Importance of Mother Tongue in Education

Mother tongue

Languages are defined as ‘a communication method, consisting of sounds and written symbols used by individuals in a specific country or area for speaking or writing.’ The mother tongue is defined as the first language to which the child has been exposed since birth. It’s in fact the language a kid relies upon until he starts to understand words in other language. It refers to the mother tongue or home tongue of a person. It is the dominant language that ultimately determines the thoughts of an individual.

Mother Tongue’s relevance

We examine the value of mother tongue as an educational medium. This is crucial to be analyzed, as a simultaneous development of several other basic skills, such as critical thinking and literacy. It establishes the social, personal and cultural identity of a child.
As we adapt to a culture where English is the learning medium, we are assumed to be leaving the language we have learnt at home. The first language they are taught begins with a child’s interpretation of their environment, discovering various concepts and skills. It gives words and thoughts to their emotions. It can be called the language of every human being’s heart and mind. As the definition of “first language” is education carried out in a mother tongue of a child. In fact, this information can be easily translated to other languages which are acquired later. A study by Canadian scientist’s shows that exposure to a language early in life has an effect on how the brain treats other languages learned later in life. As the mother tongue gives a foundation for children to learn other languages later. There are 50 to 75 million disadvantaged children who do not have a chance to study at school, according to a survey.

Mother Tongue Advantages

Mother language education refers to education that uses the language most familiar to children. Children are better acquainted with the language at home. If taught in school, this language promotes comprehension, understanding and learning. Different surveys have shown that children learn in their homes faster and better in the language they speak. P Sree Nair, division for Child Studies, Centre for Economic and Social Studies and UNICEF has studied “The Impact of Learning Medium on Learning Levels” in Andhra Pradesh, which was a study of children attending Telugu medium based schools.

P.Nair argues that “students will struggle at lower levels of learning if they have English as their teaching medium. Children with disadvantaged backgrounds are most affected by this because they seldom receive assistance from the family in English learning or can assist with clearing basic concepts in various English subjects. Kids enjoy more by teaching in their own language, which avoids delays and hiccups. They enjoy school more and feel at home surrounded by students and teachers who speak a familiar language. They are proud of themselves and have a positive outlook that they can easily find new ideas. In reality, this contributes to higher student self-esteem. It is also a matter of pride to deeply know one’s mother tongue. It boosts trust by providing a positive impact and unambiguously influencing the personality. It protects them from undue stress by studying and dealing with their pressure in a foreign language. It finally contributes to improved children’s academic success.

Parents who know their mother tongue find it easier to get interested in the education of their ward. You can easily communicate with the teachers who teach their children. Academic research indicates that smart parents should stay in their homes with their mother tongue as this is their best language. English or any other teaching tool can take care of itself in time.

Language is one of the main ways to keep the culture alive. The direct translation from mother tongue to another language also loses the meaning of the script. Thus, knowledge of their native language creates a sense of belonging and identity among children with culture and heritage.

They build a sense of pride and a good sense of identity for themselves. Fluency in their mother tongue is good for a kid. It allows students remain linked to their origins in culture. Teaching in your mother tongue offers everyone, regardless of their age, geography or ethnic backgrounds, equal opportunities. When a person is well versed in the mother tongue in today’s connected world, it becomes easier to communicate and engage with the world in general and grow wonderful ideas that can lead the world from the front. You stand out from the crowd and lead the way by being bilingual.

Disadvantages of foreign language teaching

Those students whose primary language is not their teaching medium would possibly leave school or fail in early school years. UNESCO has evidence to show that the primary language of a child is an ideal language of primary education and learning. English medium schools are on the rise worldwide. Some areas are restricted to higher income classes, whereas there are places that have been English colonies and never really have broken the grasp of the language. We find English as their educational medium in these areas. The urge of parents to learn their language for their children contributed to the rise of private schools in almost all cities around the world. They hope their kids will graduate from the university, earn good jobs and become part of the glittering world of world professionals.

In Ziyyara, steps are being taken to teach the indigenous people themselves online education in different languages. In subjects such as English and Arabic, Ziyyara conducts online classes of natives.

Ziyyara Edutech Helps students to learn grammar and vocabulary. In the world where English has replaced all other languages, native language teaching enables the survival of other languages. It makes the children acquainted with their mother tongue and they learn the right pronunciations and are in better command of both the languages and the subject when they are taught in native language. It also solves the long search by parents seeking to find schools for their children where their mother tongue teaches. This means that children learn their mother tongue along with an understanding of the English language to prepare them for the environment and the community. Finally, while it’s a matter of glory to be well versed in more than one language, research shows that it’s still good to teach children in their mother tongue.