There must be something about being a non-native that makes people ask if you're going to teach your kids your language. It's not just recently. I've gotten this question from the time I moved here.
I don't know if there is an easy answer to this one. To start out with, I don't have a natural knack of languages. Every Indian kid with a high school education knows two languages - English, and one other. That makes us a nation of talented linguists... Mmm... Maybe not. There are many households in India where the primary language of the house is English - complete with a funny accent, and bad pronunciation. I've had two years of formal Hindi, and 12+ years of English. Starting to get the picture?
So I'm not sure how it's gonna go with Priya. I'm sure she's going to pick things up along the way. But I haven't made a conscious decision yet to make sure I always talk to her in Hindi. Also I don't know how much difference it makes that I'm not with Priya all day.
Hey David, is Connor speaking Afrikaans yet? :-)
4 comments:
Addy is fluent in all languages. She just doesn't talk yet.
I'm speaking to Zachariah in Spanish. I am by no means fluent, but I know enough to teach him so, that he can get by if need be.
So, are you trying to say that your mother tongue *is* actually English? If so, I didnt know that!
I can understand how it could be a challenge to teach her to be fluent, since you are not there all day. It is just such an advantage for kids to be bilingual while they can pick it up so fast ~ like little sponges!
Are you saying you get annoyed when people ask you if you are teaching her Hindi?? If so, sorry to be annoying! :-)~
i think you should definitely teach priya at least a few hindi words, just so she doesn't feel completely lost from that culture when she grows up. my father is chinese-thai and my mother is white, so i can say that knowing at least a little thai made me feel like i had two whole parts, not like i was missing something.
about indian english ... in the bible study at the indian folks' house, i was asking one lady the other week to read a bible verse and she kept shaking her head. i thought she meant she didn't understand what i said, so i kept repeating myself and she kept shaking her head. eventually, i remembered that indian women have a habit of shaking their heads side-to-side when affirming something. my mistake!
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