"Where Are You Really From?" – The Unheard Questions of a CI User

Where Are You Really From?" – The Unheard Questions of a CI User

"Are you Sri Lankan? Malaysian? Telugu? Kannada? Malayalam?"

These are just some of the questions I get, almost daily, simply by the sound of my voice. As a Cochlear Implant (CI) user from Tamil Nadu, India, born deaf and implanted at age five, my journey with sound and speech has been anything but ordinary. My family is instantly recognized as Tamil, yet strangers often perceive my speech as 'unplaceable,' leading to this wide range of curious questions about my origin.

This constant questioning highlights a profound truth: many people simply don't know what it's like to be a CI user, or why our voices can sound different. They don't realize the intricate dance between technology, brain adaptation, and language that shapes our voices. They don't see the effort behind every word, the unique way our brains learn to interpret sound through a device, or how a rich multilingual background can weave an accent that defies easy categorization.

My Unique Linguistic Journey

My path to language is a testament to this complexity:

Before my CI, my primary communication was in Tamil.
After implantation at age five, I first learned to speak Tamil through dedicated rehabilitation and therapy, and then English.
My family, relatives, and even people in my village speak both Tamil and Kannada to others, but they always spoke only Tamil to me, shaping my early auditory world.
My school and college friends also spoke Tamil, and sometimes English.
It was later, after about ten years with my CI, that I developed the ability to speak Kannada, German, and other languages, influenced by my neighborhood friends and broader environment.

This unique blend of learning, adapting to sound through a CI, and navigating multiple languages has shaped my voice in a way that often leaves strangers searching for a familiar label.

The "Why" Behind My Voice

So, why does my voice sound the way it does? It's rooted in how a cochlear implant processes sound and how the brain adapts:

Different Auditory Input: Unlike natural hearing, a CI provides a different kind of auditory input, which can subtly influence elements like the rhythm, pitch, and intonation of speech – what linguists call prosody.Subtle Differences in Prosody: These subtle differences, combined with the influence of learning multiple languages and the transfer of features from my native tongue, create a unique vocal profile that isn't always easily categorized by others.

It's not just about an accent; it's about the daily reality of how we communicate and how others perceive us. These questions, though often innocent, can be a constant reminder of being "other," of living in a space that isn't fully understood by the hearing world. The effort to explain, to bridge that gap, can be exhausting.

 

Finding Strength in My Voice

But through these moments, I've come to believe that pain makes you stronger. My voice, with all its unique qualities, is a powerful testament to resilience, adaptation, and the incredible effort involved in learning to hear and speak in a world designed for typical hearing. It's a source of strength that fuels my desire to bridge this understanding gap.

I'm sharing my story because it's crucial to raise awareness, foster empathy, and connect with fellow CI users, the wider deaf community, audiologists, and anyone eager to learn more about our diverse experiences. Let's open up this conversation and celebrate every unique voice.

What unique questions or perceptions have you encountered on your journey? Share your story in the comments below. Let's build a community where every voice is heard and understood.

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