Embracing 3rd Language: A Parent’s Perspective

Last week, amidst the casual chatter of a team lunch, a serious topic surfaced among the parents present: the challenge of multilingual education for their children. The conversation quickly centered on the burden that learning a third language seemed to impose on young kids. Parents voiced their frustration over having to support their children in a language they themselves did not know, and lamented the reduction in playtime due to additional tuitions.

The underlying stress, however, seemed less about the language itself and more about the high expectations set for academic achievement. There was a palpable desire for their children to excel, not just pass, in this new 3rd language. I could relate; I had once shared this mindset. But my perspective shifted thanks to my 12-year-old son’s relaxed approach to his language studies. He never studies 3rd language for exams but just as a curious exercise. He gets just the passing grades and proudly flaunts it. His attitude reminded me that education is not just about grades but about the joy of learning itself.

My own experience with languages has been eclectic. Although I can’t write in Bengali, I can read it, albeit slowly, thanks to my exposure to it since childhood. The same goes for Punjabi. My years in Karnataka have led me to pick up Kannada through a process akin to osmosis. It’s an intermittent project, but my goal is to reach a level of proficiency that allows for meaningful conversations with locals. Currently, I can grasp about 80% of a conversation if I’m familiar with the context.

I’ve yet to practice speaking Kannada extensively, but I’ve been building my vocabulary and tuning my ear to its sounds, primarily through listening to Kannada news broadcasts on All India Radio. Watching Kannada TV series and films has also been a delightful way to immerse myself in the language, more for entertainment than active learning.

This journey has taught me that learning a new language in adulthood is a formidable challenge. Therefore, the compulsory inclusion of a third language in school curricula should be viewed positively. It’s an opportunity for children to experience the joy of language learning, not just a hurdle to secure high marks.

As parents, it’s our responsibility to adopt this positive outlook and encourage our children to appreciate the value of learning something new, setting aside the fixation on grades to celebrate the broader horizons that learning a new language can open.