Academics & Tuitions

Hindi or Telugu from class 6? Our son reads Hindi better, and his grandparents are not pleased

moss_paper_9136

Our elder son moves to class 6 in June and the school wants the second language picked by the end of this month. Telugu is our home language, but he reads and writes Hindi more comfortably. He's had both so far, his closest friends are Hindi speakers, and Hindi is the one that stuck. His marks would almost certainly be better in Hindi. His grandparents want Telugu, and part of me agrees that if he doesn't learn to read it properly now, he never will. How did you choose, and do you regret it either way?

5 comments

  • pebble_puzzle_4142

    We're Gujarati at home and she took Hindi, because Gujarati was never an option at school. She learnt to read Gujarati from her baa during the holidays, slowly, but she did 🙂 So the school choice isn't his only chance.

  • quiet_bookmark_4085

    We're a Telugu family living in Noida, so Hindi was the default and there was no decision to make. My daughter speaks Telugu with her grandparents but can't read it. I don't regret the school choice, but I do wish we had started something for reading at home earlier. Whichever you pick, the other language needs a plan at home.

    • pebble_moon_6815

      This is useful to me as well. Our son is only in kindergarten, but English is already taking over and Telugu reading isn't on anyone's timetable. When you say a plan at home, what does that look like in practice for a young child? Half an hour on weekends? Reading with grandparents over video calls?

  • moss_bottle_5383

    go with what he can score in, at least through class 10. my daughter took the language she was stronger in, and with class 10 starting for her in june i'm glad she did telugu reading can happen at home. class 10 marks can't be redone 🤷

    • moss_paper_9136

      That's my partner's argument too, almost word for word, and the board year worries me as well. I'm still stuck on how much the grandparents' feelings should count.

  • sunny_compass_4090

    we're tamil in pune. my daughter has marathi at school and tamil only at home. she reads neither well yet. no right answer that i can see, only which gap you're willing to fill yourself

  • apricot_pebble_842

    One thing to ask the school before deciding: is the choice fixed until class 10, or is there a window to switch at class 8? Some schools lock it once chosen, others don't, and that changes how much weight to put on it now. We're Bengali at home, so neither language came from home for ours, which made the decision easier.

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