Language enthusiasts at Stockton have something new to look forward to this semester. What began as a simple idea among student leaders has grown into a cultural and educational initiative open to the entire community. The Pakistani Student Association (PSA) is now offering a free beginner-level Urdu language class every Friday from 4:00 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. in B001 on the Galloway campus.

With no prior experience required, the class invites “students, faculty, alumni, parents, and even local high schoolers” to learn and connect through language. PSA had their first class on Friday, February 13th at 4:00 p.m.

Urdu is Pakistan’s official language—often known as the language of tehzeeb (culture) and adab (politness)—but for E-Board members Laiba Khan and Daanya Khan of the Pakistani Student Association, it means much more. It carries the echoes of their ancestors and forms an essential part of their identity.

They explained how this class was created and inspired by the board because they, as first-generation students, lived in the United States for most of their life, and feel that they have been torn from connecting with their family members in Pakistan due to the language barrier.

They also understand the importance of learning their native language so that it can be passed down through generations, and it doesn’t become a “lost language.” This is the initiative of the class.

“I didn’t understand this when I was younger but as I am growing older, I am realizing how important it is to hold onto your native tongue. Urdu is becoming a lost language, and this class is an attempt to bring it back.” Daanya said passionately.

But perhaps the most compelling story in the room belongs to the instructor himself. The class is being led by Sir Fazal Rabby, a former teacher and a principal in Pakistan.

Sir Fazal Rabby has been a teacher for 25 years before moving to the United States. In the midst of working long hours to provide for his family, he never had the time to peruse his passion for teaching. Rabby’s passion for teaching and love for the Urdu language goes beyond what one can know as he says after his first class, “I feel so proud. I feel proud of my students, and I feel proud of myself. I feel happiness that after 14 years, I am finally in a classroom with a board and a chalk, well in today’s day, a marker, in my hand.”

Rabby has prepared a syllabus and lesson plans for the class and is currently working on creating a visual scheduling sheet where each test and evaluation will be seen. He wants to make sure that he starts on a beginner level, so everyone feels welcomed and can learn.

The class will focus having it’s students gain a strong foundation in reading, writing, speaking and listening skills pertaining to the Urdu language. The class is also free in terms of tuition and book purchases. Rabby will provide copies of worksheets through the interactive book, Urdu for Beginners.

When asked about the goal Rabby has for this class, he responded with “I hope that by the end of the next three months, If I were to write a sentence in Urdu on the board, every student in my class would be able to read it fluently and that the Urdu I will be co-speaking in class, students are able to understand it.”

The first class consisted of Rabby starting off with introducing himself and asking the students to introduce themselves through an ice breaker. Afterwards, he went on to explain the Urdu alphabet with written English transliteration and asked the students to take notes.

He wanted to build a strong foundation, which included teaching the students about the origin and history of the Urdu Language. The Pakistani Student Association included Shezan Juice, a popular Pakistani juice box brand, for the first day, and will attempt to include them every class.

Students who attended the first class described the experience as extremely welcoming. When Nazifa Rahman, a High School student at Atlantic City High School, was asked if she was nervous for her first day of class, she responded with “I was nervous because I speak Bangla and I thought this would be a class that would better help those who already have a background in Urdu—but instead I was stunned by how welcoming and understanding the teacher was, he let us constantly know that he would start from the lowest level and didn’t expect us to know anything. He seemed like he really enjoyed teaching.”

After attending the class, Aliyan Khan, a junior at Stockton, had his expectations risen. “I walked in the class with the expectation of only learning conversational verbal Urdu, and I was happy to leave knowing I learned the full alphabet in one day! I cannot wait to start reading and writing in Urdu along with learning how to speak Urdu.”

The Pakistani Student Association notes that students will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation at the end of the semester. Sign-ups for this class is still being considered by PSA, who can be reached on their Instagram @Psa.Stockton.