Let's go bilingual
R. UMA MAHESHWARI
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Want to learn two languages simultaneously? There are books and books that are waiting to be discovered.
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DISCOVER DOUBLE JOY: Reading bilingual books
In India, we have come a long way from a context of English as a "foreign language" to English as yet another Indian language. Many of our previous generations, as well as quite a few in the present, learnt English much later than they did their mother tongues. They also thought in their mother tongue and expressed the same in English. On the other hand, there were / are these few who never learnt to read or write in the regional languages or their mother tongues and were / are more familiar with either English or Hindi, neither being their mother tongue.
Being bilingual and multi lingual is in our very (Indian) genes. So, why not teach Indian children in the Indian way — that is, via multilingual or bi-lingual books? And can English itself be taught alongside, and through, the mother tongues / regional languages? Well, it very well can. That is exactly what the Tulika series of bilingual books for children seems to be doing. After publishing a series of English — Tamil and English — Hindi texts, Tulika Books of Chennai, in collaboration with Spark of Hyderabad, has brought out a series of English-Telugu texts for children. These are a series of, with very colourful illustrations and excellent print
The books, for the primary sections, essentially, have been a great success wherever they have been tried. These books are meant for children to learn using two languages simultaneously. Or, in another sense, learn one language they are familiar with, alongside the other that they are yet to become familiar with. The concept of bilingual texts such as these urges teachers, parents, to look at language teaching in a whole new way. Bilingual books are not entirely an Indian idea - other countries have tried this experiment with quite a success.
These books have a single line text in English and a corresponding sentence in the regional language. For instance, you have the story of Malli, and her city-uncle's visit to her home in the village. "Malli, Kayyile paartha, ore oru ruba" (in Tamil) is followed by "She looks in her hand - only one rupee" (in English). Simple line drawings help the child grasp better what is being conveyed. Then there is "naani ki aankhen", "Grandma's Eyes" and similar texts.
Beauty of language
Texts such as these would also help children, at a later stage, to see the beauty of every language, or perhaps even understand the idea of translation or transliteration at some future time. To begin with, most importantly, they help them accept the fact that they are living in a multi (or bi) lingual context.
Dr. Aditi Mukherjee, who has tried these books with children in the Anand Bharati, says, "it is an excellent idea; we are a multi lingual society by nature. We should get rid of the notion that English can be learnt only through English We process one language through another. They have inspired Telugu children to learn English. These are not meant to be used merely as texts books, but as a book-reading exercise...!"
According to Lakshmi Rameshwara Rao, of the Spark Books, these texts are a "pedagogical breakthrough."
Geetha Dorairajan, Reader, Department of Evaluation, CIEFL, who has been engaging with English Language Teaching and issues of bilingual learning, says, "though there is this fact about hegemony of the English language, it is still the birthright of every child to be taught English, which is to help them grow and get better access to spaces where people cannot do without English. Still we must ask the question, "at what cost?" The way the L1 and L2 (first language and second language) are taught in mainstream syllabi, more often than not the regional languages suffer. We need not teach English at the cost of our own languages. Most children in today's context cannot read and write in their own mother tongues even if they speak it at home. The idea of texts such as these is to reiterate the mutual space shared by two different languages - the regional language and English. A possibility is being explored and it is indeed a good attempt."
The point is, are these efforts by few publishers supplemented by implementation at the school level so as to address the needs of the modern Indian child?
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