Keeping up with our heritage
Edited by Raewyn Ho
Learning another language not only helps us communicate with others but also enables us to embrace other cultures. Moreover, it allows us to carry forward our own cultural heritage. As a native speaker of Chinese, I take great pride in my heritage and believe that by teaching the Chinese language and culture, others can gain a better understanding and reduce misconceptions about what it truly means to be "Chinese."
However, how do we keep this connection of heritage, culture and language with our younger generation whilst being immersed in another?
As a parent, I strive to keep my tamariki (children) connected with all sorts of cultural festivals and events. But I feel like I am fighting a losing battle when it comes to their language development. Many immigrant families have either one or both parents as native speakers, and they recognise the significance of preserving their native heritage. If we, the parents, do not support the importance of heritage language development, who will?
Unfortunately, many parents in my position have to turn to community channels to pass on their heritage language, because the kura (school) in the area do not necessarily have language classes. Our tamariki often have to rely on artificial means to be introduced to certain cultural elements, while their language skills are typically taught through afterschool or weekend language programs. Community teachers are often native speakers who have been educated in a first language environment. They are unfamiliar with kiwi school environments and out of touch with modern teaching pedagogies of how to teach a foreign language. Our children are often turned off and unwilling to spend hours of their free time copying Chinese characters.
In light of these challenges, it seems it is essential for parents and the wider community to take proactive steps in preserving heritage language and culture. I do wonder however – how could kura connect these community teachers to the realities of NZ teaching pedagogy and allow them to make more connections to our children that are growing up in both cultures?
