Teaching Urdu Speakers English: Extra Tips

 In order to help students to learn English effectively here is some more helpful information about the Urdu Language that can help your instruction and understanding.

• Vocabulary 
• Urdu has also borrowed words from English and from the other languages spoken alongside it in Pakistan.   
• English loanwords are present in the Urdu language, but they may not be immediately transferred back into English, because their pronunciation has been altered. (e.g. “a’gast” for “August”;“ak’toober” for “October”).  
• There are often many different words for the same meaning but different vocabulary connected to a different level of formality
• Interesting Connections between English and Urdu
• The English word “khaki” comes from the Urdu language meaning “dust-coloured”
• The English word “pajamas” comes from the Urdu word “pajama”.
• Pronunciation/Dialects
  • Dakhini: spoken in the Deccan region of southern India. 
  • Standard Urdu- based on the Khariboli dialect of  the Delhi region.
  • Rekhta– the language of Urdu poetry
• Punctuation 
• It appears as though Urdu punctuation is written upside down when compared to English.

o   A dash is used for a full stop instead of a period. (-)

o   An inverted comma is used in place of a comma. (‘)

o   An inverted question mark is used in questions. (¿)

o   Semicolons are also inverted when written

• ELLS are more successful learning a second langage when they feel welcomed, safe and valued.
• By celebrating and being interested in the ways that Urdu has impacted the English Language, students will feel as though their first language is valued and they will see how you care about both their first language and the acquisition of English.

Teaching Urdu Speakers English: Grammar

 English is one of the hardest languages to learn because of the many rules and many exceptions to the rules! When teaching English it is important to understand the basic grammar rules in the student's first language in order to help them learn better. 

Urdu grammar differs from English grammar in various ways... 

• Urdu has grammatical gender: all Urdu nouns are masculine or feminine. Some Urdu adjectives change according to the gender of the noun they modify, while others do not. 
• There are no definite articles in the Urdu language. 
•   Like English, Urdu has transitive verbs (which require a direct object) and intransitive verbs (which do not take objects), but the difference plays a much more significant role in Urdu. 
•  Urdu uses postpositions (which come after nouns), rather than prepositions (which come before nouns). 
• In Urdu the word order is Subject- Object-Verb, whereas in English it is Subject- Verb- Object. 

• Because of the difference in the use of postpositions and prepositions in the Urdu and English language can cause students to make small errors such as using the wrong preposition. (e.g. “I was angry on him.” for “I was angry with him.”)
• Therefore, it is important to have patience with ELLs often these are small errors that should not always be corrected if it will hinder the acquisition of the language in general (ie. flow). 
• For example, some small errors like this will be learned through experience and exposure but it is important to encourage students regardless of these small grammatical errors. 
• Students will learn better when they are confident and feel safe! 

Teaching Urdu Speakers English: Phonology

As ELL teachers it is important to know that "Most problems with pronunciation in a second language are the result of interference from the first language". Therefore, it is helpful for teachers to understand the basics of a students' first language in order to help them better teach English as a second language.

In this blog post we will review the basics of the Phonology of Urdu and how it impacts the way that we teach ELLs. 

 

• Urdu has 28 consonants and 10 vowels compared to the 21 consonants and 5 vowels in English.
•  Urdu has a very different way of stressing syllables in words. Their emphasis is predicatble and consistent on each syllable where as English puts a stress on certain syllables in a word.
• However, in Urdu, emphasis is accomplished by higher pitch rather than by the heavier articulation that exists in English. Therefore, the pronunciation of words can be extremely challenging especially words that use irregular stress patterns for words ie. Photographer and Photograph
• Urdu is read and written from right to left, the opposite of English. 
•   Urdu has a tenser articulation than English, with vowels produced further forward, leading to the loss of some distinctions between vowels. (e.g. “sad” for “said”). 

• Remember that unlike languages like french that have corresponding letters and letter sounds, the Urdu alphabet does not translate exactly in sounds as there are many more in Urdu which could be hard when learning English. Make sure to take the process of learning the basic phonology of English slowly and give many opportunities for learning in context. 
• Make sure to teach vocabulary in context and with many examples as practice. This will help students to practice learning the way we stress syllables. 
• Be patient as there are many skills that will be difficult for students to get used to such as reading from left to right.

Pakistani Celebrations

Here are a few Celebrations that your ELLs from Pakistan might celebrate. Think about interesting ways that you can genuinely integrate the celebration of these dates/festivals in your classroom.

• Ramadan is the ninth month of the  Islamic Lunar Calendar.  Every day during this month, Muslims spend the daylight hours in a complete fast.

