Education In Mother Tongue - A Children’s Right
International Journal of Humanities and Management Sciences (IJHMS) Volume 2, Issue 4 (2014) ISSN 2320–4044 (Online)Education in Mother Tongue- A Children’sRightDr. Muhammad Tariq Khanand usually are carried out through language. Language isalso the main tool of interaction in social settings, which isalso a part of education. Human beings develop social andworking relationships and communicate information byspeaking and writing, though language and other things aswell, such as the symbols and graphs of sciences. In fact insome modern-day definitions this form of language is takeninto literacy consideration; and some writers have used termslike ‘literonumeracy’ and ‘graphicacy’ in domains to becovered by reading and literacy programs. Forcommunication there is a wide range of paralinguisticpossibilities such as ‘body language’, ‘sign language’,‘frowns’, ‘smiles’, etc. However it is verbal language that hasenabled mankind to: create, think, record events, project itselfinto the future and seek to reinforce the capacity of individualfor performing these functions. It is the major object andsubject of language in education. About mother tongueOrekan (2011) asserted that one learns and continues toperform the functions of “thinking, counting and dreaming”only in one’s primary language (mother tongue). Language isvery closely related to the mind because one thinks andconceptualizes, by means of language and without languagenormally no one can think. It emphasizes the psychologicalimportance of language to humans particularly the mothertongue, the language, which the child first learns. Mothertongue also makes the orientation in the culturalenvironment. This study is dedicated to highlight theimportance and benefits of mother tongue in process ofeducation and right of children to be educated in mothertongue.Abstract—Education fully develops human potentials, especiallythe cognitive power and in any program taking the cognitive abilitiesof the human being into consideration language is a necessaryinstrument of thought. Language has a central position in all thesituations involving human learning. But a significant proportion ofchildren in many developing countries, enter school not speaking thelanguage of the classroom. Whereas to effectively teach around 221million children worldwide speaking a different language at homefrom the one used as medium of instruction in schools, there is aneed to teach them first in their home language while graduallyintroducing the national or official language or foreign language.Education when imparted in foreign language or any language whichis not spoken at the home of pupils or in their surroundingatmosphere causes difficulties in learning and understanding,leading to their failure in courses or drop out from the schools,which is a big loss to a country, nation and even to humanity atlarge. All the international forums like UNESCO, the World Bank,World Declaration on ‘Education for All’ (EFA), the UNO GeneralAssembly’s Convention on the Child’s Rights etc has stressed toeducate children at least at primary level using mother tongue asmedium of instruction. Because researches have shown that mothertongue-based schooling significantly improves learning. This paperis dedicated to study the benefits of teaching in mother tongue in thelight of research studies.Keywords— Education, Mother Tongue, Children’s Right.“Mother-tongue instruction should be the best way forchildren to learn as it bridges the gap between homelanguage and language of instruction. Every language issufficient enough to give high cognitive skills to its users andthere are no major or minor languages. Therefore, mothertongue instruction should be extended as long as possible. ALingua Franca or a language of wider communication cannotbe a substitute for the mother tongue, and it should beavoided until the child fully acquired their mother tongue”(UNESCO, 1953)II. WHAT IS MOTHER TONGUE?Pattanayak (2003) stated that many people today, interpretmother tongue as the language of mother. Another meaningof mother tongue is the government and the school designatedlanguage. André Martinet the French linguist once said thatmother tongue is “the language through which one comes toknow the world”. Mother tongue and the motherland areabstract notions so mother tongue is the language to whichthe emotional attachment is strongest, the language ensuringall the cultural riches whose destruction results in thedestruction of innovativeness and creativity. All the children,irrespective of sex, class and caste, have to move towards theschool language from the home language. The mother tongueis the expression of identity of an individual as well as ofindividual’s primary group identity. Among the members ofprimary group knowledge and experience are shared throughI. INTRODUCTIONOBANYA (2003) revealed that language has a centralposition in all the situations involving human learning.Education fully develops human potentials, especially thecognitive power and in any program taking the cognitiveabilities of the human being into consideration language is anecessary instrument of thought. The essential parts of theeducation process are seeking, using and giving information,Dr. Muhammad Tariq Khan, Department of Management Sciences/ Head,Department of Psychology University of Haripur, Pakistan. Email id:tariq phd @yahoo.com148
