Aleph.

‫ا‬
[ ��‫ا‬ ]

Urdu Tuition // ‫اردو ﮢﯿﻮﺷﻦ‬

Hi.
Aleph is a new school that offers Urdu tuition
for children ages 4 and up.

We’ve made it easy and flexible for it to work

around your time, and your child’s time.

We use time-tested methods of teaching

combined with newer science-backed
methods such as spaced retrieval practice.
...Psst. Here’s a quick summary
of the book if you’re short on time:

Our parents arrived here from Pakistan. We

were the first to be born here and nobody
knew what was going on in this new world.

But we grew up. And now we do know.

We can pass this wisdom on to our children.

Learning a second language is good for us.

Language is also the support system and
framework which carries our beliefs and ideas.

What will life look like in 100 years as our

link to Pakistan gradually diminishes?

Will our grandchildren speak our home

language as fluently as our children?

Will we slowly lose our identity & values?

Nurture. ‫پودے لگانا‬
‫کھانا پکانا‬
We invest so much of our lives on raising our
children. We’ll give them healthy food, and
clean water. We’ll provide a safe and
hygienic environment for them. We’ll help
them develop good habits, and we’ll support
their education.

We will carve out a path for their prosperous

journey into adulthood.

With each positive action we take for our

children, we see them take a forward step
towards fulfilling their potential and
becoming the absolute best version
of themselves.

But our future lawyers, our doctors, and our

engineers are at great risk of falling short and
finding themselves perpetually stuck in
low-paying, unfulfilling jobs.
Our efforts and dedication should
undoubtedly have a profound impact on
their success. There are, however, many
obstacles in the way.

We live in a society where social mobility is

difficult. Our children will become adults and
will then need to compete for the top jobs
against people from more affluent areas.

To make matters more difficult, there is

strong evidence to suggest that employers
have an unconscious bias. If Bilal and Steve
are equal on paper, statistics show that Steve is
more likely to be asked for an interview based
on his name alone.

These are uncomfortable facts we must face.

But our children may possess the potential to
level the playing field with a secret
superpower: Urdu.
Science. ‫سائنس‬
Talk of Urdu being the secret ingredient to
unlock you child’s superpower may sound
farfetched at first. So, let’s look at a few facts
about the benefits of being bilingual.

Fact 1: Studies show you become smarter.

People who only speak one language score
lower on standardised tests in core subjects
like Maths.

Fact 2: Studies show memory improvement.

People who only speak one language are worse
at retaining shopping lists, names,
and directions.

Fact 3: Studies show improved multitasking.

People who only speak one language are poorer
at “juggling” two tasks or more. Bilinguals are
better drivers.
The facts don’t stop there. Bilinguals show an
improvement in perception, greater
decision-making skills, a better grasp on
English, heightened focus, and are able to
fight off dementia much more easily.

Neuroscientists are now discovering that

learning a second language during childhood
gives people a significant advantage when
attempting to learn a language as an adult.

Your child could learn French instead.

However, this would negate the distinct
advantage of living in a Pakistani household.
Practising language in multiple environments
boosts the brain’s ability to learn.

Simply put, you can aid your child’s

development by conversing in Urdu at home.

Unleash your child’s super-brain powers.

Generation
First-generation children are predominantly
multilingual speakers. This advantage was
sadly nullified because parents lacked the
experience to guide a child through the
difficulties and trials present in this country.

We are now encountering the reverse

problem. Parents who were born and raised in
England are now raising second-generation
children who don’t have a strong grasp of
their ethnic language.

This trend is likely to continue as we progress

through generation after generation. The
likelihood of our great grandchildren
speaking Urdu or Punjabi fluently are slim.

A barrier in understanding between adult and

child can arise due to language
disappearing from our tongues. As language
wilts, the gap between generations widens.
...Gap. ‫نسل کا فرق‬
Aleph formula for success:
British-born parent + Lessons in Urdu = Path to success
Values. ‫خاندانی اقدار‬
The benefits of living in this country are
numerous. It is a land of opportunity with
plentiful resources. People have to adapt and
acclimatize to their environment. This is an
inevitability. We are adopting new ways of
thinking, new ways of living.

However, there is a growing concern that the

rapid changes within our diasporic society
may cause us to forget some of the valuable
principles and lessons from the vast pool of
knowledge accumulated in our rich
cultural history.

The passing of the torch involves passing of

information. Some of our information is
naturally passed on through genetics. We can
give our children our eyes, and our lips. But
the information of our values can only be
passed on through language.
 We use language to teach our children the
importance of the values. But what if the
language of Urdu itself was able to shape our
personalities? Could we influence our
personalities simply by speaking a language?

Research in linguistics show that behaviour

and personalities can change depending on
the language spoken. The findings suggest
that people who speak English tend to value
achievements, school, and generally display
more individualistic characteristics.

So, what kind of cultural values does Urdu

intrinsically carry?

Theoretically, more collectivist values such as

unadulterated respect for elders, the
importance of being well-mannered and
having an aura of decency. What happens
when we forget our cultural values?
Confidence.
It would seem bizarre to live in a world where
your child forgot how to use his or her legs to
walk simply because everyone else did.

However, this is akin to what is happening

with language. If we’re not speaking a second
language that is easily available to us, then we
are not taking full advantage of ourselves. We
are limiting our children.

Similarly, a child can be highly skilled and

highly motivated. But these attributes are
wasted if the child lacks confidence. If skills
and motivation are the parts of an engine,
confidence is the fuel.

The world is changing. We have

improvements in technology and learning
methods. Our children, unfortunately,
are also vulnerable to Twenty-First
Century disadvantages.
‫خود اعتامدی‬
We are deep inside the digital age. Smart
phones are everywhere. It is no secret,
though, that technology is also hindering us.
Families around the dinner table are talking
less and typing more.

Our communication skills are degrading. And

our struggles in real-world interpersonal social
interaction are eating away at our confidence.

At Aleph, we believe that the art of

conversation is a core ingredient of learning.
Children are encouraged to talk amongst
themselves. In this way, the development of
their confidence and communication is
also reinforced.

If your child has a poor grasp of their second

language, it can damage their confidence at a
profound level.
Identity. ‫شناخت‬
“I don’t know where I belong...”

A loss of identity is a feeling that is growing

among adolescents within our community.
Can we really blame them if they have
feelings of emptiness and aimlessness?

The youth of today have enormous pressures

placed on them. The balancing of two
cultures is difficult for anybody. This pressure
is multiplied when you add the factors of the
increased negativity towards Pakistani culture
in the media.

Teenagers and adults are pressured to feel

shame for the actions of a minority within
their “group”. There are people who wish to
intimidate us into cutting all ties to our
heritage and history.
They demand that we heavily dilute our way
of life. Our rich and vivid background to lose
all its colour. They desire for us to be pale,
hollow shells passively drifting through life.

Our children deserve better.

We must let our children express their true

selves and embrace their identity, so they can
grow up and power through the waves of
discrimination to make lasting positive
contributions that will benefit society as
a whole.

To reclaim our identity, we must first reclaim

our beautiful language.

‫شکریہ‬
A L E P H A B E T. C O M