Living away from where I had lived for a couple of decades has helped me realize the pros of knowing more than one language. Part of the reason why I have felt less alien than expected is that the locals here speak the same language that I have been taught for more than a decade. Migrating to a country that speaks a different language can be hard for some and enjoyable for others. An interesting incident that comes to my mind is that of an Indian friend in Germany being forced to shadow an 'Indian-looking' family so that he could get to the nearest Indian store. 'I will make do without learning German till as long as I possibly can!', he remarked. Six months later, he has found his way to a German class. Seems like all Indian-looking families in this guy's town have sorted him out!
In India, there is a new language every few hundreds of square kilometres or less and each language has its fair share of dialects. Indian cities bear witness to a massive confluence of languages, and this brings along a vibrant mix of cultures, festivals and tradition. Be it jumpy Punjabi or melodious Malayalam, every language has an earthy ring to it. Probably the best way to learn a language is to spend some time in the host state, or mix with people from that state in your city. I can say this from first hand experience of experiencing the city of joy and its language sitting miles away in New Delhi. Knowing a little bit of a language can also help a great deal when you visit the host state. Try cracking an expression in the local language - its the best way to endear yourself to the locals.
The cities of India make for an interesting experience, often forgotten in the mad race of living to earn a living and nothing else.
In India, there is a new language every few hundreds of square kilometres or less and each language has its fair share of dialects. Indian cities bear witness to a massive confluence of languages, and this brings along a vibrant mix of cultures, festivals and tradition. Be it jumpy Punjabi or melodious Malayalam, every language has an earthy ring to it. Probably the best way to learn a language is to spend some time in the host state, or mix with people from that state in your city. I can say this from first hand experience of experiencing the city of joy and its language sitting miles away in New Delhi. Knowing a little bit of a language can also help a great deal when you visit the host state. Try cracking an expression in the local language - its the best way to endear yourself to the locals.
The cities of India make for an interesting experience, often forgotten in the mad race of living to earn a living and nothing else.
3 comments:
Yes-- every city has its own flavour and it's not just the language. The villages inside New Delhi--are they still there? Munirka, and the one opposite the NCERT gate...they are all like a visit into history. Similarly, the villages around Hyderabad are also a peep into history, but in a totally different manner..and Chennai and Bengalur...
nice title... was the shadowing man our beloved chasha?
Very well said brother. In fact, living and growing up in India is one of the best opportunities to learn and imbibe the spirit of linguistic diversity. Within the confines of one country, we get to savour so many languages, dialects and accents. I think we Indians can do better in appreciating this aspect of our society and be more sensitive to our languages and the emotions associative with them.
On the contrary, Europeans generally grow up monolingual. Although, English is a common second language, and most Europeans are very fluent in English, they might still prefer communicating in their native tongue. Living in Europe is definitely an eye-opener. In India, if one speaks two or better, three languages, English being one of them, one can get around pretty easily, the moment you land in continental Europe, even the Queen's language seems inadequate. I have to admit, Europeans truly and very openly appreciate a foreigner attempting to speak their language, even if merely a few words of greetings. Also, they are generally very polite in tolerating bad grammar. Learning new languages surely makes it really convenient to visit new places and is a lot of fun.
Still hope mankind can erect the Tower of Babel one day.
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