Urdu learning is about learning how to speak, read and write the Urdu language. Children benefit a lot when they learn Urdu. It boosts their intelligence and builds up their character. It is as vital to learning Urdu as any other subject.
Let’s see why learning Urdu is essential and how we can teach this language quickly. Urdu is the national language of Pakistan. It is also one of the official languages of India. Around 66th million people in the world speak Urdu. This also makes Urdu the 4th most widely spoken language in the world.
The Urdu language has vast literature. It has religious prose, poetry, Afsana (short story), and many other literary media. Urdu learning can introduce the learner to:
Most considerable Religious prose and Islamic history:
The Urdu language has the most Islamic literature after Arabic. It has translations of many Islamic books. This makes it a gateway to religious prose.
Urdu also has the largest work of Sharia. It includes
● Tafseer e Quran
● Hadith
● Fiqh
● Islamic History
Rich Literature:
Urdu has a fantastic work of literature. This work of literature holds vast vocabulary. It reflects the culture and history of the region. It holds all genres of prose, from fiction to non-fiction. An Urdu learner can get to read:
● Anecdotes (Dastan) – the traditional tales famous about a place, person, or an event
● Afsana (Short story) – the best-known genre of Urdu fiction
● Safarnama (Travel story)
● Novels
● Khud navisht (autobiography)
● Account Narratives
Poetry:
Urdu poetry was at its peak during British rule in the sub-continent. It has rich poetry that is famous all around the poetry lovers. The most prominent forms of Urdu poetry are
● Ghazal
● Hamd- a poem in praise of Allah
● Nazm
● Masnavi
● Marsia
Urdu poetry was able to reach its peak because of the services of many skilled poets. It starts from the 13th century with the work of Amir Khusro to the poetry of Perveen Shakir during the 20th century. Urdu poets have poured the blood of skills into the veins of Urdu poetry.
The two most famous poets of Urdu are:
Mirza Asadullah Khan:
He is widely known by his pen name, Ghalib. He is one of the most famous poets of the Urdu and Persian languages. His work raised Urdu poetry to its peak. Ghalib is famous for his Ghazals and letters. His letter is a very new genre, and it stands out in Urdu prose. Urdu poetry was all about feelings before Ghalib. His work added the taste of philosophy and intelligence to Urdu poetry. His poetry also has the melody of words. All of these skills make him a great poet.
Allama Iqbal:
Iqbal was a poet, philosopher, and politician. He is also known as the Poet of the EAST. Most of his poems reflect his love for Islam and humanity. His poems hold the historical and cultural values of Islam and Muslims. All of these values make his work the torch of guidance for the readers. An Urdu learner can also benefit from the treasure of his work. So when we learn a language, we get to adopt new ideas. These ideas can also be unique to ours. That is why we should consider well what language to learn.
Do we also know that this will also ignore our values?
As everyone has a mark of identity, language is that mark of culture. It tells us who we are. For this same reason, all sensible countries stress over the spread and use of their local language so that they do not lose their identity and get under the power of other cultures.
The Urdu language is also a source of unity for the people of Pakistan. It gives us a sense of belonging that we all are one. If we want to protect our values, we need to teach our kids the Urdu language well.
Urdu learning has these effects on your child.
● Urdu prose and poetry have a lot of work in history. When kids learn it, they get to learn a lot about our history. Our kids must learn about our rich history. To be able to grasp the present, we must know the past well.
● Urdu learning can help kids gain a lot of cultural knowledge. The work of Urdu prose and poetry is the best source for the kids to learn about our values and norms.
● Urdu learning gives them a brief insight into our society. Kids get to know why things are the way they are.
● Urdu has many words from other languages. It is a mix of Arabic and Persian. Kids also get to know about these languages when they learn Urdu. This will also teach them about these values and norms.
How will Urdu Learning help your kid later?
In addition to these basic benefits, Urdu learning can help the kids a lot later in their practical life. The plus point of Urdu learning that you should know is:
Communication Skills:
Your kid should be able to talk with other people in the right way. People value the skills of Speaking and writing well most. Urdu is the most common language in our society. If the kids learn it well, they will be easily able to talk with the people around them. It will help the kids to notice what other people want to say. Also, other people will be able to understand them and even their point of view. These are the skills that make up the character of your kid.
