The framework incorporated theories on mother tongue education, bilingual education, multilingual education, second language. Pdf the advantages and disadvantages of mother tongue in. There is a need for a diligently monitoring using mother tongue based instruction as the key in learning in securing appropriateness in the implementation of the curriculum. This paper looked into the level of awareness and extent of implementation of the mother tongue instruction. The importance of mother tongue global media journal. It is a fact that teachers may use the mother tongue in various situations for different purposes. The suppression of the mother tongue occurs in many ways. However cook 2001 points out that most teaching methods since the 1880s have categorically avoided the integration of the first language in schooling. In mother tongue the child learns how to sit, hold a pen and also prepare the habits of speaking and writing.
Using the mother tongue, we have 1 learnt to think, 2 learnt to communicate and 3 acquired an intuitive understanding of grammar. However, the language policy of university educational systems should not be considered and developed in. The study concluded that using a mother tongue in early childhood classroom was effective in fostering childrens learning abilities. Opinion 10 reasons why mother tongues in schools should. The research was carried out using the jss one and jss two students of some selected secondary schools in emohua local government area of rivers state, where ikwerre is. Lubuagan kalinga mother tongue based multilingual education program is unique and innovate program that operates within the districts elementary schools. Another policy document that influenced language in kenyan education was the report. Mother tongue based instruction deals primarily with the teaching of particular subject matter with the use of the language learners have been using in their day to day interactions. Importance of first language we are living in a time of unprecedented travel, with technological advances and globalization offering more and more people the opportunity to explore and live in. Whereas the grammartranslation method proposed the mother tongue as the language of instruction in the classroom, the direct method forbade it. Pdf language is a crucial factor for the academic achievement of minority people.
Parents and teachers perceptions of mothertongue medium of. The majority of south africans speak an african language as a home language. Mother tongue is essential foundation for all learning and thus, it is important that all children use their mother tongue when they enter the school for the first time. Using the mother tongue, part of the professional perspectives series, offers a variety of practical ways to make use of what is a very valuable resource by. The hong kong government has mandated the use of mother tongue since 1997. Xhosa so that they are able to use their mother tongue for learning. And by that definition, i am someone who has always loved language. Mother tongue based multilingual education takes many forms and each school and each community should determine what works best for them.
Global campaign for education policy brief mothertongue. The issue of whether or not to use the mother tongue l1 in the english language l2 classroom is complex. The implementation of language policy is part of the sector of education around the world to support the mother tongue instruction in the early stage of a childs education. Mother tongue as the medium of instruction at author. Unlike a scholarly paper or a newspaper article, a personal essay gives the reader a snapshot of the writers life or personality as well as his or her thoughts on a specific topic. Practically, the mother tongue is used in class oral discourse only through code switching. Students preferences on the use of mother tongue in.
Strategies and problems encountered by teachers in. Mother tongue languages as the language of instruction, but mother tongue does not enjoy the same reverse role as english did earlier on. This is usually the language that children speak at home with their family. Mother tongue video link at norfolk public schools. Besides, kiswahili was compulsory in grade 18 republic of kenya, 1981. From class four, english and kiswahili take over from the mother tongue languages as the language of instruction, but mother tongue does not enjoy the same reverse role as english did earlier on. Statement of the problem this study aimed to find out the achievement of the pupils in mother tongue based instruction in san nicolas elementary school. Aug 06, 2015 but teaching in mother tongue is been proven to be more effective as a medium of instruction. Children learn better in their mother tongue blog global. Mother tongue as a medium of instruction mtmi in namibia is an important component of teaching and learning. Studies have established that when pupils are taught using mother tongue they comprehend and perform well in mathematics and sciences.
This was with the view to providing answers to the three research questions. Iranian efl learners were willing to use their mother tongue. Mother tonguebased multilingual education in the philippines. Being fluent in the mother tongue, which is also known as the native language, benefits the child in many ways. The study involved 60 grade 9 students of bagong barrio national high school. Alternatively put, it is an enterprise that requires proficiency in a mothertongue, a good. By knowing the usefulness of using first language in foreign language class teachers may modify their teaching method and use mother tongue as an essential tool. A child first comprehends what is around them through the language they hear their mother communicating in from before they are born and. I hope the result of my study will help the language teachers to know about the usefulness of using mother tongue. Aug 03, 2015 nation 2003 warns that using the mother tongue in the classroom reduces the amount of input and the opportunity of practice.
Jan 17, 2016 since school year sy 201220, the mother tongue basedmultilingual education mtbmle began to be implemented in all public schools, specifically in kindergarten, grades 1, 2 and 3 as part of the k to 12 basic education program. Issues and challenges in teaching mother tonguebased. Teachers and trainers who work with nonnativespeaker colleagues will be aware of frequent differences of opinion over the question of whether or not to use the students mother tongue in. Mother tongue is the language one thinks, dreams and counts in.
For other uses, see first language journal, mother tongue disambiguation. Linguists and language researchers have the emergent awareness that mother tongue mt education is more effective than bilingual or second language medium of instruction heugh, 2002. Mother tongue, by amy tan i am not a scholar of english or literature. Authors of some introductory books on teaching efl, such as haycraft 1978, hubbard et al. Best practices in mother tongue based multilingual education.
