Just wondering how common this is, and in your opinion pros and cons of this?
Personally, if I lived there, I would speak a mixed English and Urdu with my kids, and would emphasize both languages.
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
Most people I know here try to speak both languages.
When I was growing up we had a strict " Only English " at school policy & If I spoke English at home with my siblings mum would get angry and say “kisi angraiz ke ghar nahi paida huay tum loog” .
So, it was English at school & Urdu/Arabic at home.
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
Damn people with inferiority complexes. I only wish my Urdu was strong enough to pass on such a rich language effectively to my child. Children are amazing at absorbing languages. Introduce to them as many as possible when they are young. Confusion is all a myth; if there are moments of confusion, they will figure it out and improve in critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and language acquisition.
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
I have seen parents in Pakistan do that to improve their children's English. Vice versa in US to improve Urdu.
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
^not always but my sister does talk to my nephews in English occasionally to help them get over the shyness or just to help them improve.. when I was a child in Pakistan, my mom made me listen to English news and then summarize it in English to show her if I understood anything.. I hated it 
English is a universal language, everyone should be able to write and speak but yeah it shouldnt be the only language for children.. if I could, I will probably make my child learn Arabic as well and send him to Chinese school (my husband desperately wants my son to be able to speak Chinese 
)
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
I actually knew a couple who were Korean and fluent in Korean and English. They sent their kids to a Japanese saturday school so they could learn Japanese amongst all the Japanese kids.
I want my children to know as many languages as their parents know and currently that would be at least 5.. hopefully they'll have it as easy as I do with pronunciation. (Chinese, Punjabi, English, Japanese and Urdu)
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
I myself was born and brought up here in the UK, spoke English at home with the family and at school. Totally understand and can speak read and write in urdu though.....
Parents should encourage kids to speak and learn multiple language it helps in life
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
I have a cousin that brought up two daughters speaking nothing but English in Karachi.
Granted they speak quite well but I think this has led to several other "attitude issues".
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
i agree with Sahar. I've told my inlaws to speak Bengali with my future children (inshallah), and my parents urdu/punjabi. Hubby and I will probably mix it up with English too, and have them learn Arabic (not just Quranic Arabic, but "everyday" arabic) in a weekly class. And of course, French they will learn in school.
maybe they can take up a position at the UN Headquarters lol. :)
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
Children are amazing at absorbing languages. Introduce to them as many as possible when they are young. Confusion is all a myth; if there are moments of confusion, they will figure it out and improve in critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and language acquisition.
Yes.One should teach them a number of languages when they are kids.
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
a lot of my friends wanted to speak to their kids in urdu at home ... but they cant. if their kid isnt reciting shakespeare passages when tehy are toddlers (ok an exaggeration), they can kiss the place in a great preschool and the future of their kids education, good bye.
cuz in pakistan... its become fashion to not know urdu. its backward and look down upon. it was highly annoying and so ridic seeing them jhaar english at their toddlers ... but they gotta do what they gotta do.
*no one cares if they can speak urdu.. actually its better if they cant... its only english that matters... thats whats gonna get them into the right schools ... sad and unfortunate, but this is the fake 'suffering with low self esteem' society that is pakistan these days. *
thats what a friend had to say when asked why she just wasnt speaking to her kid in urdu.
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
WEIRD
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
most parent use hathon/dando ki zaban. :ASA:
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
When I was little I spoke urdu at home and english at school , I prefer it this way though. I have 2 cousins living here ( UK) who have taught their kids just english because they were scared their kids wouldn't fit in nursery ( like seriously lol kids pick up languages so quickly ) and now they are regretting it. They've started teaching them now , the eldest child is 12 but he's not getting used to urdu and says it feels awkward ....
My aunty when she went to lahore was saying her friends daughter can only speak english. I found that a bit strange but looking at this thread I guess it has become common in pakistan now to not focus on urdu as much...
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
I’m jealous of kids who were raised speaking perfect Urdu, being able to read/speak/write it…the funy thing is, I spoke Urdu before I spoke English..and only learned English when I had to start Kindergarten…but lately I’ve noticed how really terrible it is
I’d love for my kids to learn alot of languages… English, Urdu, arabic, Spanish (a must in NYC :p)
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
a lot of my friends wanted to speak to their kids in urdu at home ... but they cant. if their kid isnt reciting shakespeare passages when tehy are toddlers (ok an exaggeration), they can kiss the place in a great preschool and the future of their kids education, good bye.
cuz in pakistan... its become fashion to not know urdu. its backward and look down upon. it was highly annoying and so ridic seeing them jhaar english at their toddlers ... but they gotta do what they gotta do.
*no one cares if they can speak urdu.. actually its better if they cant... its only english that matters... thats whats gonna get them into the right schools ... sad and unfortunate, but this is the fake 'suffering with low self esteem' society that is pakistan these days. *
thats what a friend had to say when asked why she just wasnt speaking to her kid in urdu.
I've heard so many Pakistani celebs say their urdu is weak and it never made sense to me considering they are born and bred in Pakistan. Anoushey and whatshername geo news reporter both claimed they feel more comfortable speaking English than Urdu. I remember watching an episode of Ek Din Geo k Sath with Nadia Hussain, the model, and her kids didn't speak a word of Urdu! More recently, Nadia Jamil was on a morning show with her kids and the host had to ask them questions in English because Nadia said their urdu was weak. And I was like okay she's been a Lahori girl all her life as far as I know, she herself speaks good urdu, so what's the story with her kids? Your post sort of explains what could have happened there.
It still doesn't make sense to me though... kids are able to learn multiple languages at a time... why give up one language for the sake of learning the other? And anyway isn't Urdu a compulsory subject in schools?
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
What the.. _
WEIRD
I agree
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
Bbq: it is a cumpulsory sub but hey... Just one class... Who cares eh?
Its offputting seeing it in person... Its all bout ehsaas e kamtari. Our ppl dont wanna be pakistanis... Heck they would rather be indian!
Dont u see how sometimes girls gonon and on bout how ppl mistake them for spaniards or middle eastern.. They get such an ego boost... Allah na kate that they look what they really are- pakistani?
Hehe
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
Thank God my parents brought us up with speaking only Punjabi not hard Punjabi just a dialect spoken in FSD/LHR area. I guess we turned out fine.
Re: Any of you parents in Pakistan speak only in English with your kids?
I was taught urdu first then started speaking english when i started school here in the uK and now my english is much stronger than my urdu, I really wish my parents emphasised urdu alot more when I was younger.