Language of my ancestors touches my heart

I came across this article in yesterday's newspaper. The writer is ethnically Chinese with parents speaking 2 different Chinese dialects in their childhood: Cantonese and Hakka.

Chinese dialects are probably mis-named as "dialects" because one dialect group cannot communicate with the other. China has 56 major ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language and culture. Most of the languages use the same Chinese writing system, with some variations of "local characters" that do not exist in Mandarin, the national language. If presented with a short written text, a Cantonese and a Hakka will read the same text in very different sounds, yet capture the exact same meaning of the text. The same goes with other Chinese dialects. Perhaps this is one uniqueness of the Chinese language(s).

Yet, as the writer pointed out, in his adulthood, he has chosen to try and learn the dialects of his parents, so that the older folks would not have to switch from Cantonese or Hakka to Mandarin when speaking to him, and he would not be left in the dark when the family was having a conversation in one of those dialects. In my opinion, his desire to learn about the culture of his grandparents and ancestors has also touched the heart of his older relatives.

Today, very few Chinese Singaporeans aged 35 years and under can understand the dialect of their parents. Thanks to a very effective "Speak Mandarin Campaign" in Singapore, even non-Chinese Singaporeans can speak very good Mandarin. I still belong to the generation of those who can at least understand several dialects spoken in Southern China, from where most of our ancestors come. Some of my classmates are more comfortable conversing in Teochew (one of the dialects) than in English, despite all of us having attended English medium schools.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to what our heart language is. Learning the language of our parents enriches our lives with traditions and customs that we would never know if we never learned their language. It gives us the key to touch the hearts of distant relatives in the "motherland" and allows us to pass down traditions to the generations that follow.

I am so grateful to my primary school classmates who taught me rudimentary Teochew and Hokkien (2 Chinese dialects), and to my maternal grandmother who spoke to me in Cantonese almost all the time, even though she spoke perfect English. None of those may be my heart language, but my heart is warmed every time I hear those languages spoken, and I understand what is going on! It's a feeling that cannot be described.

There may not be any books on how to learn the language of your parents or ancestors, but don't wait too long to learn. Grab the opportunity while you can. Your life will be so much richer because of the language.

Happy learning!

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