International Journal of Humanities and Management Sciences (IJHMS) Volume 2, Issue 4 (2014) ISSN 2320–4044 (Online)mother tongue.Pattanayak (2003) in a study about India opined thatmother tongue is the integral component of any culture andthe basic ingredient of multicultural or interculturaleducation. But even in educated circles understanding of theclear concept is yet very little. In India the word matrubhashafor mother tongue is relatively new which is a literaltranslation of the English words ‘mother tongue’ sinceeighteenth century whereas even in English language theterm is also not very old. When Europe was first takingshape, the language of the priests and scholars was calledlingua vulgaris, for differentiating it from Latin. At theRomans’ time the first language of a person was calledpatrius sermo, or the language of the male head of thehousehold.Ross (2004) extracting idea from several reports andresearches (SIL- Summer Institute of Linguistics 2004;Terralingua 2004; Beardsmore, 1986;) defined ‘MotherTongue’ –in several ways: i.e.The language learnt from the family; the language used athome;The first language a child speaks; the language used in thecommunity;The language most competent in; and the ‘preferred’language. It forms a person’s identity, their defining quality.Orekan (2011) quoted definition as:Mother tongue is “the language one thinks, dreams andcounts in”.Bloch (n.d.) quoted a definition of mother tongue as:“A mother tongue is the language the child can speakfluently before going to school. It is the language in which thechild can operate confidently in all domains relevant to thechild’s life. It may or may not be the language spoken byboth parents. In this sense the bilingual child has two mothertongues”.III. IMPORTANCE OF MOTHER TONGUEDaniel (2003) asserted that language and identity arelinked – as the term ‘mother tongue’ implies. A healthyidentity balances different aspects of our personalities. Acommunity expresses part of its identity in its languages ofinstruction and a healthy society makes choices that promoteharmonious communities and confident individuals.Fortunately these goals are usually congruent.Hassanzadeh et al. (2011) revealed (referring and makingan addition on Butzkamm, 2003) that first language (mothertongue), which is home language is particularly important forthe development of a positive self-concept and well-being of achild. Children having the chance of maintaining their firstlanguage can extend their cognitive development, whilelearning other languages as a second language. In the secondlanguage their level of competence is related to the level ofcompetence they have achieved in their first language.Children having sound knowledge of their first language cantransfer skills from one language to another. The mothertongue opens the door, including its own grammar, to allgrammars, in which it awakens the potential for universal149grammar that lies within all of us. It is the valuable assetpeople bring to the task of language learning. Because of this,the mother tongue is the master key to foreign languages, thetool which gives us the fastest, surest, most precise, and mostcomplete means of accessing a foreign language. Successfullearners capitalize on the vast amount of linguistic skills andworld knowledge they have accumulated via the mothertongue. For the beginner, becoming aware of meaningsautomatically involves connecting them with the mothertongue – until the first language has established an ever-morecomplex network for itself. The relationship betweenlanguages should be clearly established and not ignored orsuppressed. The non-use of the mother tongue, however,seriously constrains what can be said and read. MotherTongue will save learners from a feeling of frustration, whichwill eventually lead them to avoid all topics of personalinterest. The measured and well-calculated contribution of themother tongue can allow pupils to tackle more difficult textssooner, Hassanzadeh et al. (2011) extended the claim ofButzkamm (2003) that ― “You can banish the mother tonguefrom the classroom, but you cannot banish it from the pupils’heads".Mother tongue also provides helps in learning andunderstanding the second language. According to Mackenzie& Walker (n.d.) it is convincingly evident from research thata second language is learned best when a first language islearned well. Pflepsen (2011) also arrived on the sameconclusion that mastering a first language and core learningconcepts promotes general cognitive development that isneeded to more easily and rapidly learn a second language.Because language and reading are closely related, learning toread in one‘s first language facilitates reading in a second,since many key skills related to reading are transferable fromone language to another.According to Fakeye (2011) several studies (Amao 2010;Gladstone 1969; UNESCO 1953; Patton & Gay 1993) haveshown a close relationship between the child’s mother tongueand his culture. Amao emphasized the significance of thelanguage as the carrier and embodiment of the features ofcultural environment. While Gladstone claimed that languageand culture are interwoven, hence, according to UNESCO(1953), the culture and the personality of the individual arereflected in his language. It is therefore claimed that the useof the Mother tongue for instruction will foster the culturalvalues of the child. Language, having developed in thecontext of a certain culture of necessity, reflects that inparticular culture, language, not only differentiates andintegrates human interaction, but also, guides to behavior andmotives to conform.Keysar et al (2012) are of the opinion that, there are goodreasons to believe that the use of a foreign language wouldreduce people’s ability to rely on more systematic processes,because it is harder to use a foreign language, which increasescognitive load and leads to greater reliance on intuitive andaffective processes. It has also been endorsed by Küper (2003)who wrote about African languages that scientific conceptsare neither developed nor explained in African languages,
