Indian English Nursery Rhymes:
Bridging the Gap Between L1 and L2
Education
Article Details
Pub. Date
:
Sep, 2012
Product Name
:
The IUP Journal of English Studies
Product Type
:
Article
Product Code
:
IJES51209
Author Name
:
Soumyajyoti Banerjee and Amrita Basu
Availability
:
YES
Subject/Domain
:
English Studies
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:
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No. of Pages
:
9
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Abstract
The paper examines the emergence of popular L1 English nursery
rhymes in India. Indian culture, like other Asian cultures, emphasizes
relationship building, respecting others and knowing one’s position
in the great macrocosm of nature and society. Nursery rhymes in L1
Hindi (a national language of India) develop these factors in the
Indian child. English L1 nursery rhymes, however popular they might
be, showcase a society and culture from which the Indian child is far
removed. A cultural disparity is evident when one compares L1 English
and L1 Hindi nursery rhymes. Parents in India are increasingly relying
on L2 English nursery rhymes which reflect the images that a child
can easily assimilate from the day-to-day world. The child can easily
relate to what he or she is learning (due to the common gender of the
child, gendered pronouns like ‘him’ will not be used) when the
sociocultural elements, which form an important part of the Indian
ethos, are incorporated in L2 English acquisition.
Description
Nursery rhymes perform the important linguistic role of introducing a child-learner to a
particular language, more so to the use of that language. It marks the initiation of a child
into education. Almost all the languages around the world have their own native nursery
rhymes which the child learns. The same is true for the Indian child-learner. However,
nursery rhymes written in L1 English have become a regular part of basic level education
of the Indian child; at least in those institutions where the medium of instruction is English.
The Indian child-learner also learns nursery rhymes in its native language.
In this paper, first the differences between the nursery rhymes written in L1 English
and those written in L1 Hindi are traced. L1 Hindi is considered because it is a national
language of India and also because it is the most widely spoken language in the country.
Second, an attempt is made to find out whether there are considerable differences between
the two, and if they are at the sociocultural level. Then the paper examines whether thesedifferences hinder the process of learning English as a Second Language (L2) by the
child-learner. A newer approach is also presented which can aid the process of L2 English
learning by fusing the elements of the child’s mother tongue (L1) with English, which is
the second language (L2). Finally, whether there is a radical change of perspective in the
basic level education of the Indian child is surmised.
Keywords
English Studies Journal, emergence, popular, L1, English, nursery
rhymes, India, Indian culture, Asian cultures, emphasizes,
relationship building, respecting, others and knowing, one’s position, great macrocosm, nature and society.
