Know Your Teacher: ‘Children must know the value of mother tongue,’ says Punjabi language educator

Alka Chadha teaches Punjabi at Apeejay School, Tanda Road, Jalandhar. Beginning her journey as a teacher in 1999 and then joining Apeejay in 2007 was a “dream come true”, she says. In an interview, she talks about the different initiatives taken by her school to educate children about their culture and inspire a love for their mother tongue.  

Edited excerpts:

Tell us about your experience of teaching at Apeejay.

My experience of teaching at Apeejay is significant as I learnt a lot after joining this institute and I am still learning. Apeejay Education allows and guides teachers to grow professionally. The motto of Apeejay is “Soaring high is my nature.” This place gave my passion a new direction and a chance to do work freely. As Apeejay believes: “In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.”

When did you start teaching and why?

I started teaching in 1999. I was inspired by my mother, a retired teacher. I remember whenever I saw my teachers and my mother teaching, I thought of being in the same role one day. It was my dream which came true. Besides, I am fond of spending time with the kids. Children are our most valuable resource and the most precious thing in this world is to bring a smile to their faces.

How do you engage your students in learning Punjabi and make the process enjoyable?

I love to write plays, poetry, and stories, so I teach my children sometimes through a story, a song, a poem, or through pictures and flash cards. I always try to make the teaching-learning process as enjoyable as possible. Children are very active and energetic, and they take a lot of interest in gadgets. So, in today’s scenario, YouTube is very useful for making our students more curious and making learning more enjoyable.

Are students of today forgetting their cultural identity? What steps can one take?

We can say yes, to some extent. At Apeejay we are making a lot of effort to overcome this. We are celebrating each and every cultural event and organising special assemblies. Value-based education like ‘Awakened Programme’ and ‘Awakening Citizen Programme’ have been started for the benefit of students. So, we are and will keep on taking these steps to promote awareness among children.

I would like to add here:

जब तक संस्कृति है,तब तक आस है।

बिना संस्कृति मानवता का विनाश है।

(As long as there is culture, there is hope.

Without culture, humanity is doomed.)

What tips do you have for beginners learning Punjabi to help them navigate the complexities of the language more effectively?

The best tip for learning a native language is to listen first and then speak, read, and write. Recognition and repetition are the two tools that are very useful for beginners learning the Punjabi language. The more we involve the children, the more they learn. Curiosity is a must as this is a new language for them. Students always learn more when they are curious and that’s what I aim for as a teacher.

In your opinion, what is the importance of preserving and promoting vernacular languages like Punjabi in today’s multicultural society?

As a language teacher, my role is to motivate parents and children to understand the real importance and value of the mother tongue. Every language is significant and it’s our duty to preserve the vernacular languages. I would like to say:

ਮਾਂ-ਬੋਲੀ ਨੂੰ ਪਿਆਰ ਕਰੋ,

ਇਸ ਦਾ ਪੂਰਨ ਸਤਿਕਾਰ ਕਰੋ।

ਮਾਂ-ਬੋਲੀ ਨੂੰ ਜੋ ਸਿਰ ਤੇ ਚੁੱਕਦਾ,

ਜੀਵਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਦਾ ਤਰੱਕੀ ਕਰਦਾ।

(we should love and respect our mother tongue. If we respect our mother tongue, we will stay culturally intact with our dignity)