3rd September 2011 9:00
By Dalmeet Chawla
I could have never imagined myself teaching a student my mother tongue over video calls on Skype. To be completely honest with you, it was an experiment, as teaching a language on Skype is not the easiest thing in the world, especially if its Panjabi. However, I think that she has progressed a lot over her lessons so far, considering that she had been looking for a Panjabi tutor for over four years.
Usually, when you consider learning a language, you would think about learning to read and write the language, before attempting to speak it. However, partly due to the linguistic excellence that this student has, she has managed to do the opposite. Currently, she learns how to speak Panjabi, without having a clue how to read or write it.
She does come from a Panjabi background, athough I think we can ignore this fact, as she has been practically isolated from the language since her childhood. Perhaps, it is this very commitment and dedication of hers to her education that got her a place in Oxford University.