Children and Urdu

[Sara516]

Re: Children and Urdu

I don’t remember if it was a clear cut rule or not but as far as I remember, I always spoke Urdu/punjabi with my parents and elders…never English…but some relatives tell me that Urdu was my first language…and I had to be taught English when I was 4-5 years old, but I don’t remember ever struggling with it, in fact English (grammar/reading) was my best subject in school.

@TLK

I know families who are so rigid on this that the kid is about 9 now and cannot speak a single English sentence properly but speak urdu like Mirza ghalb. He is having such a hard time at school cause he cannot communicate to his teacher or fellow students (not to mention that his class fellows make fun of his english too).

I find that kind of hard to believe, unless this kid has never had a non-desi friend, and has never been in a non-desi place, that he doesn’t know much English…

I think the mindset that most parents have is that the child will learn ENglish when they go to school, and will encounter it with friends..so that way they get teh best of both worlds.