Yesterday, I stopped to buy some money orders.
The clerk working the desk counted out my money in a different language.
I asked him which language he was counting in and he said it was Hindi.
I told him that I had several students from India.
The languages they were learning included Telagu and Malayalam.
He said his local language was Bengali.
He said it with the accent on the first syllable, BEN-ga-li.
I realized I pronounced it to myself with the accent on the second syllable, Ben-GA-li.
I started to think that I was right, and then I realized that it was his language and that he is correct about it.
Another moment of reflection.
©2012 Kathryn Hardage
www.InspiredPractices.com
