Asha & Rajiv

From: 🇮🇳 India

Ages: 34 & 36

Languages Spoken: Hindi, English

Current Location: Dubai, UAE

Child: Anaya, age 3

Story: OPOL in an Arabic-speaking environment. Asha speaks Hindi, Rajiv English. Their daughter is learning Arabic socially and is on track to be trilingual.

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¿Puedes describir los antecedentes lingüísticos de tu familia?
Asha was raised in Delhi speaking Hindi as her first language. Rajiv grew up in Mumbai in an English-speaking household, but he’s fluent in Hindi too. We both use English professionally in Dubai, but culturally we come from strong Hindi-speaking roots.

¿Qué idiomas utilizáis, cómo y dónde y cómo decidisteis esa mezcla?
We use the OPOL (One Parent, One Language) method. Asha speaks only Hindi with Anaya, and Rajiv only English. Outside the home, she hears Arabic from our neighbours, school staff, and friends. It felt like a natural balance.

¿Por qué es importante para usted enseñar esos idiomas?
Hindi connects Anaya to our culture, festivals, and family. English is essential globally and academically. And Arabic is a practical part of life in Dubai. We want her to feel rooted y confident wherever she goes.

¿Cuándo decidió por primera vez criar a su hijo de forma bilingüe?
We discussed it seriously when Asha was pregnant. We agreed to stick with Hindi and English at home and let Arabic come naturally from the environment.

¿Seguiste una estrategia específica (por ejemplo, OPOL, ML@H) o evolucionó naturalmente?
We followed OPOL from day one. Asha speaks only Hindi to Anaya, and Rajiv only English. It felt natural and worked well with our personalities and routines.

¿Cuáles fueron sus mayores preocupaciones al principio y cómo se desarrollaron con el tiempo?
We worried she’d mix up the languages or get confused, especially with Arabic floating around. But she’s been great at distinguishing who speaks what — even correcting us sometimes!

¿Qué te ayudó a mantener la constancia en el uso de ambos idiomas? ¿Cuál es tu rutina?
Consistency comes from roles. Rajiv does storytime and bath time in English. Asha handles meals, play, and lullabies in Hindi. We’re both strict about not switching languages mid-sentence, even if she does.

¿Ha cambiado su enfoque a medida que su hijo crece?
A little. We’ve now introduced more structured vocabulary games and bilingual books. We also try to help her identify which language she’s using by name — so she becomes aware of what she’s switching between.

¿Cómo maneja usted la resistencia o cuando su hijo prefiere un idioma?
There was a phase where she answered everyone in English. Asha just kept using Hindi, even if the reply came back in English. Eventually, Anaya started switching back. No battles — just patience.

¿Ha experimentado algún momento de avance o de orgullo en su desarrollo del lenguaje?
Yes — she once translated what her nursery assistant said in Arabic into English for Rajiv, then repeated it in Hindi for Asha. It was like watching a tiny UN interpreter at work.

¿Qué papel ha desempeñado su familia extendida o su comunidad al apoyar (o desafiar) sus metas?
Our families back in India are very supportive and thrilled she can speak Hindi. Our community in Dubai is quite international, so multilingualism is normal here. That helps a lot.

¿Tienes una anécdota divertida o inesperada de tu experiencia bilingüe? Nos encantaría escucharla.
Anaya once said, “Mujhe ice cream chahiye, but also quickly please!” — switching halfway through like it was nothing. We still laugh about it.

¿Alguna vez has sentido presión (interna o externa) por tus objetivos bilingües?
Sometimes, especially when people say, “Why bother with Hindi? English is enough.” But for us, Hindi is not just language — it’s connection. That outweighs the noise.

¿Sientes que tu hijo se conecta emocional o culturalmente con ambos idiomas?
Definitely. She sings bhajans in Hindi and reads Peppa Pig in English with the same joy. She gets excited to talk to her grandparents in Hindi and equally loves chatting with classmates in English or Arabic.

¿Cuál ha sido el desafío más inesperado?
Explaining why some things exist in one language and not in another. Concepts like “adarsh” don’t have a neat English equivalent. It leads to long conversations — which we embrace.

¿Qué es lo que más te ha sorprendido de forma positiva?
How fearless she is about switching languages. No hesitation. No embarrassment. She doesn’t see language as a boundary — just a tool.

¿Qué tecnología u otros recursos utiliza para apoyar el aprendizaje de idiomas?
We use YouTube playlists for Hindi rhymes, the “Endless Alphabet” app in English, and a few Arabic cartoons she enjoys. Also, we order Hindi storybooks from India every few months.

¿Los entornos escolares o de cuidado infantil han ayudado o dificultado el proceso?
Schooling is in English, but it hasn’t hurt. Teachers are supportive and interested in her multilingual background. Some even ask her to share Hindi phrases with the class.

Si pudieras hacer una cosa diferente ¿qué sería?
Start Arabic exposure earlier — not just passively through social contact but with a bit more structure. It’s the third language, so it needs extra help.

¿Qué consejo le darías a otros padres que están empezando?
Be intentional. Pick a strategy and stick with it, even when it feels like it’s not working. Language isn’t just about fluency — it’s about identity and family. Keep showing up with love and consistency.

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