The Importance of Mother Tongue Teaching

Language is part of one’s identity, culture, and learning. A mother tongue is a term used for the first language a child learns at home. It forms the foundations of how the kids think, understand, and express themselves. UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has advocated for mother tongue learning in schools. This means teaching children in the language they know best during their first few years of education.

When students are being taught in their mother tongue, they understand lessons so much more clearly. For example, if a child speaks Swahili at home but is taught math only in English, they tend to spend more time learning the language rather than learning the topic. On the other hand, if a child is taught in Swahili, they understand that topic much more clearly. This shows that teaching in one’s mother tongue allows for better comprehension, reduces confusion, and also builds confidence in students. 

Another important aspect is the cultural identity that comes with it. Language carries stories, traditions, and even values. When schools use the local languages, they validate those cultures and help students stay connected to their heritage. Without all of this, children might feel that their own language and culture is less valuable which weekends the cultural diversity over time. UNESCO argues that multilingual education strengthens kids’ learning but also protects cultural diversity globally. 

Teaching in an international language like English may provide a lot of opportunities but can come at the cost of neglecting other languages. This creates an inequality because the children who do not speak these global languages at home often struggle even more in school. By supporting multilingual education, these societies can balance out this language learning with some sort of local inclusion.

UNESCO’s global advocacy highlights that education systems should not force children to choose between learning and identity. Instead, both can work together. Teaching in the mother tongue first, and then gradually adding regional and international languages, creates stronger learning outcomes while preserving cultural richness.

The importance of this issue lies in recognizing that language is a resource, just like land or labor in economics. If it is ignored or underutilized, societies lose a valuable part of their human capital. Supporting mother tongue learning is about protecting culture, promoting equality, and building stronger societies.