IMPORTANCE OF MOTHER TONGUE LITERACY

Mother tongue is the language a child is exposed to from infancy. It doesn’t simply mean the language
spoken by one’s mother, but the language the caretakers or the community speak – the language that
surrounds the child.

A child’s mother tongue is something that is as inherent and natural to them as their biological features.
In the early years, expecting a child to experience and learn about the world around him in a second
language is similar to asking the child to run on crutches while they have perfectly healthy limbs.

Research demonstrates that maintaining first language abilities and enhancing them through the
development of literacy and academic language skills actually leads to better academic outcomes in
(Palmer, Chackelford, Miller & Leclere, 2007), easier literacy learning (International Reading Association,
2001), and better outcomes in second language education (Lindholm-Leary & Borsato, 2006).

In the Indian context, learning the mother tongue is extremely important as a majority of Indian regional
languages including Hindi are phonologically transparent. This means that the words are pronounced
exactly the way in which they are written. This is different from English, which is comparatively opaque.
A strong literacy base in one’s mother tongue, equips a child with phonological skills that helps them
decode words in other languages. This is possible because the child acquires the spoken language
organically and can easily relate the sounds of the spoken language with

The knowledge that certain sounds are translated in the written form in a certain way, that the child
learns through organically acquiring native language speaking skills– especially languages as
phonologically opaque as English.

When children learn a concept in their mother tongue, they are able to utilize their cognition for critical
thinking and higher order learning. These skills are especially helpful to them in formal education where
they find it far easier to transfer their learning into a second language.

In the Indian context, learning the mother tongue becomes even more beneficial as a majority of Indian
regional languages including Hindi are phonologically transparent. This means that the words are
pronounced exactly the way in which they are written. This is different from English, which is the second
language that they learn later. A strong literacy base in one’s mother tongue, equips a child with skills
that helps them decode words in other languages that they learn later – especially languages as
phonologically opaque as English.

Learning the language of one’s community is not only socially imperative and important for inclusion,
but also helps develop a strong sense of self along with overall wellbeing and confidence. This is
naturally translated to the child’s academic performance.

A lot of developing and multi-lingual countries in Africa and East Asia have adopted the bilingual model
of teaching in their schools with successful academic results. India, however, still hasn’t been able to
achieve the fine balance between the beneficial mother tongue and the second language. It is therefore,
important that parents encourage their children to

In her eloquent essay, Mother Tongue, celebrated Chinese-American writer Amy Tan mentions the
cultural and linguistic confusion she encountered because of her .

References:

Pidgins, Creoles and Mixed Languages: An Introduction By Viveka Velupillai