Lan-guage-s

So the snail is back again. Yeah, me... Just when I was thinking of one post per day (!!), I slacken.

Today's conversation with the taxi driver triggered this post.. Taxi drivers are either too grumpy or too chatty.. How I react depends highly on my state of mind, how good my lunch was etc. Today I boarded the taxi with the baby, and this driver was a cute wrinkled 50 something. ( Wrinkles DO look cute on some!). He had this cheery air around him, as he asked me if I speak to the baby often. To my reply in the affirmative, he asked with huge curiosity if I baby talk in English or my own language. I found this funny. I mean, isn't there something called mother tongue? I told him any baby could only understand his/her mother tongue for the start.. and other languages need to be taught! The driver was relentless.. He emphatically said, the language that you guys speak at home is easily grasped, and its not that the baby's got some innate knowledge of the same. (This got me thinking and I made a mental note that I need to google this out. Any idea people?)

I told him you Britishers are lucky in that you'll have the same language at home and school. And I was reminded of how some Telugu girl struggled with Tamil being her second language at school. But, hey she got to learn and excel an additional language. As the taxi arrived at my destination, I paid and told the guy with finality "maybe u guys aren't that lucky! you seldom get the necessity to learn an extra language and that sounds boring!!". He chose not to respond..rather I chose to get out of the car before he got a chance to respond. I had barely stepped out, while someone announced the clinic is closed due to a suspected gas leak! I had to make a detour in the same taxi. I kept my big mouth shut. So did the cute old man.

As for the lump in the neck, something which could wait for 5 months, could wait a month longer, no? India, here I come!!

6 comments:

eye-in-sty-in said...

did you say the driver was 50 and with wrinkles? He is correct! Actually, it does make sense.... children are like sponges! They absorb things very quickly... (Kinda ironic to say that for someone who has to wear a daiper all the time)

india? when?

Bouncing-Bubble said...

India When-soon, maybe in a month..
haha! sponge? interesting comparison.. lol

Smita said...

Well I kind of agree with the driver & even EISI.

Kids learn whatever they see at home be it language or any other thing for that matter.

But u r so right, these people are lucky (unlucky) that they have only one language to worry about...yahan to people are hell bent that we should learn Marathi if we have to live In Mah.

India is eagerly waiting for you :-)

couchpapaya said...

yeah the sponge thing is right, a niece of mine grew up not talking until age 3 when suddenly she started to speak 3 languages. we finally figured out why she didnt speak earlier, she probably cld speak all the time just was confused over which to use since she heard bengali at home, kannada with the maids and english at school. now she speaks all three well, doesnt even mix words up ..... how exciting, have a great time back home !! :)

Bouncing-Bubble said...

Smi :)

u make that sound like I'm coming with a medal , but yes, kinda true :)
kids learn from what they hear, but doubt is whether that's the case with mother tongue as well? and that thing going on at Mah is crazy. donno when better sense will come upon some ppl.

Cp - very interesting! although I would say ur niece must be a very smart kid! she's been observing and grasping all along!!as we grow, with so many things to distract our power to learn decreases I guess

Ava said...

Interesting. But surely I like being a linguistic, and they do say kids that have to speak 2 languages are smarter. I can speak 4 !

But then you know, the dialects in English can be different too, so even they have to 'know' different dialects to be able to converse with ppl from diff regions.