Language and Communication
We had a professional teacher from
Poland who'd taught at a university, in fact, teaching these five-year
olds how to read and write in Polish. And she used to tell us stories,
you know, folklore tales and things like this, and it was really good.
(Second Generation Polish Woman, b. 1952)
Polish school was a bit of a bind, especially
when City were playing at home.
(Second Generation Polish Man, b.1948)
I've got to know the Ukrainian language a lot
better so I'll be able to write to my relatives in Ukraine. If
they know that you're not very good at Ukrainian, they'll think
it's rubbish over here. But if you can speak Ukrainian they'll
know the community is thriving. I'll send my kids to Saturday
school definitely.
(Second Generation Ukrainian Boy, b.1968)
My children have been learning Punjabi. I want
them to learn because I think language and culture are inter-related.
I think if you lose a language, you're well on the way to losing
a culture.
(First Generation Sikh Man, b.1954)
If Chinese people start to learn when they are
older, because the structure of English grammar is very complicated,
so they think it is difficult to adopt, so they just drop it.
You have to remember so many irregular words when you change the
tenses. For younger people they can remember that, but for the
people when they are getting older, it is very difficult to remember.
(First Generation Chinese Man, b.1957)
If you're an Asian person, people try to communicate
with you through sign language, or they shout at you. they think
perhaps by shouting they can make you understand what they are
talking about.
(First Generation Asian Man, b.1932)