During a report card distribution at my brother’s school, I was quite annoyed to hear a parent’s comment on the marks his son had received. When the teacher complained that the student did not do well in Nepali class, the parent replied, “He has passed in Nepali and I am happy with it. Nepali should not be emphasized too much. What will he do with good marks in Nepali? After all it is not required for his career.” The teacher had no reply. I, however, was quite dismayed by the parent’s remark.

Most of the private schools in Nepal are English medium schools. In theses schools, students are not only taught in the English language but are also required to speak and communicate only in English inside the premises. These rules are one of the major attractions for parents who choose to enroll their children in the private schools and colleges in our country.

Contrastingly, students in public schools are taught in the Nepali language and have the freedom to communicate in their own mother tongue. There are even small movements now advocating grandmother tongue instruction, or education in some of the many regional languages Nepali communities use.

I have many friends who communicate with their parents in English at home. This culture, of speaking English at home, is gaining popularity day by day. As parents want their children to have fluency and good English language skills, they make a habit of speaking in English with their children. Although this improves the English skills of the child, his or her own language often suffers as it is ignored in favor of English. My friends who speak in English at home, seem loathe to use Nepali and are also more attracted to western culture.

People who have been brought up with this habit seem to be much less familiar with their own national culture, traditions and lifestyle. Ignoring Nepali traditions, they listen to English songs, watch English movies and can get almost lost in the western world. This has made a distinction between the two groups of English speakers and Nepali speakers.

This has also created a gap between rural children who typically attend public schools and the private scholars most often studying in the city. Public school students often feel awkward when they have to communicate with Nepali born English speakers and are less self-confident because of this linguistic difference.

Everyone has the freedom to speak in any language he or she would like to, and can get influenced towards any culture or ethnicity. However, every citizen should consider the importance of preserving the culture, language and tradition of his or her own place of birth. The language we use and the culture we follow is our identity in the larger world. These have great historical and national worth. In the movement towards modernization, we should not forget our values and ethics nor lose our cultural and national identity.