Abstract
Languages are at the mercy of people, especially parents, as they are the first and foremost source of transmitting a language a child has access to. However, due to the increased prestige and external benefits, a few languages are promoted more and children are exposed to them at the expense of their heritage language. This qualitative case study aimed to investigate parents’ and teenagers’ views regarding the transmission and use of mother-tongue. It is unique because it focuses on the Urdu language, which is already a national-official language of Pakistan, is used as a medium of instruction and provides instrumental benefits. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and participant observation of two purposively chosen bilingual families living in Karachi. The findings revealed that there is a contradiction in the participants’ words and actions as their views do not match with their practices. The parents see Urdu as their root, and teenagers view it as their national rather than linguistic identity, but their usage and language practices at home supported English because of the perceived benefits, and the parents did not transmit Urdu properly to their children. The study recommended that English should not be an obstacle for any heritage language, and it should be transmitted properly as every child has a right to learn their language
Sharmeen Ismail. (2021) Transmission of Mother-Tongue: Parents’ Vs Children’s Perceptions, The ELF Annual Research Journal, Volume 23, Issue 1.
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