The Importance Of Mother Tongue

The Importance of Mother Tongue

When our children develop proficiency in their mother tongue, they are simultaneously upgrading and harnessing other skills such as critical thinking and also their affinity for learning other languages. Research has shown that there exists an intimate link between cognitive development and language ability. Thus, our proficiency in our mother tongue is important if we desire that our children develop rapidly and be able to acclimate to school and the education system faster and more effectively.

The mother tongue language refers to the first language that children learns at home and that they should be somewhat decently proficient inn that language before they start going to school. The mother tongue language is usually somewhat influenced by the child’s race. Before children are enrolled in academic institutions, they should already be fundamentally sound in their mother tongue through exposure in the form of books, television shows, videos et cetera.

As mentioned above, a child who Is proficient in their mother tongue will develop skill and affinity for learning more and newer languages. This is because they are able to transfer their current knowledge of the structure of the mother tongue to other new languages. For instance, a child who speaks English really well is able to apply his knowledge of the English grammar to other languages such as German or France which share certain similarities. As globalization becomes the driving force behind the world’s economy and politics, multilingualism is a much sought-after skill that employers will keep a look out for. It is also highly beneficial for an individual to possess it as his own boss. This is due to the fact that they will be able to liaise with other businesses and companies from across the globe as long as he is able to speak their language somewhat coherently.

How can parents help their child to learn their mother tongue better? An obvious but highly effective solution. Telling your children stories or conversing with them on a daily basis in your mother tongue can go a long way in improving their proficiency in their mother tongue. It is also important that parents do not display any bias towards a language in particular. For instance, in Singapore many parents actively encourage or even pressure their children towards speaking English as the dominant language. Thus as a result, many children nowadays are sub-par at speaking or writing Chinese as compared to their reliance on English. Parents have a strong influence on their children and it is important that they encourage and support their child in learning their mother tongue.

Language and mother tongue are also major driving factors behind the development of individuals’ personal, social and cultural identity. Children that are fundamentally sound in their mother tongue speaking ability often display a greater and deeper understanding of themselves and their place within society, along with improved well-being and increased self-confidence levels. Naturally, this benefits many other aspects of their lives in the future, including their academic achievements. Relationship success and possibly excellence in their co-curricular activities as well.