Child’s First Language Creates the Powerful Basis for Future Life And Learning

:A Linguistic Analysis

Kalpanarani DashLecturer, Dept. of EducationJ.M.Women’s College, Jajpur

&Sankar Prasad Mohanty

Lecturer, Dept of EducationRavenshaw University, Cuttack

Language is a means of communication. It is the medium by which thoughts are conveyed from one person to another.

When we think anything, we give shape to our thinking in the form of language.

Mother tongue refers to the language that a human learns from birth and from mother--refer to the language a child is first exposed to, particularly from birth to 9 months.

Bilingual homes can have more than one mother tongue.

An instrument for transmitting culture in the socialization of the child.

Mother Tongue-- not only basic source of quality education but language of feelings, expression and dreams of human being.

English medium schools ask both children and Parents to give up Mother Tongue.

Children up to the age of six can pick up five languages at a time.

There is no need to give up one’s own language to learn some other language.

In this regard the efforts of Saraswati Vidya Mandirs in emphasizing on Mother Tongue are quite praise worthy.

Importance of Mother Tongue or Languages Connects and strengthens our roots

Knowledge of our culture

Develops a Sense of belongingness

Develops a sense of Respect for other languages & culture

Develops better linguistic skills

Helps for A better society

Saves from Extinction

Mother language for emotional and mental growth Nelson Mandela says “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head, if you talk to him in his language that goes to his heart”.

Mother tongue is an indicator of cultural identity

Mother tongue creates the basis for learning another language

Jim Cummins (2010) emphasized

“children who come to school with a strong foundation in their mother tongue develop stronger literacy abilities in the language used at school and succeed educationally”.

Mother tongue develops children’s bilingual abilities

Balanced bilingualism brings many positive cognitive benefits

Strong level of creativity Solid problem-solving ability Monolingual people only use 20% of their brain! When

another language is learned, a different area of the brain is activated and engaged, utilizing a greater percentage of the brain

Greater capacity for inventiveness and creativity with oral and written language

Greater sensitivity to grammatical functions Heightened respect for different languages and cultures,

creating learners with a more global approach to life Higher performance rate than monolinguals on tests of

intelligence and tests of fluency, flexibility, and originality

Techniques to promote mother tongue Parental Motivation- children love mother tongue by finding

ways Leave second language to the outside world and speak to

children only in your mother tongue at home. Devote time each day to reading and writing in mother

tongue Tell stories and discuss interesting topics on your

childhood ,celebrations, develop both their oral and vocabulary skills.

Provide a reward system and make learning mother language competitive among children.

Watch TV series or favorite cartoons with them in the target language.

Listen to songs in mother tongue. Send children to centers that offer courses and other types

of learning in your language.

Keep journals in home written in mother language.

Communicate your expectations about your home language to your child’s teachers. As professionals, they can encourage and support your child in keeping and developing their home language in many ways.

THANK YOU