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Meet the super-duper Urdu mom
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
DIVERSITY
Pakistani mother blogs to help families keep culture Aaron Chatha
Metro | Calgary
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Language is the gateway to culture, and culture is what Tamania Naqi is trying to preserve through her online alter ego, Super Urdu Mom. Originally from Pakistan, Naqi started a blog to chronicle the ways she is teaching her fouryear-old daughter, who was born in Canada, about Urdu language and culture. “Parents in Pakistan take it for granted,” she said. “Kids learn the language by talking to grand-
parents or talking to neighbours. Now, we have to provide that environment for her.” According to the 2011 census, Urdu is among the 10 most common mother tongues spoken in Calgary. So it’s no surprise Naqi’s blog has taken off with other Urdu parents. What’s unexpected, however, is that English-speaking families have also been watching the videos Naqi posts, in which she reads Urdu children’s stories. “I have a neighbour, she’s Canadian; I do these Urdu stories on my blog and her children listen to it,” Naqi explained. “She says, ‘I want to expose them to another language, because of the advantages of being bilingual, they are so well established.’ Exposing a child to another language is so good for their early brain development.” More coverage, page 7
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