In this post I want to share glimpses of that voice—what languages are spoken here, how people express themselves in music and film in those languages, and what it all reveals about identity in a place like Slough.

Slough: a town of many languages

First, some numbers to set the stage.

Slough is one of Britain’s most ethnically diverse towns. In the 2021 census, nearly half its population was of Asian heritage, and many residents come from backgrounds with roots in Pakistan, India, Poland, Romania, and more.

In language terms: English is of course the most spoken first language (around 110,212 people in Slough say it is their usual language). But beyond English, dozens of community languages are alive in homes, schools, shops, at parks, in prayer halls and family gatherings.

Some of the more common non-English languages in Slough are:

• Punjabi, which is the second-most common first language.
• Polish, spoken by a significant Polish community.
• Urdu, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Romanian, Arabic, and Somali also appear among the top languages.
• In fact, Slough’s schools report that over 140 different languages are spoken across the town.
• One art installation in Slough featured “Welcome” written in 44 languages — a visible celebration of that linguistic diversity.

So when you ride a bus, shop at the High Street, visit a mosque, temple or gurdwara, or sit in a park, it's not rare to overhear multiple languages — Punjabi, Polish, Urdu, Somali, English, Tamil, and more — on the same bench.

Why people keep speaking their native tongues

You might wonder: with English so dominant, why do people bother speaking their home languages? The answer lies in identity, connection, memory and belonging.

• Roots and family
  Speaking a mother tongue is a bridge to origins—stories of grandparents, songs from childhood, prayers, food words. It passes culture forward and connects generations.
• Community and solidarity
  Language builds trust. Local centres and faith groups use community languages to include all members, especially elders and newcomers.
• Creative voice
  Artists use home languages in music, poetry, and film to tell stories from inside a culture, not just translated from outside.
• Code‑switching is normal
  People often mix languages—showing language as living, flexible, hybrid. It shapes a layered identity.

Music, songs and community soundtracks

Language lives in music. In Slough, local choirs, youth groups, and diasporic musicians tap into multilingual sound to tell local stories.

One standout is the “We Love Slough” music video, commissioned by HOME Slough for the 2022 LOVE Slough Festival. The song, composed by Bex Richardson and performed by the Slough Community Youth Soul Choir, features local voices and faces.

The video embraces diversity — people from various backgrounds united in pride for Slough. Community events often feature music in multiple languages: Punjabi bhangra, Urdu ghazals, African rhythms, English and Spanish songs.

The Slough Music Service supports students from multilingual homes, incorporating cultural music traditions into school performances — creating a rich, layered soundscape.

Films and stories: language on screen

Film is a powerful way to see and hear multilingual identity. One notable example is Little English (2022), shot in Slough. Directed by Pravesh Kumar, the film explores identity and adaptation through the lens of language.

In Kumar's words: “It’s not often that we get to see our authentic selves on screen and feel truly represented.”

The film doesn’t exoticise Slough. It grounds it in the everyday — real streets, real voices, real shops — and hints at the potential for more multilingual stories from local creators.

What multilingual voices show about identity

1. Identity is multiple and layered
   People are not just “English” or “Punjabi.” They live across cultures, thread identities through daily language use.
2. Home is not one place — it's many voices
   Language use marks emotional homes — whether it’s singing in Urdu or joking in English.
3. Resistance and pride
   Using non-English languages is an act of cultural pride — validating voices often sidelined in mainstream media.
4. Bridges between communities
   Even without full understanding, music, visuals, and emotion help connect across languages.
5. Change in perceptions of Slough
   From murals to choirs to films, multilingual art is reshaping how Slough is seen: a vibrant, story-filled town.

Everyday stories from voices in Slough

• A shop owner in Farnham Road mixes English and Punjabi with customers and at home.
• A young Romanian volunteer teaches traditional songs to local children from Eastern Europe.
• A Somali-English student dances to Somali pop at home and performs in Somali at school events.
• An elderly woman feels most comfortable at Urdu or Hindi-speaking community gatherings.
• Young creatives film short videos or rap in mixed Punjabi-English, reclaiming Slough’s streets as their stage.

These scenes reflect real life in towns with diverse populations like Slough.

Challenges and hopes

• Intergenerational gaps
  Younger people may lose fluency if English dominates school and media.
• Access to resources
  Funding and platforms for community-language artists are limited.
• Stereotypes and invisibility
  Some languages remain unseen in mainstream culture.
• Translation and reach
  Non-English work often needs translation, which can be costly.

But there is hope:

• Films like Little English show the power and reach of multilingual stories.
• Festivals now welcome multilingual performances and stories.
• Schools are supporting heritage languages, including in exams.
• Art projects like Viva Slough and #ARTSCAPE bring culture into public space.

What this means for SloughBlog and for readers

For SloughBlog, telling these stories matters. It helps reshape Slough’s image — from commuter town to creative, multilingual hub.

For readers: next time you're out, listen. Someone speaking Polish, Tamil, Urdu — that’s not noise. That’s music. That’s identity.

We can all:

• Write about local events that feature multilingual art
• Invite diverse creators to share their stories
• Support translations or subtitles for broader reach
• Celebrate the multilingual fabric around us

Slough’s many languages are not barriers; they are treasures. Through songs, films, and everyday speech, people carry culture, forge new belonging, and write identity.

By shining light on these voices, we make Slough richer, more human, more beautiful.

I hope this post helps readers feel more connected to their town, curious about local voices, and proud of the stories all around us.