Why mothers should teach their wards native tongue

By Josephine Oguntoyinbo
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The use of the mother tongue at home and in education is a necessity for the Nigerian child to develop self confidence and self reliance. It also enables a child to contribute positively to his immediate society.

The language situation in Nigeria is very complex. There are over four hundred indigenous language in Nigeria today. The major ones among them are, hausa, Igbo, yoruba, Tiv, Fulani, Efic, Kanuri, Ibibio, Ijaw and Edo.

Language is closely related to education, formal and informal. Its a tool for learning.

It is obvious that indigenous language are replaced with foreign language especially English. Our native language are gradually going into extinction because parents do no longer communicate with their children in the mother tongue.

Lest we forget, our language expresses our culture, tradition and beliefs. When parents decide to abolish their native languages all in the name of civilisation, they have forgotten that there is no way we can teach the young ones their culture, tradition, and beliefs without teaching children their mother tongue. Yoruba language expresses yoruba attires, foods, greetings, festivals, morals among others, likewise other indigenous languages.

Some of the importance of mother tongue to children is, it helps in cognitive as well as intellectual development, it helps in second language learning, it helps children to connect with their culture and people.

Although, teaching a child to speak his or her mother tongue or native language is best done within the family, parents should make it mandatory to teach their children.

Speaking with feminine line, the state Chairman of the Association of Teachers of Yoruba Language and Culture of Nigeria, Mr Femi Oyelowo, affirmed that countries like Germany, China, Spain among others were able to record tremendous development because  they take their indigenous languages as priority.

Charging parents and guardians to make their indigenous languages a means of communication to their children and wards, he maintained that culture is our heritage therefore must not go into extinction.

“If care is not taking, some languages may go into extinction when people do not want to speak it .Even the illiterate parents do not want to speak it to their children, they are forcing themselves to speak English to the children even if it is not correct, is that civilisation or what? We must go back to the old days. Our languages cannot be separated from culture”, he averred,

Corroborating his words, a Yoruba language teacher from Akure Muslim College, Mrs Ronke Orimoloye posited that no society can survive without culture, hence the need to embrace it,

To this end, famine line implored parents ,especially mothers to start practising it today, it is fun and interesting. You will not regret doing so.