“Tumi kemon acho,” my mom says to me, “means how are you.” I repeat the Bengali translation in my head, praying I would not forget. My grandmother was coming to visit my family and me. It was great news for everybody, except for me because I had a fear that I would not be able to communicate with her in Bengali. I wanted to be able to talk to her to my utmost ability, but due to my basic Bengali skills it was going to be difficult for me to communicate with her, especially since she barely knew English. To prepare, I stopped talking to my mom in English and continued to speak to her in Bengali, trying to get in some practice before my grandmother’s arrival. It was only then that I realized how essential it is to know and learn a language that has been spoken in the family for generations.

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- Mohua Sultana