Apps and internet used to attract youth

SAVE our languages – that’s the plea from religious organisations and community elders, as interest in preserving them dwindles among the youth.

Seeing the writing on the wall, some organisations are adding technology to their toolkit in a bid to get the younger generation in touch with their cultural and linguistic roots.

“It’s a given that our languages are dying and one of the key methods to getting the younger generation involved in learning a language is by speaking it more often in the home,” said Moulana Abdullah Khan of the Jamiatul Ulama.

The revival and propagation of Urdu and Arabic starts in the home, he said.

“When a child is exposed to the language every day, they automatically start to speak it. Just by sitting at home, half the battle is won.”

Khan said while madressa classes were not compulsory, they advised parents on an ongoing basis to send their children to classes.

“We have also encouraged youths to use modern technology to learn our languages through apps on phones and the internet.”

Despite this, Khan strongly believes that in order for the languages from all the linguistic groups to survive parent involvement is the key.

The Telugu Andhra Sabha has established an academy which holds classes for both the young and old.

“Yes, Eastern languages are dying and if we, the older generation, don’t do something about it, our mother tongue will be forgotten,” said Sabha president AK Naidoo.

He and his team offer free Telugu classes every Saturday morning to anyone who wants to learn the language.

“This year we have two pupils sitting for the matric examination and we are very proud,” he said. “One of our flagship events is our eisteddfod, which has its own syllabus for music, literature, drama and dance.”

For those who cannot make the classes due to work commitments, the Sabha is planning to release a book with a simple format with explanations using everyday situations. Naidoo hopes this will assist people with pronouncing the words and formulating sentences.

Niteen Soni from the Gujarati Vedic Society said their plans to revive their mother tongue included opening a school.

“Although there might be a decrease in the number of people interested in learning Eastern languages, there are also a fair number, both young and old, who want to attend classes. With this in mind,we intend on opening a school next year.”

He advised parents to play an active role and ensure their children become involved in learning the Gujarati language.

The president of the KwaZulu-Natal Tamil Federation, Richard Govender, said the organisation had established an education board with a syllabus on teaching the Tamil language.

“Propagating Tamil is one of our main focuses,” he said.