I agree enigmatic! sadly back home .. kids are more into english! ... and the most funniest thing i came across, ppl who are just fresh of the boat like niksik said
they try so hard to fit into the gora culture and would converse only in english! ... as if they feel ashamed of speaking in urdu!! wht a shame!
and those who are bred and born here! ... i can understand it may be difficult .. but like many of the posters mentioned that they have a strict rule about not talking in english at home!
i think its great to know that! ... however, i havent come across much desis (bred and born) here who actually speak good urdu! they would understand it but cant reply back in urdu!
I try my best to speak urdu fluently! ... i love that salees urdu! :)it has gotten a lot better by reading books in urdu
its sucha beautiful language, the literature, poetry, the politeness of this language! amazing mA
When I was around 4 and my brother 3....my dad was concerned that we might jumble up Urdu and English (which was what was spoken in school)....so he had decided that from then onwards we would speak to him in English and my mom in Urdu. And that's how it's been ever since. My siblings and I speak only in English with one another....that's what we're used...it feels odd otherwise. We speak in English with our dad. And in Urdu with mom. So these two languages run simultaneously in our home. One could say that we had more exposure to English since we were also getting it at school. But nevertheless.....my siblings and I don't have a gora accent in our Urdu.
I've seen with the aunties and uncles where I live (in the US)...they speak Urdu often enough..on a daily basis with their kids...so it really surprised me when the kids have an Americanized accent in their Urdu. You've had life-long exposure to your parents saying basic Urdu words "Kya haal hai....theek....acha...etc" Even if one can't form more complex sentences in Urdu...even if they can't have a minute's worth of conversation........at least get the basics right. Sorry, if that's snobby...but I can't wrap my head around it. I know some people who speak both English and their native language at home (people of other nationalities) and they don't have that problem...or it doesn't seem as pronounced.
In the case of my aunt, whose example I mentioned above.....her eldest daughter is like us. She can speak both languages fluently and fairly proficiently. It might be argued that perhaps Mom and Dad spend MORE time with speaking Urdu to her than the other kids since she's the eldest. BUT STILL.....the subsequent children hear many basic Urdu words/phrases on a regular/daily basis from their mom. It's odd because they took French/Spanish in highschool for a couple of years....and they can mimic the French and Spanish accents more accurately than the Urdu they've grown up hearing all their life. That's odd.
Maybe in cases where there is very little Urdu spoken by parents (and is not done regularly)....I could sort of understand. But in the case of my cousins....."Salam.......aaacha.....teeku (theek hoon).....and each phrase of Urdu uttered is followed by a break of an insecure/nervous giggle....that perhaps they think is perceived as endearing or cute.....I dunno.
no one used to read ‘aankh-micholi’ in their childhood?? It was my favourite. And yes I read the rest of them too, like naunehal, taleem-o-tarbiyat, noor etc.
My kids spent their early years in europe…but Alhamdulillah we had ‘only urdu’ rule at home plus i helped them learn how to write while teaching qaidah so their spoken was and is Alhamdulillah great …written, not so much though. Hubby n I are quite uncomfortable with mixing urdu n english, so we often discourage them…which is harder these days as the media is flooded with fake accents and just wrong urdu. We don’t encourage our kids to sit in front of telly…but occasionally let them watch old urdu dramas. It was uber cute listening to our 3 years old saying, chalay aao tamasha hay ghazab ka
safeena gharq-e-toofaN ho nah ja’ay
we moved back to Pak 3 years ago, n my eldest had a hard time learning to write at grade 5 level. but mashaAllah they have been trying hard n are going good. The only regret so far is their urdu handwriting, especially the eldest’s.
As I have asked the question before, how many generations do people carry the old country language anyways. It's really not a big deal, otherwise since Pakistanis are supposedly all Arab, Turk and Persian origin, we would be speaking Arabic, Turkish and Persian fluently as well.
I remember we were quizzed every week in my senior English class in high school over an old English passage that we had to memorize. It was fun....but totally pointless. Old English ...from the various passages we read....had only the slightest resemblance to modern day English as we know and speak it. Languages evolve in leaps and not creeps....it can take centuries to see a dramatic change.....should we go back to speaking English the way it was done in ancient times? People don't live that long (for centuries)....and at least the language during their life-time, I imagine, should be fairly consistent and more applicable to the time-period they're in.
As I have asked the question before, how many generations do people carry the old country language anyways. It's really not a big deal, otherwise since Pakistanis are supposedly all Arab, Turk and Persian origin, we would be speaking Arabic, Turkish and Persian fluently as well.
I guess you carry the old country language for as long as you feel it offers value to you.
Personally I can't stand the idea of my child not being able to converse fluently in Urdu so I am anal about it. I believe that some languages offer a certain level of polish and courtesy (i.e. tameez and tehzeeb) that can't be learned from the "American" culture and language so I continue to insist upon it.
I can speak but not read or write either of my parents' languages.. 'Back home' I tend to speak English because it's just less hassle.. There are quite a few different languages floating about in my family and My SIL speaks another different one. I'm not really into culture so I don't see it as a big deal, just a side effect of globalisation and the world becoming a smaller place.. Each to their own tho..
Kids are more intelligent than we adults think they are.
They pick up and learn language very quickly specially when their parents are using it at home (I and begum communicated in Urdu most of the time at home). All my 6 years old girl needed was a month long trip of dada/dadi and she is already communicating in Urdu.
I guess you carry the old country language for as long as you feel it offers value to you.
Personally I can't stand the idea of my child not being able to converse fluently in Urdu so I am anal about it. I believe that some languages offer a certain level of polish and courtesy (i.e. tameez and tehzeeb) that can't be learned from the "American" culture and language so I continue to insist upon it.
After a few generations it simply is not as valuable, otherwise Farsi would still be a major language in Pakistan.
I don't know about this tameez and tehzeeb wrt language thing. I have seen just as many if not more louts speaking Urdu as I have seen speaking English.
Its a personal preference and there is value to speaking your ancestors language, the value decreases drastically generation after generation
I kind of agree with most of you. I’ve lived my life in Pakistan but even my style of speaking Urdu is so depleted. Half the words are in English. This is how I speak now
*
Main khala ke gayi toh wahan manay dekhi .. this huge lizard, Imagine!*
I hate it & its so not in my control. Other than Minglish, I also don’t know many words people around me speak in urdu. I literally have to ask ama what that word meant… I don’t know urdu digits after 40 either .. and I am not even proud of it. I hate it like anything, I am not even the sort who tries to show they don’t know urdu to look cool & speak English with an accent .. I watch Pakistani/Indian shows & movies, speak urdu at home, speak urdu with friends & family, got 96% in my ‘O’ levels in urdu (:D) … and still my urdu sucks & I hate that!
We kind of identify with our language so I believe all kids need to know sufficient Urdu to make them have that 'Pakistani' feeling in them...esp when it means alot to their grandparents who talk to them in Urdu.
Culture does matter esp if one identifies with it. Arabic defines Islam while Urdu defines us Pakistanis. English is a must obviously being the International language.
.. I watch Pakistani/Indian shows & movies, speak urdu at home, speak urdu with friends & family, got 96% in my ‘O’ levels in urdu (:D) … and still my urdu sucks & I hate that! 