For example, there are about 22% zulu speakers and 18% isixhosa speakers while 16% speak afrikaans and less than 10% speak english as their first language. The knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values gained through the mother tongue better support learning of other languages and learning through other languages later. However, frequent teaching mathematics in english language by teachers in lower primary schools in yola south local government area contributes to low performance of pupils in mathematics. While studies have long supported the use of mother tongue as the language of instruction, they have primarily been conducted in community rather than national settings. Implementers are encourage to consistently examine and supervise the implementation to. Aug 20, 2017 this can open opportunities for the individual but, as carolyn savage explains, continuing to develop the mother tongue is vital to enhance learning. Oct 17, 2016 the study concluded that using a mother tongue in early childhood classroom was effective in fostering childrenas learning abilities. The mother tongue does not have to be the language spoken by the mother. In teaching english language classroom, different perspectives exist for and against the use of first language l1 in english as a foreign language efl classroom. A compendium of examples produced by unesco 2008b attests to growing interest in promoting mother tongue based education, and to the wide variety of models, tools, and resources now being developed and piloted to promote learning programs in the mother tongue.
However, during the examination of lcs using the endurance criterion, some skills under a particular domain can no longer be retained. From mother tongue to other tongue teachingenglish. At southbank there is a wellstocked multilingual librar y so please encourage your children to bring books in their home language home to share with you. According to the 2003, language policy for schools in namibia, mother tongue mt is defined as a first language that is acquired at home republic of namibia, 2003. Pdf the use of mother tongue in efl classrooms semantic. While, iranian efl teachers had a positive tendency to use more english than persian in the general english classes. Thesisanalysis of the influence of mother tongue on. The impact of mother tongue on teaching english grammar.
Foreignlanguage grammar instruction via the mother tongue eric. Impact of mother tongue on childrens learning abilities in. In a study of data from 160 language groups in 22 developing countries it was found that not using mother tongue languages was a major cause of nonenrolment and dropout. The effectiveness of a mother tongue based education to. That was the language that helped shape the way i saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world. Using the mother tongue by sheelagh deller goodreads. Pdf using the mother tongue arabic language in efl teaching. Advantages and disadvantages of mother tonguebased education. This study was conducted to present the challenges encountered by teachers in teaching mother tongue based. Dec 20, 2018 they can hardly comprehend the medium of instruction thus, this study explored the use of mother tongue in teaching mathematics to selected grade 9 students. Mother tongue education has a crucial role in ensuring school attendance, raising the. Quickwrite make a list of places and situations where you use a different language or way of speaking.
The role of the mother tongue at home and at school in the. Lately ive been giving more thought to the kind of english my mother speaks. The mother tongue teaches the child how to read silently and loudly. However, the value of using the mother tongue is a neglected topic in the tefl methodology literature. The use of mother tongue as medium of instruction during ones early years of schooling, results in improved acquisition of knowledge by pupils benson, et al, 2010. A survey of the wealth of research reports on the use of language in education revealed that using the learners mother tongue facilitate s literacy, learning of academic content, acquisition of a second language enabling learners to be bilingual and overall academic achievement kosonen 2005. Total physical response, the natural approach, the silent way do not allow the use of the mother tongue but in suggestopedia and the community language learning the mother tongue is used. Moreover, teaching beliefs have an important role in bilingual education when using the mother tongue in the language classroom, taking into account that a. Throughout the history of english language teaching, the issue of mother tongue use in class has been a key issue. A mother tongue is the language the child can speak fluently before going to school.
Mural at the up baguio college of arts and communication. Pdf understanding of the importance of mother tongue learning. Mother tongue debate and language policy in south africa. Apr 22, 2016 on the other hand, the teaching of mother tongue revealed advantages in teaching such as. The role of mother tongue in second language learning has been the subject of much debate and controversy.
Informed use of the mother tongue in the english language classroom chris wharton 2007 1 pg0603 what role, if any, should. Mother tongue influence and its impact on spoken english. Now, more than one school year after the start of its implementation, what have we learned from this program. The purpose was to examine the effectiveness of mother tongue based instruction in teaching mathematics. Teachers beliefs on the use of mother tongue in english lessons in. Her language, as i hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery. Functions this mtbmle program teaches the countrys national languages, filipino and english, through the use of mother tongue, in order to ensure comprehension of the curriculum content. Many sounds of english are similar to the sounds of the mother tongue. Teaching in mother tongues university of the philippines. Therefore it is not fair to use a mother tongue definition. The learners should be able to practise these sound patterns over and over again using a model voice to emulate. This omission, together with the widely advocated principle that the native language should not be used in.
