ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

The language of true friendship

Two London girls have become the first non-Asians in Britain to enrol in a secondary school-level course in Bengali.

Hannah Moxon and Hayley Park, both aged 15, have joined a thirty-strong class at their City of Portsmouth Girls' School in London because they want to talk to their Bengali friends in their native tongue, according to The Times, London.

Bengali has been taught at the school, which has about 150 Asian students, for the past four years. But so far only those who were born in Britain but speak the language at home with their parents were taking the course.

"A number of non-Asian girls have studied Bengali, but it is the first time that they have opted to enrol in a course," Judith Kilpatrick, the school principal, said.

The school recently introduced a new class in Punjabi too. The Bengali and Punjabi classes are held after school so students can attend voluntarily.

Joanna Lofts, a teacher in the school, has also joined the Bengali class, but she will not be taking the examination.

"It is easier than I thought it would be, but perhaps that's because I want to learn it so I am more interested," said Hayley.

"We can say things like our name and ask people how they are," said Hannah.

Their Indian friends are impressed. "They have nearly caught on well. Soon I won't be able to say anything without them knowing," The Times quoted Shopna Begun as saying.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report