• Eid al-Fitr is a celebration on the last day of Ramadan when muslims break their fast. This is a day of celebration for many Pakistanis.

•  Shab-e-Barat is celebrated with enthusiasm by Muslims all over the world. Muslims believe that on the night of Shab-e-Barat Allah writes the destinies of all people for the coming year by taking into account the deeds committed by them in the past. On this festival, prayers, fire works, exchange of sweet dishes and visits to friends and families are held. 

•  Eid Milad-un Nabi is the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is celebrated by all the Muslims with religious enthusiasm and solemnity across the world.

•  Keep special dates in mind and make sure that students know that they are free to celebrate freely in the classroom.
• It is important to remember that in Pakistani culture  Gifts are not opened when received and gifts are given with two hands. This is something to keep in mind during times where gifts are given and received in your classroom.
•   Mothers day and Fathers day are also important celebrated holidays in Pakistan and parents appreciate any crafts or activities run in your classroom
•  Christmas is celebrated by Christians in Pakistan but is not a prominent holiday so be sensitive during this season as these celebrations are not celebrated by all students.

Daily life in Pakistan

Here are some interesting facts about daily life in Pakistan that will help you to understand how school and education fit into your students lives and culture. 

• Food
• Because at least 95 percent of the Pakistani population is Muslim, there are two food customs that are followed almost universally. One is that Muslims do not eat pork (beef, chicken, lamb, and fish…), and the other is that during the month of Ramadan, fasting is a daily activity. 
• Spices and curry are an essential part of any Pakistani recipe.
• Green tea is the typical drink served at all meals.  

 

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•  Communication/Social Behaviour 
• Men shake hands with each other. Once a relationship is developed, they may hug as well as shake hands.
• Women generally hug and kiss. Pakistanis take their time during greetings and ask about the person's health, family, and business success.
• Pakistanis do not require as much personal space as most western cultures. As such, they will stand close to you while conversing and you may feel as if your personal space has been violated. Do not back away.
• Maintain indirect eye contact while speaking
• It is culturally appropriate to arrive between 15 minutes to an hour later than your hosts invite you over. 

• Economy 
• The average per capita income per person in Pakistan is estimated at $460 (U.S.). A large number of Pakistanis, estimated at 35 percent, live below the poverty line. 

•  Be sensitive to students who are participating in religious practices such as fasting especially during lunch periods. Ask if there is anything you can do to help them at these times.  
• Often because of the spices used in Pakistani cooking there can be strong smells and different looks than students in Canada may have not been exposed to. Make sure that your students are aware of different food choices for different cultures and that students are not singled out or teased because of the food they bring for lunches (This often happens with younger students and can cause unneeded embarrassment for ELLs).  
• In Pakistani Culture it is respectful to maintain indirect eye contact therefore do not demand students to look you straight in the eye
• Because of the amount of poverty in Pakistan, it is important to make sure parents know that they have full support from the school when it comes to having the right supplies etc. to set the student up for success. ie. have communal pencil crayon bins in the classroom for all students to use

Pakistani Values and Beliefs

As a teacher, it is extremely important to understand the basic values and beliefs of the students in your classroom. Here are a few important facts about the Pakistani Values and Beliefs.

• Religion
• Islam is practiced by the majority of Pakistanis and governs their personal, political, economic and legal lives.
• Among certain obligations for Muslims are to pray five times a day - at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening.
• Family
•  Families are quite large by western standards, often having up to 6 children. 
• The extended family is very important in this culture and includes the nuclear family, immediate relatives, distant relatives, tribe members, friends, and even neighbours.
• Education
• Higher education is seen as having an important role in preparing an individual for a successful career. There are nearly one thousand colleges and universities located throughout almost the entire country.
• Values
• Pakistan is a hierarchical society, People are respected because of their age and position. Older people are viewed as wise and are granted respect. In a social situation, they are served first and their drinks may be poured for them. Elders are introduced first, are provided with the choicest cuts of meat, and in general are treated much like royalty.

• Always keep in mind that these are general statements for the majority of people in Pakistan Culture, but many students will hold different beliefs or principals therefore do not make any assumptions. 
• Check with students to see if there is anything you can do in your classroom to help them adhere to any religious obligations such as prayer times. 
• Remember that your students may have a large amount of siblings therefore the amount of one-on-one time parents are able to give students for homework etc. may be limited. 
• Titles are very important in Pakistani culture  and denote respect. It is expected that you will use a person's title and their surname until invited to use their first name. Therefore, when working with parents of Pakistani students be cautious to use surnames to show respect unless otherwise directed.