Learn Urdu Not French

Iftikhar —

Learn Urdu Not French

Bilingualism is not a problem, it is an asset. As so many pupils in UK have English as a second language or alternative language. We should be celebrating the fact that we have such a diverse language culture in our schools. Indeed, we should try to encourage some of our monolingual native pupils to join in the learning of a community language. Five of the languages that are gaining in popularity are Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Urdu. The future for languages in the United Kingdom is very bright, if we abandon the notion that we have to stick rigidly to French and German.

Welcome to a brave new world in which pupils learn Urdu in all schools right from Nursery level. Bilingual Muslim teachers should be appointed in all schools who are well versed in Urdu Language. It is spoken and understood by nearly four million British Asian. It is a common language from Kabul to Burma. Lord Hasting was appointed the first Governor General of Bengal because he was well versed in Farsi and Urdu. It is a lingua franca in all inner cities where Asians are in majority. British education system has never taken keen interest in the teaching and learning of Urdu and majority of British born Muslim children could not learn to read and write. Credit goes to the Imams from the sub-continent who use Urdu in their Masajid and keep the Urdu language alive. But the British establishments with the help of the so called leaders are forcing Masajid to use English instead of Urdu. Indian and Pakistani films are being shown every where. There are nearly a dozen TVs Channels and radio stations broadcasting in Urdu/Hindi for 24 hours, entertaining Asians through out Western Europe. BBC has been requested to set up a TV Channel in Urdu/Hindi. Musical concerts are being arranged all over the country and top singers from the Sub-continent sing songs for the entertainment of the Public.

It is crucial for the Muslim children from the sub-continent to learn Urdu to keep in touch with their cultural roots. Most of Islamic literature and poetry is in Urdu and not in any other Indian Languages. Therefore, in my opinion, both Muslim parents and schools must teach Urdu so that the children can enjoy the beauty of Urdu literature and poetry. I would like to see even native children learning Urdu and not French so that they can learn to respect and understand British Muslim community through Urdu literature and poetry. The Independent news paper also asks for the teaching of Urdu instead of French in British schools for better race relations through a language.
Iftikhar Ahmad

Forum

Sirus — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 - 23:49

I APOLOGISE TO ANGEL!!!

HES A SNOB!!!

[size=7]i still love you tho, by associating myself with you, im a snob as well...ur rich, that'll do me[/size]

Dave — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 - 23:50

[quote="Black Prince"]I APOLOGISE TO ANGEL!!!

HES A SNOB!!!

[size=7]i still love you tho, by associating myself with you, im a snob as well...ur rich, that'll do me[/size][/quote]

IM NOT A SNOB!!!!!!!!!!

Just because I went to a pretty good high school doesn't make me a snob!

Besides our school motto was something about being unselfish - and snobs are selfish.

Oh God I don't want to think about school assemblies ever again.

Dave — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 00:29

Actually I take it back - my friend olivia is on the O.C. sometimes and so that sorta makes her famous.

But other than that I dunno anybody I graduated with who was famous

Angel — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 00:59

[quote="Black Prince"]I APOLOGISE TO ANGEL!!!

[/quote]

Thank you and about time!

I like the fact that i can speak my mother tongue cuz it gives me the ability to communicate with my mum and other elders. I wish i knew urdu i think it is a lovely language but i aint too bothered since i can speak it ok-ish and i understand it fine.

yashmaki — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 14:34

i don't understand the brothers argument. Most of us here are bilingual, we went through the English education system without bilingual muslim teachers. We managed to learn English just fine, because we were plunged into the deep end. So most of us don't require bilingual teachers. And why do these bilingual teachers have to be muslim aswell? I mean these are secular schools we are on about right?

But if you mean adult learners then i agree they need bilingual teachers. Learning a language as an adult can be very hard as compared with learning it as a child. Even so many of these adult classes tend to force you to start speaking English right from the first lesson. It may appear harsh but it's proved to be one of the best methods around.

Preserving your own mother tongue is your own duty and your parents duty not the Brit education systems'. You're making out like schools have failed you because future generations will have poor command of their mother tongue? Surely that's not the schools' responsiblity???

I can understand why secular schools offer French more over than say Urdu or Bengali. They are thinking career wise in the bigger scale of things which one will be more useful to you. They aren't concerned about maintaining your native cultural identity, or helping you further Islamic studies. So don't be surprised if secondary schools don't readily offer Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, etc they're not needed as far as these institutions are concerned.

If a child truly wishes to persue say Arabic or Urdu and their secondary school does not offer it some schools allow you to travel over to another secondary school to take the subject and pay for travel expenses. The same is offered in A-levels, i did this free taxi to the next school 😉

If you don't want your child doing that then there's always weekend or evening classes problem solved.

Dave — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:33

[quote="Angel"][quote="Black Prince"]I APOLOGISE TO ANGEL!!!

[/quote]

Thank you and about time!

I like the fact that i can speak my mother tongue cuz it gives me the ability to communicate with my mum and other elders. I wish i knew urdu i think it is a lovely language but i aint too bothered since i can speak it ok-ish and i understand it fine.[/quote]

LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!!!

If you agree with her then it's a tie and we don't get our apology.

Hayder i'm disappointed

Sirus — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:40

sorry dave.....you went to skool with famous people and the same one Geroge bush went.... 😢

Dave — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:42

[quote="Black Prince"]sorry dave.....you went to skool with famous people and the same one Geroge bush went.... :cry:[/quote]

That doesn't make me snobby!

It's just High School for petes sake!

[size=7]*Note: Pete (my seahorse) is dead for anyone that cares, as of several weeks ago - a very sad and trying time.[/size]

Beast — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:42

[quote="Black Prince"]sorry dave.....you went to skool with famous people and the same one Geroge bush went.... :cry:[/quote]

Not only George Bush, but also his dad.

