Haroon Tekrawala is a sophomore at
Brentwood School in Sandersville, Georgia. In addition to his
penchant for writing and aspiration to become a journalist, he
enjoys examining his Indian ethnicity through the eyes of a
concerned teenager. He is editor-in-chief of his school’s
yearbook, a member of the student council, an essayist for the
literary team and a member of the National Honor Society.
.I Speak,
Therefore I Am?
“Part of the intrigue of being Indian is
the privilege (or aggravation) of having to assimilate two very
different languages.” |
|
Language is an element of
life, which is vital to human civilization. Imagine the days
before fire was discovered and the wheel was yet to be invented.
During those days, communication amongst humans was minimal, if
not non-existent, until the great thinkers and philosophers
decided humans needed language and conjured up words and phrases.
Today, language has become quite complicated and complex. I am not
referring to the college-level Advanced Placement English Language
class in high school, which we all feel compelled to join;
moreover, I am referring to that argument you had with your mother
last week when you were speaking Hindi, and in the middle of the
sentence, you forgot a word, and mother went ballistic.
This is always a common source of lively rebuttal in our
household. My parents’ Indian upbringing has instilled in them a
want and need to pass the native language on to their children.
I agree with the significance of speaking in native languages
whenever possible (especially if you frequent India).
“Possible” is the problem. Living in America forces you to
communicate in English; if you actually want to live a life in
America and many other nations, it is now essential to be fluent
in English. Apart from time at home, speaking my native tongue
simply will not fit into my schedule, unless I begin soliloquy.
And when I am at home, after speaking English for ten hours, most
of the words which exit my mouth will be in English.
Having learned English as a second language, I can remember the
days when I sat in the back row of my kindergarten class silent
for hours on end. And when the silence became unbearable, I even
spoke in my native tongue. Needless to say, it didn’t work, and
all I got was confused looks and hanging jaws.
Nowadays when I come home, and my addled brain sends signals to my
mouth and before you know it, half of my phrases are in English
and half are in our native tongue.
At times, I find myself bewildered at all the emphasis placed on
speaking in our native language. Because it was actually my first
language, I find the possibility of forgetting quite low. In
pressing situations, I am capable of applying myself and speaking
fluently in this language. And since there are always two sides to
every story, imagine the social deprivation if you were to forget
English. Which is worse for a resident of America: forgetting
English or an Indian language? Most likely the void of English
would also mean the void of an American education, career and
social life.
Part of the intrigue of being Indian is the privilege (or
aggravation) of having to assimilate two very different languages.
In essence, language is evolving and ever-changing. In recent
years, most, if not all, the languages in the world have been
adding words and phrases. The makers of the Oxford English
Dictionary have introduced a new updated version, which recognizes
more words, phrases and slang. This constant evolution of language
means that not one person is completely able to “learn” and
“know” a language. So as we attempt to master English, our
native language, and two years of another foreign language to
graduate high school, maybe over time, we can master when to speak
these languages as well.
Let us know what you think
of this feature. Please send in your responses to contact@nripulse.com. |
