International Mother Language Day – February 21st, 2019
International Mother Language Day – February 21st, 2019
¨Languages connect us, break down the barriers when we unite to nurture the best in us and help each other succeed.¨
– Widad Akreyi
Happy International Mother Language Day!!
Mother tongue language is the primary language one learns as a baby. A child first understands what is around them through the language they hear their mother communicating in from before they are born and throughout their lives. Mother tongue language is valuable due to several reasons.
On International Mother Language Day 2019, observed every year on 21 February, UNESCO has been celebrating International Mother Language Day for nearly 21 years with the intention of preserving linguistic diversity and nurturing mother tongue-based multilingual education.
Linguistic diversity is increasingly imperiled as more and more languages disappear. One language disappears on average every two weeks, taking with it a whole cultural and intellectual heritage.
A Mother tongue or first language makes us feel cozy and keeps us at expertise. You can express your heartfelt emotions correctly by speaking and communicating in your own language. But today’s young peers are leaving all these behinds and that is why some of them are getting off track. Without knowing the consequences, there is a mass impression to follow Western culture. Though Western culture or any other culture for that matter is not bad, at least we should distinguish between right and wrong for ourselves and for our society and keep the one which is right. Converse in English wherever required, as there are no detentions on your learning, growth, and prosperity but try not to neglect your own identity.
Real values of any culture can only be conserved if there is an honor for mother tongue and heritage. Once these are conserved, we will be more close to our traditions and this will keep us distant from committing worldly sins. Moreover, all the scripts and religious books are composed in local languages which show us the right path to living life. If we won’t be able to read these then how is it plausible to apply a single saying?
No doubt that the world is narrowing and communication technology is removing the gap at a global level. So there is a desperate need to learn different languages to compete globally. Like people going to Japan for a job or any other non-English speaking land, they need to learn a different language. But in spite of all these, one should always respect and appreciate their mother tongue.
India is a multilingual country where every region and state has its own language. Admiring your mother tongue does not mean disrespecting others. On the other hand, we should respect every language of our country to evade racism and promote unity.
So respecting mother tongue can unite the nation that is the necessity of the International mother tongue day. Even if you are breathing far from your home it will keep you connected with your birthplace or native land. Hence, one should never feel demure while speaking their mother tongue as it is a matter of pride.
Why is it so vital that parents speak their own mother tongue to their children?
mother tongue has a very important role in children’s overall improvement. a child who only understands one language doesn’t know it well enough. The situation is different with children who speak more than one languages. They are often more adaptable in their thinking as they can process information in different languages.
The stronger the children’s mother tongue, the easier it is for them to master new languages. When parents and other important grown-ups have time to talk and read in the child’s mother tongue and thus help expand the child’s vocabulary, the child will be better equipped when kindergarten or school starts and can easily learn new languages.
Parents can encourage their children’s second and foreign language learning by using mother tongue diversely, reading and telling stories. The best way for parents to support their children’s linguistic growth is to spend time with their children. Storytelling, discussions, reading books and offering support and encouragement in their mother tongue will help children on their journey to become multilingual.
5 reasons why it is imperative to know your mother tongue really well
Are we underestimating our mother tongue by virtue of studying in English medium schools or then in our pursuit to learn a foreign language or two?
There is absolutely no doubting the aspirational and commercial value that English commands, but is our flawless English coming at the cost of being able to proudly read, write and speak our mother tongue?
A language is surely a medium we use to communicate, a means towards an end if you will. However, one’s mother tongue is way more than being merely a medium. Not comprehending our mother tongue well enough could have an impact, way greater than what you might have envisioned.
Here are 5 reasons why knowing to read, write and speak your mother tongue really well is essential:
1. It helps in cognitive as well as cerebral development
Research has proved time and again that when children are capable to speak their mother tongue well, not only do they encounter better cognitive improvement but also better intellectual development.
Oftentimes, a child will have more exposure to the mother tongue than to the medium of education at school. Children, consequently, learn better in their mother tongue. In fact, research is very clear on how children with a solid base in their mother tongue have better educational success.
2. It assists in second language learning
Don’t most parents desire their children to speak great English? What if I told you that learning English, or any other language for that matter, depends on how well the child has mastered their mother tongue?
Research points to how deficient or inadequate skills in the first language make learning another language difficult for the child. Concepts and literacy abilities picked up when learning the mother tongue can be extrapolated when studying other languages and are, in fact, a robust predictor of a child’s overall linguistic knowledge.
3. It helps you unite with your culture and people
Our languages retain our cultural heritage alive. Cultural information read or heard in a foreign language can be difficult to understand or recognize with, owing to a loss of meaning, impact, and context.
It has also been observed that children, who have grown up overseas or in an environment where their mother tongue is hardly used, find it challenging to have a deeper and a more meaningful conversation with their grandparents or with other seniors in their family, who do not speak English. Mother tongues thus become important tools in connecting with our roots and our loved ones.
4. It is professionally and commercially propitious
Truth be told, Indian languages are assuming higher significance in the corporate world, with businesses going more local than ever before. As such, good control over your mother tongue, copulated with the ability to read and write (type) it, can be a great advantage and could be a USP that helps you climb the corporate ladder quicker.
Translation and localization opportunities are also increasing for Indians who have excellent command over English and their mother tongue. Things get even better if such people have a science, finance or legal experience. Monetising the knowledge of your mother tongue has never been simpler.
5. Great command over your mother tongue is a timeless class
Can anyone really refute the linguistic graft of a certain gentleman who goes by the name Amitabh Bachchan? It is really difficult to decide which one he speaks better, English or then his mother tongue Hindi.
Being able to converse your mother tongue, English and another foreign or Indian language fluently have never failed to draw attention, admiration, and awe.
The knowledge of the native language is a fundamental aspect of a personś life. It not only stimulates their confidence but also builds awareness of their individual and cultural identity, promotes learning and adoption of other languages, creates job openings and keeps families tightly knit.