Dave — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:43

[quote="Beast"][quote="Black Prince"]sorry dave.....you went to skool with famous people and the same one Geroge bush went.... :cry:[/quote]

Not only George Bush, but also his dad.[/quote]

...look let's not get into history lessons - the important thing here is that going to a pretty good High School doesn't make a person snobby.

I'm sure people who have gone to your High School's or whatever the British equivalent is have become important later in life

Sirus — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:46

one went on tp play for England rugby team, thats about it :roll:

but thuis guy i knw from college who lives near is an actor...if that counts

but the frickkin president and his old man!!!

Beast — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:48

[quote="Black Prince"]but the frickkin president and his old man!!![/quote]

Not only the president and his old man, but also JFK!

Dave — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:49

[quote="Black Prince"]one went on tp play for England rugby team, thats about it :roll:

but thuis guy i knw from college who lives near is an actor...if that counts

but the frickkin president and his old man!!![/quote]

It's all just probability and chance - it's a good boarding school in NE, and they are from NE ergo it makes sense one might see them in the same school - especially with family traditions and everything.

It's just as likely they could have gone to Exeter.

Just because they went there doesn't mean that people who go to school there are snobby! Lincoln grew up in a log cabin but that didn't make pioneers snobby.

Dave — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:50

[quote="Beast"][quote="Black Prince"]but the frickkin president and his old man!!![/quote]

Not only the president and his old man, but also JFK![/quote]

OKAY LOOK,

So a president or two went to school at Andover (are you looking this up or something?) - [i]I[/i] didn't go to school with them - that's all ancient history, there are plenty of really good high schools that Presidents have gone to. It's not like some sort of Presidential training ground.

AND IT DOESN'T MAKE ME A SNOB!!!

Dave — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:51

[quote="Beast"][quote="Don Karnage"]I'm sure people who have gone to your High School's or whatever the British equivalent is have become important later in life[/quote]

[img]http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/1562/lachen709pv.gif[/img]

Good one, Dave.[/quote]

Hayder even said one of his classmates went on to play pro crickett!

Now THATS a snobby sport.

It's like croquet

Sirus — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:52

[quote="Beast"][quote="Black Prince"]but the frickkin president and his old man!!![/quote]

Not only the president and his old man, but also JFK![/quote]

bush, bush senior......ronal readgan....abaraham lincoln...elvis presley?

any more famous presidents!

Sirus — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:53

[quote="Don Karnage"][quote="Beast"][quote="Don Karnage"]I'm sure people who have gone to your High School's or whatever the British equivalent is have become important later in life[/quote]

[img]http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/1562/lachen709pv.gif[/img]

Good one, Dave.[/quote]

Hayder even said one of his classmates went on to play pro crickett!

Now THATS a The Man sport.

It's like croquet[/quote]

cricket? :?

i said rugby.........but thats a sport for the common man

Dave — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 17:54

[quote="Black Prince"][quote="Beast"][quote="Black Prince"]but the frickkin president and his old man!!![/quote]

Not only the president and his old man, but also JFK![/quote]

bush, bush senior......ronal readgan....abaraham lincoln...elvis presley?

any more famous presidents![/quote]

Elvis Lincoln and Ronald Reagan didn't go there!

It's just a handful of famous people that went there it's no biggie

Dave — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 18:56

[quote="Black Prince"][quote="Don Karnage"][quote="Beast"][quote="Don Karnage"]I'm sure people who have gone to your High School's or whatever the British equivalent is have become important later in life[/quote]

[img]http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/1562/lachen709pv.gif[/img]

Good one, Dave.[/quote]

Hayder even said one of his classmates went on to play pro crickett!

Now THATS a The Man sport.

It's like croquet[/quote]

cricket? :?

i said rugby.........but thats a sport for the common man[/quote]

And how much does the average "common man" pro Rugby player make?

Sirus — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 19:28

no idea

but rugby is a game for 'the lads'

no cojones, dont bother playin

Dave — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 - 19:34

[quote="Black Prince"]no idea

but rugby is a game for 'the lads'

no cojones, dont bother playin[/quote]

Always thought it was sort of a stupid pointless game - running around tackling each other for no reason.

Football is everything rugby is except with strategy.

Bill Belichick is a genius.

*DUST* — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 - 00:32

[quote="Don Karnage"][size=7]*Note: Pete (my seahorse) is dead for anyone that cares, as of several weeks ago - a very sad and trying time.[/size][/quote]
:shock: 😢 poor thing probably died of boredom - he only had u to stare at after all! 😛 seriously tho, thats well sad.

[quote="Don Karnage"]Actually I take it back - my friend olivia is on the O.C. sometimes and so that sorta makes her famous.[/quote]
r u kidding?

edit: [url=http://www.theocshow.com/bios/o_wildebio.htm]apparently not[/url]

Dave — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 - 17:24

[quote="Aasiyah"][quote="Don Karnage"][size=7]*Note: Pete (my seahorse) is dead for anyone that cares, as of several weeks ago - a very sad and trying time.[/size][/quote]
:shock: 😢 poor thing probably died of boredom - he only had u to stare at after all! 😛 seriously tho, thats well sad.[/quote]

Pete got ick, which I didn't think Seahorses could get and so I didn't really do anything about it... so basically it's all my fault.

You'd be surprised how accustomed I have gotten to the hum of his tank and his unbreaking gaze.

My girlfriend gave me her goldfish to keep my company for a while [size=7](out of sympathy (dave = pathetic))[/size] however goldfish are uncommonly boring and now i'm terrified i'll kill it.

...and seeing as she will want her goldfish back it's a top priority to keep it alive.