By Kehinde Oluwatayo
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An educationist, Dr Nike Oyinloye has said that the use of mother tongue in teaching has a lot of advantages over foreign or second language.
Oyinloye, a chief lecturer at Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo made the remarks while speaking with The Hope.According to her, the use of mother tongue or native language to teach will assist the student or pupil to have a clear grab of what the teacher is teaching.
Her words: “It allows for internalisation of views and idea because what you are teaching in their own language most times are things that fall within their line of thought.
“They are some of the things that are part of their daily experiences. So with that, their perception, their views will be so clear. They do not have a wrong concept or view of whatever thing they are being taught, they know precisely what you are teaching.
Oyinloye who averred that mother tongue will no doubt enhance learning and even assist in teaching, noted that it simplifies whatever is being taught.
While giving the example of China and India who use their native language to teach, Oyinloye said they have gone far in their technology.
Oyinloye also referred to a research carried out by late Prof Babatunde Fafunwa that the best language for good concept formation at a very tender age is the indigenous language to corroborate her point.
She said that Nigeria did not adopt mother tongue in teaching because it likes foreign things and wants to compete with the western world.
According to her, Nigeria can adopt the use of mother tongue in teaching because nothing is wrong with it as it is perceived by some people.
However, Oyinloye said relaying what a student or pupil knows in another language may be difficult adding that mother tongue can not be used to teach another language because of misrepresentation or misinterpretation.
“You know you are a language yourself. For example, using Yoruba to teach English is not possible except for references that can assist in a particular area the students have difficulty.
“You also know we do not have direct representation of all usages in one language in another. So that is the only area we might not so much encourage the use of mother tongue or native language in teaching'” she said.