1. Learning Urdu is a bit tricky.
2. Urdu is one of the most spoken languages in the world. It is our language, but sometimes we get hazy about how to spell a word correctly. Urdu has a unique writing style. This means that we write Urdu from right to left. It gets tough for kids to learn it quickly. Kids always get stuck when writing Urdu. Not just this, to speak Urdu can be hard. Its dialect is different from other languages. It has 36 soft voices and 15 heavy voices, due to which kids find themselves stuck. There is no need to worry. With a few efforts, we can make it easier for our kids to learn Urdu better and faster.
Effective ways to learn Urdu:
Just asking your kid to learn Urdu won’t do. It will need parents to put some effort into it. All the plus points of Urdu aside, kids do not take an interest in Urdu learning. But there is no need to worry because here are the easy tips you can follow:
Urdu Reading
Reading is the best way to learn any language by reading boosts knowledge. It also polishes the skills of critical thinking of the reader. Reading helps the kid to learn how to spell words. It also tells them how to use these words in their sentences. Make your kid read Urdu books as much as possible. Kids usually find reading very dull. If they run away from reading, get them engaging storybooks. Kids also like coloring books with a lot of pictures. These books capture their attention. Parents should get them these books to get their interest in Urdu books.
So Butterfly and friends books are published according to the interest of kids.
This will build up their interest in reading. It will also make them learn Urdu better. They will also learn how to use a word in its proper context. For more quick reading tips: click on this picture.
Urdu Story Videos:
No matter how hard you try. You can’t keep Kids away from Cell-phones and Tablets. They always try to find a chance to get their hands on it. So out of their interest, you can make them watch Urdu story videos. These videos will grasp their notice. They will also learn Urdu in a fun way. Videos can also help them in learning the sounds. Kids find it hard to say words in Urdu. If they learn it from the videos, they will learn how to read a word fast. Story videos always make kids want to watch more. It gets kids’ interest in stories and will teach them Urdu fast. Stories also give them some extra knowledge. It also tells them about animals or plants. These stories also give the kids a perfect life learning lesson.
Poems and Rhymes:
To learn Urdu, Kids need to practice more. They find it difficult and annoying. Another easy way to learn Urdu is to sing poems. Poems recite the words again and again. It makes the learning of the words easy. Poems and rhymes turn this learning into fun. These tunes keep the kids engaged in poems. Kids also learn to use hand gestures. This helps their brains in multi-tasking. They learn, sing, and dance all at once. There are a lot of catchy and easy poems available online. You can make them learn even when they are playing. They won’t even realize that they are learning. Parents can also sing poems to their kids.
This needs no expert skills, just a few tips:
Quran Reading
As we know, the Urdu language has so many words of Arabic. Learning Arabic reading can help the kids in Urdu and vice versa. Kids develop a very flexible tongue when they learn to read the Quran. This makes them even understand and read a difficult word thoroughly. Arabic reading helps them learn Urdu faster. Kids also learn to make the correct sound of every alphabet. Kids develop a proper accent.
Writing
Not only speaking and listening but also writing is a central part. As we know that learning a language can be tough, but if you practice writing, you can learn it much faster. This is why writing plays a key role in learning. When kids read Urdu books, parents should also make them write the words. They will try to copy the words down. This will help them learn it. With the help of this, they will learn Urdu faster and will also learn to write. Parents and Teachers should always give them a good writing book. These books usually come with coloring images. These are also easily available online. Click on this picture.
Play Games:
This is a very casual and fun way to teach kids Urdu. Play games with kids that have the tasks of reading or writing Urdu words.
For example;
Name, Place animal or Thing in Urdu.
These games will improve their memory. It will also increase their vocabulary power.
Talk in Urdu
Practice is the best way to polish the skills of speaking. We should make sure that our kids get to practice Urdu speaking well. We should also make sure that our kids also get to socialize in Urdu. Parents should also talk to their kids in Urdu. Not just this, parents should make sure to use a proper accent. We should make sure that our kids get Urdu learning. Urdu learning has so many benefits for the kids. It can be a little hard at times. This is why parents and teachers need some more effort to be put in. We should not force them and scold them. As parents or teachers, make sure to make your kid have an interest in Urdu learning. With the help of these easy ways and tips, Kids can learn Urdu and have fun, both at the same time. Parents should also not stress over their selves. They should also enjoy this learning time with their kids.