Teachers attitudes towards the use of mother tongue as a. The study recommends that, this code switching which has emerged naturally be formalized as a starting point towards sole use of the mother tongue. The study explored the views of parents and educators on the use of mother tongue as the medium of instruction in grade 4. Mother tongue education refers to any form of schooling that makes use of the language or languages that children are most familiar with. In 2009, the department of education deped recognized the benefits of teaching children using their mother tongue or first language. Furthermore, cook 2001 points out the importance of modelling the target language and encouraging l2 use. Using the learners mother tongue provides a strong foundation by developing cognitive skills and comprehension of the academic content from day one. The mother tongue opens the door, not only to its own grammar, but to all grammars, inasmuch as it awakens the potential for universal grammar that lies within all of us. The metaphor is apt insofar as we have for a long time treated the mother tongue as a taboo subject, a source of embarrassment and, on the part of nonnative speaker, teachers in particular, a symptom of their failure to teach properly. Local and international research has found that children learn to speak, read, and write more quickly in their first language, and can pick up a second and third language more easily if taught in their first language. A first language, native tongue, native language, or motherfatherparent tongue is a language. Teachers are allowed to use the mother tongue but learners should avoid it.
The particular research examines and elucidates the impact of mother tongue over learning a foreign language. Jan 03, 2016 activities can take place without the former. But to me, my mother s english is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. Impact of mother tongue on childrens learning abilities in early. In this respect, all the stakeholders, intellectuals and leaders must work together to overcome challenges and dilemmas that impede the implementation of mother tongue. Many arguments for and against the use of l1 were made by a. A decade later, the impact is felt in publications, academic conferences, and more importantly in national language policies.
Challenges in use of mother tongue based education as medium. It is the language in which the child can operate confidently in all domains relevant to the childs life. It has been realised that such activities when done in digital language labs, not only help eliminate the mother tongue influence, but also hasten the acquisition of the target language. The interview questions were being asked in the light of languages on identity an impression of mind. Challenges encountered by teachers in teaching mother tongue. Only students whose mother tongue was english or afrikaans were at an advantage. The original curriculum guide cg for mother tongue was designed in such a way that domains work together through horizontal alignment since one lesson does not tackle only one macro skill, but multiple skills. Benefits of mother tongue as medium of instruction the. In this study, the target populations were students and english teachers from public day secondary schools in gatundu.
What benefits and detriments have we discovered from. Most teachers feel that the use of l1 should be minimized and they feel guilty. The knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values gained through the mother tongue better support learning of. Then, for each situation, write a brief quotation that captures the sound of the language. Lately ive been giving more thought to the kind of english my. Mother tongue is indeed the mother of all languages. It discusses both content in favour of use of mother tongue and content against the use of mother tongue among other issues. Report, mother tongue was the medium of instruction in grade and english was the medium of instruction in grades 48. I cannot give you much more than personal opinions on the english language and its variations in this country or others. This article presents the results of a survey into student attitudes towards the use of l1 in class and some suggestions for using the l1 and its culture as a learning resource.
Prologue quote until recently, the mother tongue in the elt classroom has been a skeleton in the cupboard. The actrc mother tongue based multilingual education mtbmle project seeks to investigate the implementation of the use of the mother tongue mt as the medium of instruction moi in grades k to 3 in deped schools in the philippines as stipulated in deped department of education memorandum no. Although the use of mother tongue was banned by the supporters of the direct method at the end of the nineteenth century, the positive role of the mother tongue has recurrently been acknowledged as a rich source which, if used judiciously, can assist second language teaching and learning cook, 2001. Pdf role of mother tongue in second language learning. The united nations convention on the rights of the child states that a child shall. Mothertongue classrooms give a better boost to english. Controversies for incorporating mother tongue l1 in english as a second language esl and english as a foreign language efl classrooms have been a longstanding discussion in the current literature. Impact of mother tongue on childrens learning abilities. The use of mother tongue both as a subject and as medium of instruction from kinder to grade 3 posed challenges and opportunities for teachers and curriculum planners policy makers. Before looking at the details of the statement of the problem and the approach to this research, this. Students preferences on the use of mother tongue in english. Moreover, the children of many of the majority language groups have not yet had the opportunity to learn in their mother tongue so far. For both these groups, kiswahili is the medium of instruction in the lower primary school. Little of triniiy college, dublin, we decided to examine aspects of the interrelationship between mother tongue and foreign language.
After lower primary, mother tongue is not taught as a subject nor used as a language of instruction. Learning to speak in the mother tongue is very important for a childs overall development. In general, however, the longer a child is able to learn in and through his or her mother tongue s the greater the educational benefits that can be expected. Inductive biblical interpretation and mothertongue biblical. The main objective of this current study is to illustrate the need for a language curriculum and to investigate what parameters will influence the development of a mother tongue. As evidenced by the excerpt above, personal essays are written. On a continuum, the attitudes toward using the mother tongue may range from outright prohibition to. Teaching through mother tongue has been recognised as the most scientific and the easiest way of imparting knowledge by educationists the world over. In other contexts, the term is used to describe bilingual education across multiple language communitieseach community using its own mother tongue aside from the official school language of instruction. Local and international research has found that children learn to speak, read, and write more quickly in their first language, and can pick up a second and third language more easily if taug. It connects him to his culture, ensures better cognitive development, and aids in. Recently, i was made keenly aware of the different. In mother tongue, you will read one writers thoughts on her own different languages. And it was perhaps the first time she had heard me give a lengthy speech, using the kind of english i have never used with.
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