GUICO, LYKA M.

BSED ENGLISH 2201

Mother Tongue-Based Learning makes lessons more interactive and easier for
students
"Learners begin their education in the language they understand best - their
mother tongue - and need to develop a strong foundation in their mother tongue
language before effectively learning additional languages", quoting these words I
really do AGREE with it. We are all aware that what the child have learn first are
the things that would last in their minds forever. The first language that a baby
learns right from his or her birth is termed as the birth language and thus, plays a
crucial role in our lives for a wide array of reasons.
Mother tongue makes it easier for children to pick up and learn other
languages. Mother tongue develops a child's personal, social and cultural identity.
Using mother tongue helps a child develop their critical thinking and literacy skills.
Mother tongue is the language which a child starts hearing after being born and
thus, it also helps in providing a definite shape to our emotions and thoughts.
Learning in your mother tongue also is crucial in enhancing other skills such as
critical thinking, skills to learn a second language and literacy skills. Thus, we can
say that the mother tongue can be used as an effective tool of learning. Studies
have shown that cognitive development as well as intellectual development is
comparatively faster in those who are fluent in their mother tongue. It has also
been noted that if a student is educated in his/her mother tongue, the rate of his or
her educational success is higher than someone who is taught in a different
medium other than their mother tongue. Languages are the most important way of
keeping our culture alive. Often the direct translation of one language to another
might not carry the same essence as it is in the source language. Thus, the best way
to thoroughly know about a culture is to know the language. Mother tongue helps
us stay connected to our culture and our roots.