Preserving Language

Dear Editor,

Based on my personal experience, I highly recommend that new parents who are fluent in Chaldean and/or Arabic use these languages when speaking to their young infants, babies, and kids.

My wife and I have two kids. When they were young, we questioned whether to speak with them in Arabic (my wife does not speak Chaldean). I preferred we speak in formal Arabic, so later in life they would be able to communicate with anyone in the Arabic world. My wife preferred the Iraqi dialect, which we often use. As it turned out, we did little of each and now regret it. I wish we had spoken more of either.

We had some concerns that if we spoke only in Arabic with them, they would be a bit behind when they went to school. However, I now believe that concern was unfounded. Kids befriend other kids in preschool and learn English that way, as well as from TV entertainment in English. Kids adapt much more quickly than adults, and would have had no difficulty learning English quickly, even if it was not spoken much in the house.

I also recommend starting the habit of speaking Arabic or Chaldean in the home with the first child. As you have more kids, they might communicate with each other in English unless the older one is used to speaking in the language you spoke with him or her. Of course, it is never too late to start even if the kids are older, as long as they are still home with you.

As kids grow to become teens, they often show some rebellion against parents’ habits and that is normal. But, as they approach their twenties and older, they often revert to the original culture, and they might wonder why they were not taught their parents’ language when they were young.

As kids are finishing high school and preparing to go to college, they may discover that many competitive universities are impressed with kids who speak multiple languages, and this might help them in their college applications.

Arabic is spoken by at least half a billion people in the world, and the Arabic business and political world will continue to dominate the news in the future. Knowledge of Arabic will prove to be an asset for your kids in business, social, cultural, and political affairs. As to the Chaldean language, it is our heritage and is in danger of diminishing with time, unless we make the effort to convey it to our kids if we can.

Sincerely,

N. Peter Antone