Mother Tongue - Definition and Significance
Mother Tongue
This is the language that a person first learns to speak when he is a child. It's advisable that even the local dialect form of a a language that is spoken in an area with certain words and pronunciation that may be different from other forms of the same language should be adequately taught the child.
The mother tongue is also referred to as vernacular. Irrespective of the name by which it is called, language is largely traditional and culture-driven. It is also for identity and makes people feel at home or have a sense of belonging. Our parents language should be accorded it's pride of place and considered important enough to be proudly learnt, understood and spoken by our children so as to preserve our core values, traditions and cultural heritage in the process. The refusal of an individual to speak his native language (in preference for another person's) is akin to accepting the fact that his own language is quite inferior and worthy to be spoken. This is not good enough.
Culture and Mother Tongue
In every language, there are very many deep meanings, idiomatic expressions and parables. In the same vein, morals, traditions, cultures and values are embedded in a mother tongue. Just as our parents, grandparents and ancestors (of blessed memory) did their possible best to teach us, so also we as to try to same to our children. If overtly or covertly this is not done, we may be doing more than good in the long run.
Even though a foreign language (the English language) is the official medium of communication in our country, parents are humbly advised to make sufficient efforts to teach their children their mother tongue. Even if the parents are from different tribes (in an inter-tribal marriage), extra efforts should still be made for the child to learn both languages, especially when he is still young. Remember, if you don't train them, don't blame them as the saying goes.
The need for the mother tongue is further underscored by the International community hence, it is observed 21st February of every year as the "mother tongue day"
It is rather worrisome to note that if care is not taken, our mother tongue may, in the future, go into extinction; that is, it will no longer exist, as it will be overtaken by foreign languages as well as western cultures and practices. Further generations would only read, as part of history, of the existence of such a language, in the past.
Thanks for Reading
References
- https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/2018/01/how-many-mother-tongue-languages-are-there-10529/
- https://universalium.academic.ru/103477/dialect
Nice one @emma,so painful am not so familiar with my mother's tongue
Really? :) you can always learn it though
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