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For The Love Of My Language

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by jskls, Aug 8, 2019.

  1. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    Chinese greatly interested in Tamil and there is need for translators knowing mandarin to translate some of their literatures to tamil and vice versa.
    Next to yoga many Indians are employed as translators in mainland China and Taiwan.
    Thanks and regards.
     
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  2. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Lakshmi,

    Hari Sir is right on target. There are more people from UP and other northern states who have moved into Tamilnadu nowadays. Even if we go for haircut, I see people who can't even speak a word in Tamil. Definitely, a tour guide should speak in English, Hindi and Tamil so that he can cover everyone touring.

    Regarding speaking in Tamil at home, my wife and I did exactly the same speaking in Tamil for a long time so that my son kept in touch with his mother tongue. However, after leaving school, he started speaking only in English because he stayed in his own apartment. Now he is back home pursuing his own patents. My MIL lives with us and she speaks to him only in Tamil forcing him to get back some of his Tamil back. Still he understands Tamil a lot but couldn't speak fluently.

    Even yesterday, my mother-in-law was watching TV and one of the characters addressed the Queen as "Mukya Arasiye" and my son was asking, "Why is he addressing her as "Rice"? :) Then, we explained Arasi means Queen in Tamil and Arisi means Rice.

    Viswa
     
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  3. periamma

    periamma IL Hall of Fame

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    My Grandsons speak Madurai Tamil fluently and my daughter's friends ask how it is possible as they are in US.They all speak in Tamil at home and the kids attend Tamil classes too.Parents are responsible to teach MotherTongue.
     
  4. 1Sandhya

    1Sandhya Platinum IL'ite

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    @jskls
    I agree with your observation. When I go to Hyderabad same thing. I used to naturally lapse into Telugu only to be politely rebuffed. ‘Sorry ma’am I don’t speak that language’. From hotels to big shopping malls to shop people I was hard put to find a Telugu speaking service person. Place is filled with people from Bihar and Orissa. The food also reflects that. I get more authentic Telugu cuisine here than there! This has been since before the bifurcation btw. Interior areas are better language-wise but have their own issues.

    I think there has been a lot more mixing within states in India than we realize or than we were used to when we lived there.
     
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  5. vidhyalakshmid

    vidhyalakshmid IL Hall of Fame

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    I am glad that you brought this language thing on the spot light. My last visit to India gave me the similar experience. In restaurants and sweet shops I could not casually ask in Tamil in Tamilnadu. Especially in Chennai the workers from north east starred me as if I was an alien.
    They used to ask `kya?` then I started to converse in Hindi, they responded to me. Am I in Bihar or any north eastern state? that was my thought process.
    Those who immigrated here to US have their love of the mother tongue and each regional language weekend school is the proof. Further the language connects the people towards maintaining their tradition and culture.
    I am teaching Tamil in weekend Tamil school for 5 years. I can see the zeal and enthusiasm of the parents to teach Tamil to their kids than the interest of the kids. In US there are more than 100 tamil schools to spread the language and retain the spirit.

    தமிழகத்தில் தமிழ் அழிவது போல் தோன்றினாலும் , பாரதி சொன்னது போல்
    ஏழ் கடல் வைப்பினும் தன் மணம் வீசி இசை கொண்டு வாழும் தமிழ் !
     
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  6. Agatha83

    Agatha83 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear jskls,

    Last year when I had been to Kumbakonam, the attender started speaking in Hindi, seeing me dressed in a salwar. When I told him I am a Tamilian, he changed his language to Tamizh.
    Since Tamilnadu is seeing a large inflow of tourists mostly from the North Indian belt, everyone in the hospitality industry is well versed in 2 to 3 languages. Moreover the local Tamizh population is not interested working for low wages in any industry, thus the void filled with migrants from UP, Bihar, Nepal etc. Even the local road side Kirana stores has such people who don’t understand a single word of Tamizh.
    Come to Kapaleeshwarar temple you have huge crowds of international tourists as well as north zindians and the guides, it is amazing to see them speak different languages so fluently.

    Agatha83
     
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  7. jskls

    jskls IL Hall of Fame

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    Yes it was a sad state of affairs.
     
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  8. jskls

    jskls IL Hall of Fame

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    I wonder why. There are so many locals who could very well use these jobs too. Even in toll booths, sales shops everywhere it was the same scenario. We can survive in TN without learning Tamil but not anywhere else in the country. In other parts of the country they would refuse to speak anything other than local language. I remember how it took two years of complete immersion for me to learn Hindi. It was not easy though.

    Thank you sir.
     
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  9. jskls

    jskls IL Hall of Fame

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    Periamma, I was ordinarily dressed. The problem is within the state where learning tamil is not mandatory as in other states like Karnataka and in Maharashtra (as per today's news). I didn't hear Madurai accented tamil in Madurai too. Our own relative child was telling me not to say in Tamil but say in English. I wonder how it will be in 20 years from now. All I wish is one should be able to read and write in their regional language. That's all how hard it can be.
     
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  10. jskls

    jskls IL Hall of Fame

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    Exactly SiR well said. but unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to learn to read/write in my mother tongue. Yes knowing one's own mother tongure helps in carrying forward our culture and traditions along with relishing in our history. I did check out the devotional songs. Arumai
     
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2019
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