International Journal of Humanities and Management Sciences (IJHMS) Volume 2, Issue 4 (2014) ISSN 2320–4044 (Online)literacy. Whereas when children are highly proficient in themedium of instruction then they learn best. Phiri (2013)quoted experiment of a reading literacy test done in 32countries, where students having home language that of aschool had an easier transition into reading instead of thosewho had to learn a new language while learning to read. Inreading literacy tests no group of native language speakingscored lower levels, which were presented in the officiallanguage.Burton (2013) stated that around the world there is agrowing trend of supporting instruction in mother tongue inthe child‘s early years of education. Educational programsutilizing this approach are rising in number in SoutheastAsia.Sathiaseelan (2013) asserted that the children think anddream in the mother tongue so training in mother tongueuse– is the first instrument of human culture and the firstessential of schooling. Hence it is of great importance forchildren to have a firm foundation in their mother tongue.Children learn the most in their own mother tongue, which isthe easiest way of learning. Years of school in the life ofchildren are the most important because during this periodaptitude and attitude of children are developed. Therefore,during that time the emotional as well as physical needs ofthe children need effective care. During this period theirmother tongue becomes the ideal medium of instruction forthem, because it is as natural to them as the milk of mother,and in their own native tongue they can better explore theirown natural environment. Besides this, if children’sfoundations for the future development are laid in their ownmother tongue, the children even in the later years can buildup on them in another language. On pedagogical grounds it isalso generally accepted that in Education as the medium ofinstruction the mother tongue is best suited. For the childrenit is the natural language of thought and highly suited forconcept formation.which are mostly not used for science and formal schooling.These concepts in foreign languages and then only by a verysmall minority of the population are superficially and badlylearned, consequently do not penetrate in people’s daily life.Sathiaseelan (2013) stated that people think in their mothertongue, acquire through mother tongue and express in themother tongue.IV. IMPORTANCE OF MOTHER TONGUE IN EDUCATION ASMEDIUM OF INSTRUCTIONSKüper (2003) expressed that at societal level languageshave important role in cultural changes and introduction ofnew knowledge, which becomes quite obvious inindustrialized societies, where, in order to guarantee widerdiffusion of research findings and new concepts often a morepopular language level is used. In the societies where theeveryday language and the language of instruction and massmedia differ the situation is very complicated.Pattanayak (2003) highlighted that language acquaints thechildren with the environment into which they have beenborn. Language accumulated knowledge skills and myths aretransmitted through mother tongue from one generation toanother. Because of receiving social acceptance thestandardized version of the spoken language is used as themedium of communication, education and administration.Gacheche (2010) revealed referring the ‘2010 Educationfor All’ (EFA) report on reaching the marginalized sombrelynotes that, “children who are members of an linguistic orethnic minority or an indigenous group, enter school withpoorer prospects of success and emerge within fewer years ofeducation with lower levels of achievement”. The reportadvices that to effectively teach around 221 million childrenworldwide speaking a different language at home, from theone used as medium of instruction in schools, there is a needto teach them first in their home language (L1) whilegradually introducing the national or official language (L2).According to Ball (2010), through out the world, youngchildren learn at home languages (mother tongues) and arriveat early learning programs such as preschool and primaryschool with this precious resource of their mother tonguesdifferent from the dominant languages used in their broadersocial world.Agbedo et al (2012) expressed that Mother tongueeducation is a schooling system, encouraging in the schoolteaching learning process in First Language (L1) of children.The indispensability and primacy of mother tongue in earlychildhood education inspired a number of conventions,declarations, resolutions, national and internationallegislations, aiming at promotion of education in mothertongue as one practical step to protect and uphold thelinguistic rights of children.Phiri (2013) expressed that, children in remote rural areas,who speak one language at home and have no contact withthe