TOCA Talks: Raising Voices
Introducing Raising Voices, a video series created to amplify the lives and experiences of our NaTakallam refugee conversation partners. These interviews are conceived and conducted by our TOCA Online Language Fellows in hopes to form deeper relationships and understanding with the language tutors from around the world they came to know and learn from over the course of the program.
Episode 1: Nabil and Saeed
TOCA Online alum Nabil (17, New York) interviews his Arabic tutor, Saeed, a refugee from Syria who currently resides in Brazil. Saeed has been a TOCA Online tutor since our pilot summer 2020 program. In addition to sharing his language, he has also taught our students how to prepare a traditional Syrian meal called shakriyeh.
Episode 2: Xavier and Osama
TOCA Online alum Xavier (17, Washington D.C) interviews his Arabic tutor, Osama, a refugee conversation partner from Syria who currently resides in Lebanon. Osama has been a TOCA Online tutor since 2020 and has taught Arabic to students across the world. Outside of teaching language, Osama is an accomplished artist and gives training workshops for acting and miming. He's interested in psychology, history, arts, and languages.