We want to make learning Indian languages EASY, FUN and PRACTICAL
We want children to EMBRACE INDIAN CULTURE, so they know where they come from
CONNECT GENERATIONS, so the whole family ( including grandparents ), can communicate with each other, in their Mother Tongue
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR STUDENTS/PARENTS
We give Practical Tips for each topic
THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE
As well as connecting a child to their CULTURE and IDENTITY, a SECOND LANGUAGE opens a child’s mind, BROADENS their horizons and ENRICHES their emotional life
A question we get asked a lot is
IS MY CHILD TOO YOUNG OR OLD TO LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE ?
Research has shown that the time between a child’s birth and their 6th/ 7th birthday is a ‘golden period’, when they are MOST RECEPTIVE to new languages
This is because they have an IN-BUILT ABILITY, to distinguish the sounds they hear and make sense of them
However, we also know that, the older a child gets, their ability to grasp and RETAIN NEW VOCABULARY, also GROWS
But more than that, it’s also a wonderful thing to CELEBRATE our culture, and that LANGUAGE is a great way, to really start to get the feel of their ROOTS AND ORIGINS
Speaking a second language IMPROVES SKILLS in
Studies show that being able TO THINK IN 2 LANGUAGES can
I'm Safrina and I’m passionate about Teaching Indian Languages
I’m a qualified Teacher, with over 18 years of experience in English Schools, in the UK
My vision is to make learning languages Fun, Enjoyable and Engaging, for all students
I’m a mother of 2 beautiful girls
I was born in England, but am a true proud Panjabi at heart
I have Bsc and Msc in Economics and Politics, plus a Post Grad Teaching Qualification ( University of London and City University)
What can I say, I LOVE Education!
I am the Creator/ Writer/ Owner of S.M.I.L.E 4 Kids Indian Language School
S.M.I.L.E stands for Speak my Indian Language Easily
is to keep our Mother Tongue alive, through our children
Most of all, I really want grandparents, parents and children, to LOVE to SPEAK their Mother Tongue and to fall in love with our Culture and Identity
We are so used to speaking English, (as it’s convenient), that we are in imminent danger of losing, our languages and therefore our identity
I want to make, speaking our Mother Tongue, just as easy too
This is why I have carefully and lovingly, written and created a fun and unique way, for our children to learn to Speak and/or Write Panjabi, Hindi and Gujarati
Family and Roots, mean everything to me, as this is what truly defines and identifies us
I took 10 years out of my teaching career, to have our 2 beautiful girls
For the first 7 years of our marriage, we faced lots of struggles to start a family
After a bad miscarriage in 2008, we were told that it’s near enough impossible to conceive, by medics and astrologers and anyone we seeked help from
On top of this, my beloved mother and father passed away, very suddenly and in quick succession of each other
It was sheer determination and sending out positive signals to the universe, that made our dream come true
It took 7 long, hard years to have our 1st daughter, then another 4 years to have our second daughter
Our girls are both true miracles and proof that if you ’Dare to Dream’, your dream will come true
I still wake up each morning and count my blessings
in 2018, once the girls were in school, I was ready to go back to work
I really wanted to do something really meaningful in life, break barriers and make a difference
Most of all, i wanted to give something back, as I felt truly blessed
My inspiration was and still is, my dear late, beloved mother and my best friend in life
Children were her life and children are my life
In addition, by becoming a parent myself, I realised that parents are the biggest ‘influencers’, in children’s lives
I realised that my girls, had never seen their mum have a career
This light bulb moment came when 4 years ago, I asked my 7 year old, ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?'
Her answer was, 'I want to stay at home cook, clean and do housework'
I had to show my girls that, women are just as powerful as men and have careers and success, in their own right
4 years ago, I was struggling to teach my own girls, then 3 and 7 years, to Speak Panjabi. It felt like a daunting prospect
Mum in law ( who lives with us ), opted to speak English to them
Whilst enjoying a lovely holiday in Dubai, I decided, it was time to get some help
So I took them to our local Gurudwara, to learn Panjabi
I was super excited, as you know, I love Education and Learning
Much to my dismay, teaching there lacked Structure, there was no focus on Speaking ( my main aim ), Large groups of children and classes were 3 hours long!
Most of all there was no Fun element!!
That’s when I decided that, it was time for change!!
I used my skills as a Teacher and a Mother and started creating Fun ways, to teach my own children, Panjabi
I wrote and created my own Educational Songs, as songs are incredibly powerful and easy way of retaining learning
I made my own flashcards and resources and my girls loved learning and grew in confidence, very quickly
We had lots of fun while learning. It was easy!
So much so, that other parents started asking me to teach their children Panjabi
As word spread, I was asked to offer Hindi, then Gujarati classes
Any small profit that I made initially, I re invested in hiring a Music Producer to make professional music, designers to create my flashcards.
Eventually, I hired an IT company in India ( tight budget ),to build a new website, with an admin portal to share my resources, with students
I wanted to offer the highest quality to my students, even if it meant using all my profits and putting in some of my savings
I also wanted to help parents to give them structure and tips to apply learning at home
Speaking a second language to English, must be FAMILY AFFAIR, not just 1 hour class a week
I adapted to Lockdown in April 2020, by offering Online Zoom classes
It was the single best decision I made!!!
I have hired and trained,10 wonderful and equally enthusiastic teachers to help me
is still becoming a mum to my 2 children and holding them close
Inspiring my 2 daughters to follow their passions and be strong independent women in future
To see them being proud of their mum’s achievements and be inspired by me, is truly the cherry on top
Helping Families to connect and fall in Love with their culture and Languages.
I’m truly overwhelmed, each time I receive a positive message from a parent .. just like it’s the first time.
It truly fills my heart with emotion, to know that my course has made a difference to even just one child or family or grandparent
I look forward to connecting with you all and most of all,
I salute all women and wish you all every success in life
I equally salute and CELEBRATE all men , such as my dear husband, that support their wives as equals
I really appreciate everyone, for taking the time to ready my story
