Prayash Poudyel, 7 is hard at work during one of his lessons. The children read Nepalese books at home, and were spoken to in their mother tongue but mostly replied in English. “We are proud. We encourage them to speak Nepalese at home, so the language is not lost.” Dhakal said his parents lived in the United States, and the family would video chat often. “Our parents don’t speak English, so there is a big gap if they don’t speak Nepali.” He said the children would previously draw pictures to communicate with their grandparents, but could now ask basic questions and hold a conversation.
Children start classes from 3 years old and the older children took exams. The society was started in 2008, with four families, and language classes started in 2009, with eight children. There were now 800 people and 170 families of Bhutanese origin living in Manawatū, with almost 50 children in classes. “The number of people is increasing in the community and more people are born here.” Treasurer Chuda Ghimirey said children had a hard time maintaining their language, especially the ones born in New Zealand. They picked up English quickly at school, using it with friends and with modern technology. This made classes all the more important.