|
Through the
development of interactive and engaging DVDs in five
different languages, Ruchira Agarwal, founder of Baby
Hindustani, has given Indian children, especially
those born and raised outside India, a wonderful
opportunity to connect with their heritage and establish
their identity as Indians from a very tender age.
Numerous parents have expressed much delight for these
enjoyable and educational products, and are hungry for
more.
Jing Ting Wee spoke
to Ruchira for the Teach India Project.
Ting: What led
to the birth of Baby Hindustani?
Ruchira: I
quit my software engineering job to take on the role of
stay-at-home mom. As an involved parent of two small
children, I wanted my kids to grow up speaking their
native language. Unwilling to expose my kids to
Bollywood films at an early age, I looked for high
quality DVDs that taught Hindi, featured Indian kids and
yet were age appropriate. When I couldn’t find any such
products, I decided to create them myself. Thus Baby
Hindustani was born.
Ting: What, in your opinion, are the most effective
ways to help children (and perhaps even adults)
appreciate their culture and identity as Indians?
Ruchira: Children can appreciate their
culture by knowing and celebrating numerous festivals,
reading books on India, and developing a taste for
varied Indian food and clothing. But to really connect
with the culture and identify themselves as Indians,
it’s important to know the language.
Ting: What is your philosophy behind Baby Hindustani?
Ruchira: It is our goal at Baby Hindustani
to build high quality, innovative, educational and
entertaining products for Indian children living outside
of India.
Ting: In the
September 2004 issue of the India-West Newspaper, you
were quoted as saying, “My
son understands Hindi, but won't speak it—he answers in
English.” Why do you think some children refuse
to speak a second language even though they understand
it?
Ruchira:
This happens for the lack of a language environment.
For example, kids in India speak the language without a
thought, because the language is everywhere – from
relatives, to shopkeepers, to TV shows. They are
completely immersed in the language. It is hard to
replicate that outside of India. Parents can speak to
their children in their language, but if their everyday
environment is English – school, friends, TV shows,
there might be a chance that some kids would refuse to
speak a second language, even though they understand it.
Ting: How does
Baby Hindustani encourage children to speak the
language, in addition to just understanding it?
Ruchira:
It is important for parents to continue talking to their
children in their native language whenever possible.
However, it's hard to maintain a language rich
environment, especially when one lives outside India,
and Baby Hindustani is a tool that helps parents create
that environment. When a child hears his parents speak
the language, he learns at a subconscious level, but
when he sees the object in a book or onscreen, he makes
a conscious connection between the object and the word.
It also helps to learn from a DVD that is designed for
young children, at their level, and that features other
children with whom they can relate.
Ting: Your
products come in five languages—Hindi, Telugu, Bengali,
Gujarati and Tamil. Which series is the most popular?
Ruchira:
Hindi is the most popular. Our DVDs have sold in over 25
countries, the main ones being US, UK and Canada.
Ting: Is there
a particular, perhaps more ‘foundational’ language
children should start with, or are they wholly distinct?
Ruchira:
Each language is wholly distinct. Our DVDs help parents
create a richer language environment. Ideally, children
should start with the native language spoken at home. If
that language is not available in our series, then Hindi
would be next best language to start with.
Ting: How many
languages did you speak as a child, and how immersed
were you in the Indian culture?
Ruchira:
I grew up in India and was completely immersed in the
Indian culture. I spoke English and Hindi as a child. I
spoke Hindi at home and English at school. Because both
home and school provided a language rich environment, I
can speak both languages effortlessly.
Ting: Tell us
a little about Baby Hindustani’s latest DVD,
Learn the Hindi Alphabet.
Ruchira:
Learn Hindi Alphabet teaches children to recognize and
sound out the letters of the Hindi alphabet, and also
associate each letter with an object. We added some well
loved Hindi poems or nursery rhymes. We also added a
bonus feature, where the kids can take an interactive
quiz, and test what they learned in the DVD.
Ting: Why do
you avoid exposing your children to Bollywood films?
Ruchira:
Bollywood films are a good way for young adults to get
exposed to Indian culture. However, a lot of people use
Bollywood films as a way to create a language
environment for their young children. In my opinion, the
content (violence, abusive language etc), is not
appropriate for young children. That’s one of the main
reasons for starting Baby Hindustani - to provide age
appropriate content for young kids.
Ting: How do
you see Bollywood in terms of its role in shaping
people’s attitudes or beliefs about Indian culture and
identity?
Ruchira:
Bollywood is a rich medium through which people can
learn about Indian culture, attitude and beliefs. It has
been instrumental in bringing a lot of awareness about
India throughout the world. However, as I mentioned
above, I strongly believe most of the Bollywood content
is not appropriate for children under the age of 10.
Ting: Complete
this sentence: What I love most about being Indian is…
Ruchira:
… its rich heritage, diverse culture, including spicy
food and colorful dresses.
To email us your
comments about this article click
here |
