Benefits of Learning Urdu for British-Pakistani Children

Parents who ask about the benefits of learning Urdu are usually weighing up time and effort. School is busy, English matters, and weekends are precious. Is it worth it? For British-Pakistani children, the answer most families give is a confident yes, but it is worth being clear about which benefits are well founded and which are overstated. This article looks at both.

1. Talking with family

The most immediate benefit is conversation. Many children in the UK have grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who are more comfortable in Urdu than in English. A child who can chat with them, tell a joke, answer a question or understand a story has a closer relationship than one who relies on a translator. For grandparents, hearing their own language from a grandchild can be deeply moving. Our guide to helping children speak Urdu with their grandparents goes into this in detail.

2. Identity and belonging

British-Pakistani children grow up between cultures. Language is one of the strongest threads that connects them to family history. Children who can speak even a little Urdu often feel more at ease when they visit relatives in Pakistan, attend family events or meet other families from the community. It gives them an additional way to say who they are. That does not make them less British. It makes their identity richer. For more on this theme, read helping British-Pakistani children stay connected to their roots.

3. A world of stories, poetry and music

Urdu has a long literary tradition. Poets such as Allama Iqbal and Faiz Ahmed Faiz are loved far beyond Pakistan, and Urdu songs, ghazals, films and television dramas reach audiences around the world. A child who can follow Urdu is able to enjoy this heritage directly, not only in translation. Even for young children, nursery rhymes and picture books open a door. We share ideas in Urdu stories, poems and rhymes for children.

4. Benefits of learning Urdu: a large and varied community of speakers

According to Britannica, Urdu is spoken as a first language by nearly 70 million people and as a second language by more than 100 million, mostly in Pakistan and India, with significant speech communities in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In the UK itself, the 2021 Census recorded around 270,000 people in England and Wales whose main language is Urdu. Britannica also notes that Urdu and Hindi are mutually intelligible in speech, so a child who speaks Urdu may be able to understand conversation with many Hindi speakers too.

5. Practical benefits of learning Urdu

• Travel. Visiting Pakistan is more rewarding when children can follow what is going on and make themselves understood.
• Qualifications. Urdu is available as a GCSE from exam boards such as Pearson Edexcel. A child with strong speaking skills may find it a natural subject, so it is worth asking their secondary school about entry options.
• Future work. Language skills can be valued in fields such as health, law, education, community work and business, particularly where services reach Urdu-speaking communities.

6. Confidence and pride

When a child learns that they can do something their classmates often cannot, such as speak, read or write in another language, it can raise their confidence. Some children enjoy being “the one who knows”. Used well, this can help children feel proud of their background.

7. What about brain benefits?

You may read that bilingual children have better memory, attention or problem-solving. Researchers have studied this for years, and the picture is more mixed than headlines suggest. Some studies report advantages in certain tasks, others do not, and results depend heavily on how and how often the languages are used. We would not promise that learning Urdu will raise your child’s grades or IQ. A safer view is that being bilingual is a normal and positive part of growing up and gives children a broader range of ways to communicate. Parents who would like research-based advice can visit UCL BiLingo, a UK service for families raising bilingual children.

8. English and Urdu can grow together

A common worry is that using Urdu at home might hold English back. Most families find that children can grow up with both. If you are concerned about your child’s progress in any language, speak to their teacher or health visitor. Our article on raising bilingual children in the UK looks at how to balance the two in everyday life.

How to make the benefits real

The benefits of learning Urdu do not appear by themselves. They depend on regular exposure and purpose. These habits help most:

1. Hear and use Urdu every day, even for ten minutes.
2. Give the language a purpose, such as calling a grandparent each week.
3. Join other learners. A class or community group makes it social and gives children peers who share the experience.
4. Be patient. Language takes years, and children progress at different speeds.

For practical steps, see how to teach your child Urdu at home and Urdu classes for children in the UK.

Frequently asked questions

Is it worth learning Urdu if my child will mainly use English?

Many families feel it is, because the main benefits of learning Urdu are about relationships, identity and culture rather than daily use. Whether it is right for your family is your decision, and it is fine to start small.

Will learning Urdu confuse my child?

Bilingual development is normal and children can learn to keep languages apart. If you have concerns about your child’s language development, speak to a health visitor, GP or your child’s school.

At what age should we start?

There is no single right age. Young children enjoy rhymes and conversation, and older children can still learn with the right motivation.

Related reading

• Why family languages matter across generations
• Helping British-born children learn Urdu
• Urdu classes or home learning

Sources

• Urdu language, Encyclopaedia Britannica
• Office for National Statistics, Language, England and Wales: Census 2021
• Pearson, Edexcel GCSE Urdu (2017)
• UCL BiLingo