Preserving languages
A scattering of schools and organisations in KwaZulu-Natal is intent on promoting Indian mother tongue languages.
If not, they say, the language of our indentured forefathers would be lost to current and future generations. With International Mother Tongue Day being observed on Tuesday, aimed at promoting awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism, CHARLENE SOMDUTH and CANDICE SOOBRAMONEY spent time at a few institutions,
where pupils are determined they will learn and preserve their identity through language.
K EEPING Eastern languages alive is no easy task and despite a variety of challenges, cultural bodies are determined to ensure mother tongue languages are passed on to future generations.
The president of the Hindi Shiksha Sangh, Usha Shukla, said the organisation was established to protect, promote and propagate Hindi throughout the country.
She said the sangh was a national body of Hindi schools around South Africa.
“We have a radio station, Radio Hindvani, and a newspaper, which also contributes to the promotion of Hindi.”
Shukla said they taught basic level Hindi and introduced a diploma course.
“Among our programmes, we have workshops that train teachers.
“To generate an interest in the language, we participate in eisteddfods and writing competitions.”
She added that some of the challenges they faced included competing with extra school activities.
“Some students drop out of classes because of extra lessons at school, while others are unable to travel for classes late in the afternoons. Despite the challenges, we still have a growing number of students enrolling with us.”
Describing Telugu as being on the brink of extinction, the president of the South African Andhra Maha Sabha, Appalswami Krishna Naidoo, said they went all out to promote the language.
“We have an academy dedicated to teaching the language. We understand the youth cannot make it for classes due to school commitments, so classes are held every Saturday but even then, the numbers are dwindling.”
Naidoo said many failed to realise that mother tongue languages formed part of one’s culture. “It is our heritage and culture that keeps us grounded. Parents, therefore, need to start encouraging their children to learn a mother tongue language.”
He said Eastern languages were previously incorporated into the schools curriculum but when it stopped, the interest dwindled.
Former Gujarati lecturer Professor Usha Desai said the Gujarati community had always prided itself in keeping the language alive.
“The Gujarati people came to South Africa, as traders, a few years after the indentured labourers. They brought with them condiments that were needed by labourers, and set up businesses. As they settled in South Africa, they started to speak more English in order to communicate with the locals.”
Desai said while they knew learning English was important, they never drifted from Gujarati.
“While learning English, their children would also be taught Gujarati. Special schools were built for classes and the language was passed on from one generation to the next. While we still practise this today, we have had struggles over the years.”
Desai said with fewer people learning the language, there were fewer teachers.
“As a solution, we have employed people from India to teach in South Africa and this is one of the ways the language is surviving.”
She said knowing one’s mother tongue helped keep one in touch with one’s roots and identity.
“We currently have classes at the Kendra Gujarati School and parents leave work to bring their children straight there. It’s parents who are key to keeping the language alive.”
The president of the South African Tamil Federation, Marie PillayRamaya, says every attempt has been made to promote Tamil.
“While we have our setbacks, we are trying to concentrate more on the good. We have established schools across the country with qualified teachers and classes are held almost every day.
“We will be rolling out a programme on a national level to propagate the language and to generate a wider interest.”
Moulana Abdullah Khan, of the Jamiatul Ulama in KZN, said learning one’s mother tongue was a priority in the Muslim community.
“From the time a child is able to speak, parents are encouraged to teach them Urdu and when a child enters formal schooling, the child is enrolled in Madressa classes. This practice has resulted in the language growing over the years.”