Nishka the English Scholar - Oct 2009
Nishka began her 1st pre-school experience in the US, by attending Goddard at Spotswood on Sep 8 2009. A linguist, Nishka at just 3.5 years old has already claimed Tulu and Kannada into her bag of dialects. But ever since she has been going to Goddard pre-school she is sparing no effort in permeating English to that language Duffel as well. So Nishka has been honing her English skills on her dad while with mom she mostly sticks to Tulu as mom insists on that.
For someone who has just started attending school for the 1st time, her grapple with English is compelling.
Below are some of the English rookie's ramblings, cognitive for her age, but no less ingenuous and humorous than could be
| Event | What Nishka meant to say | What she actually said |
| When I folded the yoga mat near Nishka, its edge gently nipped her. | The mat dabbed me. | Nishka blew it out of proportion and said .... "This is sharp. I did like this. Its bleed" |
| During the sudden weather transition from hot to cold in early Oct 2009, Nishka developed mild rashes on her chest for a fewdays due to fleeting eczema and pointing to her chest said... | I have rashes on my chest | Pointing to her her chest, Nishka said ... "My heart is bleed" |
| When Nim had Nishka wear socks inside the house at the onset of a chilly fall season in Oct 2009 Nishka told me | Mom made me wear socks since its cold | Mommy put socks to wind |
| When eating chapathi on Oct 6 2009, Nishka felt a little pain in her lower lip and said | I have a little pain in my lower lip | As she normally loves to exaggerate even minor pain as bloody, she said ... "Dad its bleed in down lips" |
| Since its extremely exhausting to have Nishka eat her lunch / dinner, sometimes I promise her gifts if she finishes her plate. This one time I did not give her the gift promised. So next day she remembered that and suddenly interrogated .... | Daddy you didnot give me the gift yesterday night | "Why did you not give me gift tomorrow Ratri". Ratri in Tulu means night. Nishka frequently gets confused with the usage of words 'yesterday' and 'tomorrow'. |
| When doing Sandhyavandana in God's room one day, Nishka was sitting next to me and playing with her microwave owen. When I accidentally splashed a couple of water drops on her, she implored ... | Daddy why did you spill 2 drops of water here ? | Daddy why did you put 2 waters here ? |
| When removing clothes from dryer, Nishka was standing next to me and said | Daddy I want my clothes | Daddy I want that mine clothes. |
| On Oct 8 2009 when I cut myself while shaving, Nishka who was standing next to me in the bathroom went to her mom and pointing to her own cheek said | Daddy's cheek is bleeding. | Mommy, daddy come bleed here |
| On oct 10 2009 when I was doing knee rotation exercise, and I asked Nishka who was observing me doing it, if she could do the same, she frowned | Daddy I cannot do it since its difficult. | No, I won't do. It come Kashta to me ! (Kashta means difficult in Tulu) |
| On Oct 10 2009 when I was drinking water in the kitchen, Nishka swung her hand over the Dishwasher vent which was emitting hot fumes since the dishwasher was in drying mode. When she caught a whiff of hot steam in her hand, she retorted | Daddy, the steam feels hot on my hands | Daddy water come hold me |
| On Oct 17 when I inserted a DVD in the external dvd drive and it made a spinning noise, pointing to the drive, Nishka said | Daddy, I am scared of that DVD drive. | Daddy I am scary there |
| When I took Rishma to the small bathroom for diaper change, Nishka vociferated | That small bathroom is not for Rishma's diaper change. Use this big one instead. | She's bathroom not that one, she's bathroom this one |
| When I jovially asked Nishka to play with our actual stove top microwave oven in the kitchen instead of her toy microwave oven, she said | I can't. Its too high for me to reach. | I cant, its gone stuck, Its so high, I am small |
| On Oct 25 2009, in order to inquire at what time our friends, Rina and Radhika and their families would be visiting us over, Nishka asked | At what time will Rina and Radhika aunty be coming over ? | How will come Rina aunty ? How will come Radhika aunty ? |
| There is a soft sponge ball that Nishka loves to play with by throwing at me and asking me to fall down when it hits me. One day when I was playing with Nishka, the ball disappeared somewhere under the bed and she quizzed | Daddy, where did the ball go ? | Daddy, where it gone ball. |
3 Yr 6 month young Nishka's English speaking skills
