How well do we know our languages?

Theme: Most of us in India are proficient in more than one language. We have an advantage over people of other nations who speak only a single language.

In our country of multiple tongues, the value of language learning and issues related to translation and linguistic demarcations often come to the fore in discussions.

Let’s face some of those questions this week.

Lost in Translation? Write a paragraph on any topic in your mother tongue and then translate the same into English.

Do you think the translated version managed to effectively convey your feelings as expressed in your mother tongue?

Talk about the differences between the two.

Multilingual How many languages are you proficient in? Tell us how you picked up and perfected languages other than your mother tongue. Given a choice, which other languages would you like to learn?

Making Them Learn If you are to teach your mother tongue to young students who do not speak it, how will you go about it?

Make a plan on the books you would recommend, the lessons you will give them and the activities you will plan. Write a detailed report and let us know.

Old Glory Read up and talk about some ancient languages which no longer exist.

Find out the areas in which they were spoken, the people who used them. Did they function with a script? How did they become extinct?

Role of Popular Media How much do you think cinema, television, sports commentary, etc. contribute to language learning?

Write an essay on this and also mention your experience of learning from various media, apart from textbooks and school lessons.

Debate English should not be considered a “foreign language” in India any more.

SOUMALAYA CHAKRABORTY

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