I was born in England and moved to Pakistan aged 3. I guess I must have started school aged 6 or 7. In Pakistan I was educated in the national language of Pakistan (Urdu), and speaking the regional language at home (Punjabi). Here I must point out that Punjabi is also the language of the Punjab region of India. The difference in between the Pakistani and Indian Punjabi is that, in Pakistan it is only spoken, where as in India it is a complete language. Almost every child with my background would be learning to read Arabic (as the Holly Book Quran is In Arabic and is read by many who do not understand the language), often without having any or very little understanding. Therefore any child with Pakistani background in the UK, would either be speaking Urdu/Punjabi, reading Arabic and speaking, reading and writing English.
Aged 11 I returned to the UK, and was introduced to the English language. I have to say that I cannot remember being scared or uncomfortable with the new language, in fact I enjoyed learning. At first I did not attend the mainstream school but was sent to a language centre. The good thing about going to the language centre was that there were many languages spoken in the playground. I remember that one of my teachers was Indian and he always discouraged us to speak our mother tongue in the class. I am sure he had his reasons for this but I always did my best to break his rule.
In comparison there was a similar rule at home, that no English was to spoken in the “living room” unless absolutely necessary. My dad’s thought behind this was, that he did not want the kids to be talking in a language that my mother could not understand. This rule was not easy to break and it became the norm after a very short time. In hindsight I appreciate this rule very much.
My distance memory is that I enjoyed learning English and I continued to read any Urdu literature that I could find. My love for both languages continued side by side and I enjoyed learning in both. I was transferred to a mainstream school within a year, where I attended English class with other children of various nationalities who received extra support in English.
Although I left school without any qualifications, but in my 20’s I went to college to study for National Certificate in Arts and Social Sciences followed by M.A. in Psychology and Philosophy and some years later a Diploma in translating (Urdu/English).
I feel that being able to speak my mother tongue connects me to my culture more closely and I have this access due to being able to read Urdu literature and poetry. I feel that without the aid of language I would not have the enriching experience that I have now. On the other hand being able speak English is an equal and vital part of my personality. I could not imagine myself without the one or the other. I would be like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle without English or Urdu/Punjabi. The English language without a doubt is a universal language and has many advantages. When I am traveling I feel secure and comfortable in knowing that I can communicate in English (but it has backfired at times).
My mother who has always claimed that she does not know English, now communicates with 2 out of the 8 grandchildren in Punjabi, sprinkled with a few words of English (they only speak English and she only speaks Punjabi, but they communicate perfectly). To conclude being bilingual is almost like walking through the secret garden, it’s magical. From my experience being bilingual can only enhance our lives and cannot be a disadvantage.
