The Importance of Mother Tongue

As any bi-lingual (or multi-lingual) person would know, balancing more than one language is difficult. In an ever-changing world with languages developing and spreading each day, it can be even more difficult to stick to one's mother tongue. In things such as communication and the pursue of education or work, we often accustom ourselves to other languages. This means that we slowly lose our connection to our home language. In my opinion, our home language is extremely important as it forms a part of our identity. Language is such a major part of culture and most countries have a language, if not then a dialect, that is unique to them. Losing this is something that I consider to be sorrowful, as it allows an important part of us to slowly fade. Often, in a multicultural setting, our mother tongue may be the only thing that makes us unique to our home country, this is something that we should preserve.

Not only is language something that can form ties between you and others from your home country, especially in terms of communication, but it also forms a large part of your identity. Language is not simply about speaking to others, but it also forms a sort of intimacy between speakers. It can be considered a form of comfort as it may be one of the major things that remind you of where you are from. A language can connect you to a certain region, a dialect may even connect someone to a small area or city. It is an essential part of culture, of identity, of communication, it is considered the language of the heart. Since it is essentially the language we spoke growing up, it is associated with all the reassuring, colourful and endearing aspects of childhood and home. And, personal connections aside, it would be a dismay to loose all the beautiful, melodious languages of the world. They represent diversity, colour and contrast in the world and give each region a vivid and vibrant personality. It should be a source of pride for each one of us to preserve and pass on these languages.

Aside from this importance, our mother tongue plays a large part of our emotional and psychological lives. Speaking different languages allows us to be aware of different cultures and ways of living and to have respect for their traditions. It also allows us to make stronger social connections not only with other speakers of the language but also anyone around us. It allows us to develop our personality and to improve at communication with people, as well as form stronger relationships. Furthermore, is forms a strong basis for learning other languages. For all these reasons, it is important not only to learn one's mother tongue, but to also excel at it and use it regularly.

"Every language spoken in the world represents a special culture, melody, color, and asset and to everyone the mother language is certainly one of the most precious treasures in our lives."

Works Cited:
Guvercin, Hurisa. "Mother Tongue: The Language of Heart and Mind." The Fountain Magazine. N.p., July 2010. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.