One of the most overwhelming experiences I ever had as a soft skill trainer.
My dad owns a stationery shop, which is near a government school. Where the education is completely in Kannada(our state language). I was standing in front of my shop and I was speaking to a client on my phone.
During the lunch hours. There was one small girl, who was in 8th standard, she was observing me and looking right at my lips, while I was talking to my client on my phone for at least 2 to 3 minutes, she kept her gaze on me. Though I could see her, observing me. I just ignored her. There were multiple kids in front of my dad's stationary counter, asking for paper and pens… I walked into my shop. Told my dad that, I’ll look after the shop and told him to go home and rest for a while.
I settled down on a chair, by now the kids have gone back to school. Though the kids when back, that girl’s gaze was still in my mind. But I somehow managed to get back to my work and started going through my emails on my cellphone.
In that government Kannada medium school, hardly any kid ever tried speaking in English. I put it across because I was standing at my dad’s store giving things to people. I hear a cute voice in English “Bro, get me one Ecliers Chocolate”. Before I reached out for the chocolate jar. I turned back to see, who the kid was, and to my surprise it was the same kid which was staring at me during their lunch break when I was on a call.
Her one sentence made me very happy, but still, I had a doubt, what if she only knew that one sentence? So I tried to figure out to ask another question, “How much money have you got”.
Trust me she replied with attitude “ I have got 10 Rupees, give me back 9 rupees”. By now every other kid at the counter from her school was seeing her full of surprise.
I’m a person who usually gets triggered when people show me their attitude. But this time I wasn’t, I fall in love with her confidence and that pride feeling she had, that only she knew English among all her friends.
Now I was curious to know how she learnt English out of nowhere. So I smiled at her and tried being friendly with her so that she could give me valid information on how she started learning English at that small age, that to studying in a Kannada medium school. No offence but, trust me the ground reality is different. Kids in government schools get less exposure to the English language.
With a broad smile on my face, I asked her, “How did you learn English?”. Was expecting a quick answer from her.
She replied to me in English seeing up and trying to recall with her lips shrieked, “I learnt it during lockdown period”, and shrugged her shoulders with a blissful smile.
Trust me she was so proud saying that to me. Now I was more excited because I wanted to know, How she learnt it?
Through which platform she learnt it?
I wanted to know more about it, to understand how it all begin.
I tried being more friendly with her and made her feel comfortable and that is when I asked her again “How did you learn, Who thought you English?” I took a breath and realize that she was a bit nervous, the way I was putting questions across her.
She looked at me and said, “I watched cartoons on TV and I learnt”.
Saying that she hit her forehead as if, I was asking the dumbest question in the universe. I smiled at her and said, “Take care, bye!”, she slowly started stepping away from my dad’s shop.
She started walking back to school with her friends hopping and jumping. I could see that all how happy she was of being recognised among all her friends. Now all of her friends rushed to her and made a circle around her. They all started asking her many questions, to know what conversation she had with me. I see kids pointing at me and asking her question, I could see all that at a distance. She continued with attitude and pride feeling, explaining to them all, she was in between and was sneak peaking, to check out if, I was still seeing her.
I was now stuck with this thought in my mind, that nothing is impossible.
I wanted to share this with you guys because there is a lot we want to learn as human beings. But most times we have issues learning new things in our life. Trust me no language is difficult, until and then you think it to be complicated. It’s easy, but sometimes we take our foot back thinking that we cannot make it. So that is why I thought to share this small story with my friends, those who say that they have difficulty understanding English or communicating in English with others.
Trust me it is very easy. When a small kid studying in the eighth standard can learn it within a few months, then why can’t you being so mature and having so much understanding in life, learn English? With this story would like to convey that we can make it happen, it's only possible only when you started loving what you want to learn. Trust me English is a funny language. Never make a language a barrier, it’s just a platform of communication.
In the end, would like to say, it’s all about interest and that is when you will start learning and when you love what you are learning you will learn it real quick. So what are you waiting for?
Share this with your friends who are putting their efforts into learning a new Language.! I said Share now and encourage them.
Content by : Varun Katti
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