Local Language Unfashionable
Does anybody have any idea how many languages exist in the World?
I don't. All I know is that I'm well conversant in three languages and know two partially well.
Here in India lot of importance is given to mother tongues or the language you acquire while in your mother's womb. For me its Hindi.
I live in South India, a "No Hindi Zone" and the language spoken here is Telugu. I witnessed something really sad amongst students and fellow young citizens like me. They don't like Telugu! They think being heard speaking in a local language is unfashionable. They fall so low as to even announce that they don't know their own language. Shocking isn't it.
So much importance is given to English that people forget that they have their very own language at which they are masters. I know English is important but these so called local, regional or vernacular languages are also important. They are our very identity, giving us a sense of belonging a sense of being ourselves and the privilege of being proud of our culture.
I'd like to add that these local languages are not local.... they were spoken by Kings and Queens. Who are we then to deny our own language? To me Telugu is the Italian of the East. I love it!
One last thing for all those who deny their mother tongue just because its unfashionable.... Its the language you were born into, your are a master of it, its the language you read well, its the language you write wonderfully well in and lastly its the language you dream in.
So be proud of your language. I am.
I don't. All I know is that I'm well conversant in three languages and know two partially well.
Here in India lot of importance is given to mother tongues or the language you acquire while in your mother's womb. For me its Hindi.
I live in South India, a "No Hindi Zone" and the language spoken here is Telugu. I witnessed something really sad amongst students and fellow young citizens like me. They don't like Telugu! They think being heard speaking in a local language is unfashionable. They fall so low as to even announce that they don't know their own language. Shocking isn't it.
So much importance is given to English that people forget that they have their very own language at which they are masters. I know English is important but these so called local, regional or vernacular languages are also important. They are our very identity, giving us a sense of belonging a sense of being ourselves and the privilege of being proud of our culture.
I'd like to add that these local languages are not local.... they were spoken by Kings and Queens. Who are we then to deny our own language? To me Telugu is the Italian of the East. I love it!
One last thing for all those who deny their mother tongue just because its unfashionable.... Its the language you were born into, your are a master of it, its the language you read well, its the language you write wonderfully well in and lastly its the language you dream in.
So be proud of your language. I am.
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