Young Philosopher's Society

By Anupreet Kaur

Knowing more than one language is truly an under appreciated superpower. I mean, how fun is it to communicate something to your mom that normally wouldn’t be considered appropriate if anyone actually understood what you were saying? Or the warmth you feel when you’re able to help a non-native English speaker with directions to the nearest bus stop.

There is, however, more to bilingualism than secret messages. It’s that realization that my language is over a hundred years old and that it was crafted by my ancestors. The ancestors that created a language that was passed down all the way to me. Different dialects that were developed through different regions. The written scripture that was crafted by the loving hands of my ancestral elders.

In this day and age, there is pressure that comes with being bilingual; Knowing that one day you will have to pass this superpower down to your kids so that your language doesn’t get lost. Because language isn’t just language, it’s our mother tongue. A concept that has history and love attached to it. Of course I want my kids to learn Punjabi, but how will they learn if I’m not completely fluent myself?

We are going to be those ancestors a hundred years from now that either fail or succeed at keeping the language alive.

I get it, some parents don’t teach their children their native languages for varying reasons such as preventing any hurdles that may arise in further education, prioritizing fluency in English and so forth. While this action does come with good intentions, it is still up to parents to set their children up for success which can be a wider scope than just succeeding within western culture and western standards. I know tons of people that have steady jobs, a good reputation and can confidently speak to their grandparents in their native language.

My point is that while education must be prioritized in order to get to a point of wealth, cultural responsibilities should not be overlooked. It may seem like keeping the language alive in this current global state isn’t that big of a deal but if we lose this, we slowly lose our connection to our ancestors and our history. Our languages are one chunk of what makes us unique and can give our lives so much more meaning if we just put a bit more effort into learning about it.

I truly hope that every bilingual person reaches a point in their life where they do genuinely find the beauty and richness in their language and that they receive the deserved support from their parents.

There are a multitude of options available to get invested in learning your language. For starters, Saturday and Sunday schools exist, in which organizations create classes particularly for certain languages. This is the option that I have personally found most consistent. Another route may be… Books! Books are a rare treasure that are criminally under appreciated. It is such an educational experience to pick up a book written in my native language and learn a few new words. I get to learn words that aren’t just common today, but words that are used in the more traditional form of my language. Imagine the connections we can make with other people our age just through our mutual respect for our languages. Imagine learning all of the little wordplays that your parents used to use with their friend just as we do in English. Just think of all of the possibilities and open doors that come with just knowing a second language. Personally, I feel pretty proud of myself when I tell people I can speak more than three languages. But not only that, just imagine the pride you will feel years from now when your kids pick up on you speaking your language and hearing them connect with it as well. This will be the moment you realize that you are also passing down a piece of sacrality: Language.

Once again, our language is our superpower and it would be a shame to waste that.