Most of us learn to speak our mother tongue from childhood. We do not need classes or books to become familiar with the words the way sentences are built and the small differences in how people talk every day.. If someone asked whether we could learn to read and write our own language from the beginning just as easily the answer might not be the same. My mother tongue is Urdu. I live in Quetta, Pakistan. I speak Urdu every day. Understand it perfectly.. When I think about learning Urdu from the start like a beginner, I realize that speaking a language and mastering it are two very different things.
The Beauty of Urdu and Its Challenges
With that beauty comes difficulty. One of the challenges is the script. Urdu is written from right to left. Many letters change shape depending on where they're in a word. Some letters don’t connect all. Also many words sound alike. Are spelled differently. Anyone who wants to learn to read and write Urdu from the beginning must pay attention to these details.
However, alongside this beauty, there are certain challenges in learning Urdu. First and foremost is its script, which is written from right to left. The shapes of many letters change depending on their position within a word, and some letters do not connect to the following character. Furthermore, there are many words that sound similar but have different spellings. Anyone wishing to learn to read and write Urdu from scratch must pay close attention to all these aspects.
Can I learn Urdu again from the beginning?
If I had to learn Urdu from scratch today I don’t think the early stages would be very hard. I already know the language well. I understand the words. I know how to speak and understand conversations. I wouldn’t have to start from zero learning how to greet someone or talk about the weather.
When it comes to reading and writing the story changes. I would need to work on recognizing each letter spelling words correctly building sentences and using grammar properly. The use of feminine forms in Urdu is important. A small mistake can make a sentence sound wrong. Also I would need time to understand words, idioms and poems. So I wouldn’t say learning Urdu again from the start would be easy. The basics might come quickly. Real skill would take time and effort.
Quetta and the Experience of Various Languages
Living in Quetta gives me the chance to hear different languages. Alongside Urdu people speak Hazaragi, Pashto, Balochi, Brahui and others. People from linguistic backgrounds live in the same city. They do business share meals and talk to each other every day. In this mix Urdu often acts as a bridge between people who speak languages.
I think having many languages together in one place is a wonderful thing. Each language carries its culture, history and traditions. We should be proud of our language but we should also respect the languages of others. Learning a few words in a new language can help build trust and friendship. Language is not a way to talk. It is also a way to understand one another better.
Language is not merely a collection of words.
In the end I believe learning a language never really ends. We grow up speaking our mother tongue. We keep discovering new words, new sayings and deeper meanings as we grow. Even though I feel comfortable speaking Urdu becoming really good at it and mastering it would take more time spent reading writing and studying deeply.
Maybe this is true, for any language. Knowing how to speak is one thing. Knowing its history its literature, its grammar and its small differences is a journey. For me Urdu is not a way to talk. It is part of my life.. That is probably why I have never paid enough attention to all the beauty it has to offer. I have had it all the time. I never thought to look at it closely.
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