Language Project 2023: Heritage Language
Bengali is a Heritage language for me. The last time I had some sort of Bangla education was learning the alphabet from my grandmothers when I was 7-8 years old. This year, I have finally realised that I need to go beyond the alphabet and gain fluency in written Bengali. Poems come naturally to me, so I am writing them down in Bengali. Then I send it to my grandmother who helps me with any spelling mistakes. Here is some poetry in Bengali, with English translation. বন্ধুত্ব: বছর কাটালাম একসঙ্গে এখন আলাদা হয় চলতে হবে, কিন্তু — যখন তুমি ঘুরে দেখবে আমাকে প্রতিবার দেখতে পারবে। Friendship: We spent years together, Now we are on our own; Regardless — when you turn around: You will find me always. ফুলের খেলা খেলি: থেকে যাও তুমি অমর হয়ে, আবার আসবো তোমায় দেখতে। Floral banter: May you become immortal, I will come again to see you.