Mother Tongue: A close look at Parents and Children.

By Henry Kwaghkule

Mother language or Mother tongue, which is also widely known as dialect or native language, is the indigenous language of one’s parents which is usually the first language learnt by him/her. In the same vein, it is also referred to as the language of one’s ethnic group. Suffice to say that, one’s mother tongue is an apparent indication of where he/she hails from.

Henry Kwaghkule

Mother language is often regarded as one’s ‘first language'
Therefore by contrast, a second language is any language that one speaks other than his or her first/native language.
The mother language is noted as ‘first’, because it is regarded as the most important language spoken by anyone due to its hereditary value as well as its cultural impact on the concerned individual.

No doubt, mother language or first language contributes immensely in a child’s personal, social, cultural, intellectual, educational and economic lives. Personal, in the sense that a child’s first (native) language is critical to his or her identity. Social, in the sense that when the native language of a child is not maintained, important links to family and other community members may be lost. Cultural, in the sense that sustaining a child’s mother tongue would help the child to value his or her culture and heritage, which contributes to positive self-concept

Furthermore, the intellectual aspect of it is that, when students who are not yet fluent in their second/official language such as English or French, but have switched to using only the said official language, would have the tendency of functioning at an intellectual level below their age thereby resulting to academic failure. Educational-wise, students who learn second language and continue to develop their native language would have chances of higher academic achievement in later years than those who learn their second language at the expense of their first language.

More so, economically, there are available better employment or job opportunities in Nigeria and this help with the ability of language flexibility. A Hausa man prefer working with a native speaker of Hausa language for easy flow of the sector wisely in language mutual and the ability to understand the language.

THE UNCIVILIZED ATTITUDES OF SOME PARENTS TO THE MOTHER TONGUE.

In the 21st century, the era of globalization, economic experience and civilization, most parents have deviated from impacting domestic education and proper teaching of their immediate language to their children, they prefer teaching them English, French and possible Spanish. Most parents talk to their children in English not knowing that the child is not originally English mother tongue.
A thoroughly research have shown in Nigeria that most people don't pray in their mother tongue. They look at English as a Heavenly language that if one pray using the language God will answers the prayer quick. There is no language that is inferior to God. You can not subject your culture or what God has given to you.

Also some parents in our contemporary society makes a hick and uncivilized statement that " My children don't speak their language unless you speak English to them." As you teach your children English, try to teach them your native language as well.
A case was observed in Aliade 2008 where a Tiv guy who was born and brought in a barracks through his parents serving Nigeria Army. The man and his wife been Tivs could not teach their children Tiv language. They never one day greet their children in Tiv Language.
After retirement from from Nigerian Army, he took his children to Aliade. In Aliade the children were very stubborn, his first son had a serious issue with another boy from a different family that calls for the interrogations.  The boy was known to be speaking Vulgar languages as English.
The elders of the community ask him what is his preferred language since he can't speak  native language.
The boy answer he will speak English, when they allowed him to speak English language. The boy that his father nurture English in him could not speak the English he claimed to know. The other boy was ask to speak, He speak Tiv language fluently with wise words and proverbial talks of the Tiv people making him to win over the English barracks boy who the parents speak English day and night.
Many people have confidence in mother tongue, because it has less errors than English. So parents who don't teach their children in their mother tongue are ashamed of their God given language. If you as a parent you do not teach your children the mother tongue, they will surly grow up and feel like they don't have that connection with their culture.

Parents should endeavors to awaken the spirit of communicating to their children in their mother tongue and encourage them to speak it as well.

Parents should also encourage their children to always listen to Cultural songs oral poets of their indigenous language. Example in Tiv language poets, parents can allow their children to listen to songs of Augustine Tarkaa Golozo, Hemen man Dondo, Kuje Yum, Ignatius Tondo Kumbur,  Gari Kwagh-bo, Agugu, Oliver Ayer, Terry Mbajoor etc to get intouched with Africanality. Gospel songs of language too is a good recommendations.

Also parents should always try to interpret Proverbs of their languages to their children,  equally children should value their mother tongue.

CONCLUSION, Language is an arbitrary vocal symbols by which we communicate to many others but it differs in Languages. If you are a Tiv man you must know how to speak Tiv fluently and do it to your children, not silence them. As they learn English as an official language, endeavors to teach them your dialect as well.
Negative impressions on our mother tongue is becoming inferior, we must deviate from this impression and rethink to value what God has given to us...

Henry Kwaghkule is an aspiring poet and a script writer.
Kwaghkulehenry@gmail.com
Ikoyi, Lagos
2/9/2016.