COLUMN
for SL
COLUMN: Life of an Immigrant Child: Languages
By Bani Gulati
Communication: the most essential factor to human interaction.What is amazing is that there isn’t only one way to communicate. From sign language to English, there are more than 7,000 languages in the world. I am lucky enough to be fluent in three languages. I currently speak English, Hindi, and Punjabi. I am still in the process of learning French at school but with more practice in college I hope to be fluent one day.
Hindi was my first language. My parents only spoke to me in Hindi growing up and I was introduced to English in preschool and fluent by age seven. I don’t have memories of learning English in school, but I do remember struggling with my identity while learning the language. My English was too “Indian” for the kids at school, and my Hindi became too Americanized for my cousins back in India. A lot of peers commented on my accent in school, and many still do. When I hear my pronunciation of certain words I laugh a little, because it’s okay to be different, and frankly it’s funny sometimes when the languages mix with each other. Instead of being conscious of the ways I pronounce certain things, I now embrace my accent and appreciate my knowledge of the languages. I am extremely grateful that I learned Hindi as a first language. This allows me to stay connected with my roots and even more importantly, communicate with my family in India. Hindi is a beautiful language and I am lucky enough to be able to speak it along with English.
Hindi and Punjabi are not the same, but somewhat similar. At home I heard my parents speak to my grandparents and other relatives in Punjabi. Being from the state of Punjab, all of my family speaks Punjabi and Hindi. Hindi is the national language of India and each state has its own languages (some states even have multiple). I also heard Punjabi at the gurdwara (temple of Sikhs) and was taught it during classes at Gurdwara. In these weekly lessons the kids who attended Gurdwara were taught how to speak, read, and write Punjabi and I quickly caught on.
In school I convinced myself that I would never be as good at English as my peers so I focused my attention on STEM subjects and put myself down when it came to English classes. I focused my energy on the science subjects more as an obligation than an interest. As more essays were assigned, I dreaded writing each one even more. But this changed in freshman year, when I joined the Newspaper Club. Here I learned to shed my inhibitions and gained a newfound confidence for writing and expression. This column was the brainchild of the need to write about something relatable. I was looking for something profound that would change how students think. As I began to wonder “who am I to the outside world?” I realized the answer was within me. I wasn’t relatable because no one knew about my background and struggle, and so this column came out of a place inside me which longed for connection.
I hope the future generations of students who grow up in America with immigrant parents feel proud of the languages their parents speak. Speaking English is now a necessity in most schools, but being able to communicate in a native language is even more important. Everyone has a different experience, and I’d love to hear about yours. Please contact me at bgulati@madison.k12.wi.us and share your unique stories.
Communication: the most essential factor to human interaction.What is amazing is that there isn’t only one way to communicate. From sign language to English, there are more than 7,000 languages in the world. I am lucky enough to be fluent in three languages. I currently speak English, Hindi, and Punjabi. I am still in the process of learning French at school but with more practice in college I hope to be fluent one day.
Hindi was my first language. My parents only spoke to me in Hindi growing up and I was introduced to English in preschool and fluent by age seven. I don’t have memories of learning English in school, but I do remember struggling with my identity while learning the language. My English was too “Indian” for the kids at school, and my Hindi became too Americanized for my cousins back in India. A lot of peers commented on my accent in school, and many still do. When I hear my pronunciation of certain words I laugh a little, because it’s okay to be different, and frankly it’s funny sometimes when the languages mix with each other. Instead of being conscious of the ways I pronounce certain things, I now embrace my accent and appreciate my knowledge of the languages. I am extremely grateful that I learned Hindi as a first language. This allows me to stay connected with my roots and even more importantly, communicate with my family in India. Hindi is a beautiful language and I am lucky enough to be able to speak it along with English.
Hindi and Punjabi are not the same, but somewhat similar. At home I heard my parents speak to my grandparents and other relatives in Punjabi. Being from the state of Punjab, all of my family speaks Punjabi and Hindi. Hindi is the national language of India and each state has its own languages (some states even have multiple). I also heard Punjabi at the gurdwara (temple of Sikhs) and was taught it during classes at Gurdwara. In these weekly lessons the kids who attended Gurdwara were taught how to speak, read, and write Punjabi and I quickly caught on.
In school I convinced myself that I would never be as good at English as my peers so I focused my attention on STEM subjects and put myself down when it came to English classes. I focused my energy on the science subjects more as an obligation than an interest. As more essays were assigned, I dreaded writing each one even more. But this changed in freshman year, when I joined the Newspaper Club. Here I learned to shed my inhibitions and gained a newfound confidence for writing and expression. This column was the brainchild of the need to write about something relatable. I was looking for something profound that would change how students think. As I began to wonder “who am I to the outside world?” I realized the answer was within me. I wasn’t relatable because no one knew about my background and struggle, and so this column came out of a place inside me which longed for connection.
I hope the future generations of students who grow up in America with immigrant parents feel proud of the languages their parents speak. Speaking English is now a necessity in most schools, but being able to communicate in a native language is even more important. Everyone has a different experience, and I’d love to hear about yours. Please contact me at bgulati@madison.k12.wi.us and share your unique stories.
