed, physical images; of
неговото многообразие. the senses.
Четеше книги. Баба Ladino can be in other, distant
Лиза, от страна на баща places but though the books
ми също четеше книги. ‘brought home’ those places
Те бяха малки и хубаво become close, part of his home
подвързани. Тя също space.
беше малка – баба с
изключителен интелект.
Носеше тези книги от
Пловдив и от Истанбул.
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16. RM processes in the ‘bridge’ space
 Thinking about data analysis processes,
foregrounded our differing researcher reflexivities
and linguistic resources.
• Development of reflexive mutuality via exchange
of Ladino and researcher stories with a
multilingual dimension.
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17. RM processes in the researcher space
 A history of professional collaboration in English.
 A shared desire to undertake a narrative research
project of our own.
 Ladino?
 A mutual acceptance and embrace of the multilingual
design implication of our decision.
 Through reflection on action – recognising our breach
moment – we now realise where we have and should
position (ed) ourselves in terms of collaborative
research and research ‘rigour’.
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18. RM processes in the research presentation /
representation space
 Being a multilingual team enables performances /
representations for different audiences and in
different languages (BAAL, ERENSYA, Limud, etc.).
 Each performance / representation has different
possibilities, as well as challenges.
 A multilingual opportunity to broaden access to
Ladino as lived and experienced by Ladino speakers.
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19. Contact:
leah.davcheva@gmail.com
richard.fay@manchester.ac.uk
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