The mother tongue is defined as the primary language that one learns at home. This is the language that is spoken by the primary caregiver or the parent of the child, and it is the first exposure to language. 

This concept of ‘mother tongue’ has been proven to be of importance by various researchers for cognitive development, self-identification, and cultural pride for any individual, and it has also been linked to academic achievements.

Read the research here 

But what happens when the parent or primary caregiver is not encouraging in their own mother tongue? The results are what we see today: children not being fluent in their own native languages and an extremely poor literacy level like that of our country. Yes, the mother tongue does play a role.

Today marks International Mother Language Day under the theme ‘Multilingual education is a pillar of intergenerational learning’, but before multilingual education and intergenerational learning, the mother tongue needs to be encouraged at home.

Speaking to Dr. Dumisani Sibiya, lecturer at the University of Johannesburg in the Department of African Languages, he says the issue starts in how we view our languages, which is comparable to the impact of colonialism (without deliberately using it as a scapegoat, of course). 

“It has something to do with how we view ourselves in relation to other people, and it is something that has to do with our minds. That’s why, when we talk about decolonization, we also talk about how we can revise what has been entrenched in us.

“So when it comes to language, we need to revive the love for our cultures, our languages, and for everything that has to do with ourselves,” citing also that the neglect of speaking our indigenous languages is a form of hatred towards ourselves. 

Dr. Sibiya is also an award-winning author who advocates for the advancement of African language literature in South Africa and within the media space. 

“But it is a learned abnormality that has been made to seem normal, if I may put it that way. One of my favorite African authors, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, once said that the act of decolonizing the mind is a very painful act because it has to do with your mind. We have to first change that mindset—that is where it starts, and with the parents.

“Bring back telling those beautiful African folktales that tell a deeper cultural story, talk about those stories, teach children about African proverbs that have immense lessons behind them, and speak those beautiful languages as much as you can. The encouragement of loving our cultures and languages starts at home,” she added, adding that the beauty of our languages can still be found in books. Parents can start by educating themselves there and then pass on that gem onto their children.

Read on how mother Lungile Zenda hopes to inspire parents to teach their children their mother tongue.

But as much as the use of our African languages seems to depreciate day by day, Dr. Sibiya says there are advocates who tirelessly champion the cause, but to win also takes society playing its part.

Learning and mastering one’s mother tongue has also been proven by multiple researchers to have a direct impact on a kid’s school performance. 

Dr. Sibiya explains: “As much as reading in English helps enrich one’s vocabulary, so does reading in our native languages. To improve your fluency in the language, we need to inculcate the culture of telling stories and talking in the deep language that our forefathers used to speak. But it all begins in our minds. 

 

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“And unless we know that someone who excels in English is because he or she has a strong background in their language, that is what research has shown us. It also shows us that for learners to excel in their school lives, they must have that strong mother tongue foundation before mastering other languages,” he adds. 

Moreover, it is the pride and identity that our own languages bring. Knowing who we are and wearing that proudly because “no matter how much English you speak, you will never be English,” adds Dr. Sibiya.