Learning Bangladeshi-Bengali
April 12, 2023 7:07 PM Subscribe
Where can I learn Bangladeshi Bengali (online or in Melbourne, Australia)?
My family is Bangladeshi but I live across the world from them and didn't really grow up immersed in the language (for very complicated reasons English became my primary language). I can speak and understand Bengali to a child's level, but I can't read or write it.
I specify Bangladeshi Bengali because the scant few resources I saw online are for Indian Bengali, which has some differences in wording (such as very different words for relatives, or even for basic things like water).
I have both an Android phone and an iPad, so recommendations for either platform (or PC) are welcomed. As far as local resources go, I haven't seen any in Melbourne (the only Bengali school I know of is in either Sydney or Adelaide and it's for kids) but happy to be proven different! I just saw this question but it is LA in 2017 so any updates are handy!
My family is Bangladeshi but I live across the world from them and didn't really grow up immersed in the language (for very complicated reasons English became my primary language). I can speak and understand Bengali to a child's level, but I can't read or write it.
I specify Bangladeshi Bengali because the scant few resources I saw online are for Indian Bengali, which has some differences in wording (such as very different words for relatives, or even for basic things like water).
I have both an Android phone and an iPad, so recommendations for either platform (or PC) are welcomed. As far as local resources go, I haven't seen any in Melbourne (the only Bengali school I know of is in either Sydney or Adelaide and it's for kids) but happy to be proven different! I just saw this question but it is LA in 2017 so any updates are handy!
I wouldn't discount Indian-Bengali options in Melbourne if those exist-- it's very much mutually intelligible, so if you're looking just to practice or hear it in person it's fine. Online, I would pick the Bangladeshi options though
posted by sandmanwv at 7:11 AM on April 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by sandmanwv at 7:11 AM on April 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: sandmanwv: as I mentioned earlier, they're not mutually intelligible enough for my purposes. I a want some level of familiarity (I was getting lost in the apps that had Indian Bengali) and also I get enough shit from relatives as it is for wrong word choices. Besides, neither option exist in Melbourne anyway as far as I can tell.
posted by creatrixtiara at 10:03 AM on April 13, 2023
posted by creatrixtiara at 10:03 AM on April 13, 2023
I found this organization for students from Bangladesh at the University of Melbourne. They have an Instagram account here. Perhaps DM them and ask if they have any members who could help?
posted by mdonley at 10:16 AM on April 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mdonley at 10:16 AM on April 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Superilla at 10:52 PM on April 12, 2023 [2 favorites]