The Importance and the Effect of Native Language
Language helps us to communicate with one another. We speak and communicate with others in our native language.However, when one emigrates; it gives rises to possible friction between the first and the second generation because thy do not speaks the same native language. Second generation immigrants are fast losing their ethnic identity especially in America. Many immigrants who came to look for greener pastures in us have faced difficulties in many areas such ass getting a job due to their lack of facility in the English language ,so they want their children to speak English ,not only at school but also at home. This has an adverse impact on their children as they then lose touch of their native language and eventually face the possibility of losing their ethnic identity.
My aunt who has been living in Chicago for more than ten years has three children. All were born in the states. The eldest, an eighteen year old girl, speaks English as a native language and she speaks Tamil very well too. However she still does not understand Tamil jokes and sometimes there are misunderstandings. The second daughter, who is fourteen years old, doesn’t want to speak tamil.mmy aunt often get upset with her because she is much Americanized. Both of them just cannot understand each other. when my aunt reprimands her ,this daughter does not understand what my aunt is talking agouti felt sorry for my aunt whenever my cousins asks ‘mom whets your problem’. the third child a twelve year old son, communicates only in English with his parents even though my aunts speaks Tamil to him, my aunt is trying had to teach him both language well but it is difficult for him to speak both language because h speaks English all day and odes not understand why he should learn too speak Tamil.
Language helps us to communicate with one another. We speak and communicate with others in our native language.However, when one emigrates; it gives rises to possible friction between the first and the second generation because thy do not speaks the same native language. Second generation immigrants are fast losing their ethnic identity especially in America. Many immigrants who came to look for greener pastures in us have faced difficulties in many areas such ass getting a job due to their lack of facility in the English language ,so they want their children to speak English ,not only at school but also at home. This has an adverse impact on their children as they then lose touch of their native language and eventually face the possibility of losing their ethnic identity.
My aunt who has been living in Chicago for more than ten years has three children. All were born in the states. The eldest, an eighteen year old girl, speaks English as a native language and she speaks Tamil very well too. However she still does not understand Tamil jokes and sometimes there are misunderstandings. The second daughter, who is fourteen years old, doesn’t want to speak tamil.mmy aunt often get upset with her because she is much Americanized. Both of them just cannot understand each other. when my aunt reprimands her ,this daughter does not understand what my aunt is talking agouti felt sorry for my aunt whenever my cousins asks ‘mom whets your problem’. the third child a twelve year old son, communicates only in English with his parents even though my aunts speaks Tamil to him, my aunt is trying had to teach him both language well but it is difficult for him to speak both language because h speaks English all day and odes not understand why he should learn too speak Tamil.
Most immigrants are trying to preserve their native language in their new adopted country, but this doesn’t help very much in securing a well paid job. My aunt didn’t teach Tamil to her children to help them succeed in the states; she did so to help them established a Tamil identity. Though the second generation is born in new country, they often get confused about their identity as they look different from others and if they visit their parent’s country, they also feel different there too.
My cousin told me that when they visited our family, they felt different from others. They could even feel it just strolling in the park because they wore different clothes and walked differently.
Finally we need to aware that language is vital and valuable for many reasons. Immigrants should make an extra effort to help their children understand their native culture and heritage by teaching them their native language. This is essential, not only for harmony of the family, but also in helping the second generation to establish their identity.
Letchumi balasubramaniam
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