school language outside of the classroom, often have thebiggest problems in gaining any understanding of thelanguage taught at school. This is a significant factorcontributing to poor quality education and continuing lowV. EDUCATION IN MOTHER TONGUE A CHILDREN RIGHTDaniel (2003) argued that it is more and more a right tospeak one’s own language. International ‘Mother LanguageDay’ proclaimed in 1999 by UNESCO and marked on 21February each year, is one example. Alongside bilingual ormultilingual education, encouraging education in the mothertongue is one of the principles set out by UNESCO. On top ofthis, languages are now regarded as an integral part of apeople’s identity, as shown in the UNESCO UniversalDeclaration on Cultural Diversity, which recognizes theimportance of languages in promoting cultural diversity.According to Ball (2010) UNESCO since 1953 issupporting right of children to learn their mother tongue, andis advocating the maintenance of cultural and linguistic,diversity through language-in-education policies. A researchand program review reports discusses of mother tongue-basedbilingual or multilingual education for children in earlychildhood and is intended to: informing policy-makers aboutexisting research and practices in mother-tongue instructionin early childhood and early primary school years; and raising150
International Journal of Humanities and Management Sciences (IJHMS) Volume 2, Issue 4 (2014) ISSN 2320–4044 (Online)awareness about the value of maintaining the cultures and thelanguages of the world by promoting and re-sourcing mothertongue-based education for children.Magga et al (n.d.) quoted that article 29 of the Conventionon the Rights of the Child (CRC) stated that the child’seducation should be directed to ” The development of thechild's talents, personality, and physical and mental abilitiesto their fullest potential” and “The child’s preparation forresponsible life in a free society, in the spirit of peace,understanding, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendshipamong all peoples, national ethnic, and religious groups andpersons of indigenous origin”. According to Article 29, ofILO Convention No. 169, “The imparting of general skillsand knowledge that will help children belonging to thepeoples concerned to participate fully and on an equal footingin the national community and in their own community shallbe the aim of education for these peoples”. It is an implicationthat there is no respect for right to education of indigenouschildren unless they become bicultural and bilingual throughschooling. From a language(s) a good educational programleads to the following goals, identity, labor market and lifechances point of view:1. High levels of multilingualism;2. Strong, positive multilingual and multicultural identityand positive attitudes towardsself and others;3. A fair chance of achieving academically at school; and4. A fair chance of awareness and competence building asprerequisites for working for a more equitable world, foroneself and one's own group as well as others, locally andglobally.Indigenous children’s education has to fulfill furtherdemands as well made on any good education. First, mainlyconcentrate on the language of instruction.How indigenous children are being educated, and withwhat results in various parts of the world is given here withexamples. Educational models used in the education ofindigenous and minority children mainly using dominantlanguages as languages of instruction also have negativeconsequences for the achievement of the four goals and theright to education. Education has a rang
Mother tongue is “the language one thinks, dreams and counts in”. Bloch (n.d.) quoted a definition of mother tongue as: “A mother tongue is the language the child can speak fluently before going to school. It is the language in which the child can operate
Paper 1 1 h 10 min English Language / Foundation English Language Listening Comprehension 35 min 12 Oct 2018 Mother Tongue Paper 1 50 min Foundation Mother Tongue Reading Comprehension 40 min Mother Tongue Listening Comprehension 40 min Foundation Mother Tongue Listening Comprehension 40 min 19 Oct
ii DECLARATION Student number: 5077-627-4 I, Owen Jabulani Nene, declare that INVESTIGATING POLITENESS AMONG ISIZULU MOTHER TONGUE AND NON-MOTHER TONGUE SPEAKERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION OPEN DISTANCE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means
The second research question, about how the nature and status of the mother tongue affect the nature of challenges and strategies in different contexts, can be answered in the following way: more efficient implementation of mother tongue education can be expected where mother tongues have a stable status and co-exist with Filipino and English.
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Institutionalizing Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (2 009). This policy is the first of its kind in South-East Asia, requiring that the mother tongue be utilised for the early years of schooling, with gradual oral introduction
Education Act approved by the legislative body. This law requires the learning process, teaching materials, and evaluation to be in the mother tongue or native language from kindergarten through grade three with a mother language transition program from classes four through six. tongue, lack of trans
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