Improve your Grades
Mother Tongue Essay | Essay on Mother Tongue for Students and Children in English
February 07, 2024 by Prasanna
Mother Tongue Essay: The first naturally acquired by humans is their mother tongue. The mother tongue is associated with the language that a child’s parent use to communicate with them, or the common language of the place a person is born and brought up in is called the native tongue.
You can also find more Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.
Long and Short Essays on Mother Tongue for Students and Kids in English
We are providing students with essay samples on a long essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic ‘Mother Tongue’ for reference.
Long Essay on Mother Tongue 500 Words in English
Long Essay on Mother Tongue is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.
To suffice human’s social need for more effective communication the language was created. The extremely complex or versatile code, i.e. language, is used to express our thoughts and experiences to other people. This makes language a natural phenomenon that is learnt by a human at an early age for the desire to express themselves to others.
The mother tongue or the native language is an essential aspect in one’s upbringing as it shapes the way they perceive the world and the way one expresses themselves to others. Babies tend to imitate what they see or hear. Infants are fast learners as they acquire their mother tongue by imitating their parents. It is easier for children to learn languages in their growing years than in comparison to adults learning a new language.
Having a strong grip on one’s mother tongue also helps in creating a strong foundation for learning additional languages. Children are capable of learning languages other than their native tongue while they are young by transferring the different structure of a language to other languages. If a child learns the grammar of their mother tongue well, then they will be able to guess the meaning of the words in different languages easily.
Since people from different regions have varying mother tongues, that is why many institutions and parents teach a second language to children so that they can communicate with more people, without any language barriers. A person might be able to converse in multiple languages, but if they are spoken to in their mother tongue, then a sense of familiarity prevails over them.
You can now access Essay Writing on the topic of Mother Tongue and many more topics.
One’s mother tongue is a very potent tool that helps in advancing the learning skill in people. Children’s develop the skill of communication by conversing with their parents in their native tongue. And this skill of communication becomes paramount in school or institutional level setting for participating in class. Learning in school plays an important role in accentuating the use of mother tongue.
Similarly, when parents spend time communicating in the native language for discussing matters and telling stories to children, it helps in developing their terminology and concepts. Thus, children are able to follow instructions and can learn effortlessly, resulting in educational success.
The native tongue starts shaping a person’s thoughts and emotions soon after they are born in their subconscious because a person first hears it in their womb. The personal and cultural identity of an individual is developed because of their mother tongue. By understanding oneself, their surroundings and their history, personal identity can be built.
It is sad to see that mother tongue is losing its importance in comparison to some popularly used languages like English. Since in education as well as international business, English is used, that is why people are more encouraged to learn it because of the existing competition.
However, the mother tongue remains an inseparable part of one’s existence as it is said to be one’s true vehicle of wit. To preserve the cultural fabric, people must always strive to preserve their mother tongue at any cost.
Short Essay on Mother Tongue 150 Words in English
Short Essay on Mother Tongue is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
A person can be defined by the choices they make and the language they speak. And the first language learnt by an individual is said to be their mother tongue. The native tongue plays a very important role in a family as it falls under one of the basic family values.
The mother tongue is often passed onto a child from parents or family members. The learning of a language opens up several new possibilities for an infant to explore the world and to express themselves.
There are several benefits of knowing more than one language, especially when working outside one’s hometown. However, on being addressed in the mother tongue in a foreign city helps the conversation reach one’s heart because of nostalgia.
Several pieces of research conducted by psychologists showed that people react differently when shown words of their mother language in comparison to when shown words of other known languages. Hence, we can conclude by saying that the importance of the mother tongue is undeniable.
10 Lines on Mother Tongue Essay in English
1. “Mother Tongue” is the language that a person learns from his infancy. 2. It is the first language that a person learns so that he could socially engage with his parents and other relatives. 3. Language is not only used to communicate but also to a huge extent; it is used to preserve the culture and refinement of their race. 4. Nowadays, the mother tongue is losing its importance against other languages. 5. Although English is incomparable with any other languages, it is causing the death of some of the languages. 6. The inseparable part of one’s personality that should never be lost is their mother language. 7. To preserve the rich cultural aspect of a person’s existence the mother tongue should be preserved at any cost. 8. Mother tongue is very crucial for framing one’s thinking and emotion. 9. Learning one’s mother tongue gives them a sense of self-worth and cultivates confidence in them. 10. For a child to be able to participate in their own classes and grow communication skills, the child must learn his mother tongue from his parents.
FAQ’s on Mother Tongue Essay
Question 1. Why is this called Mother tongue?
Answer: Mother tongue is actually a metaphor. Language’s origin comes from the primary caregiver, or the person who looks after her baby when he is born is traditionally known as mothers.
Question 2. Explain the term mother tongue in education.
Answer: Mother tongue in education alludes to when an educational institute adds the language a child is most accustomed with that is his mother language which he speaks in his home.
Question 3. Can a child have more than one mother language?
Answer: A child who grows up in a bilingual home may have more than one mother language or native language.
Question 4. What is the main difference between mother-language and first language?
Answer: Mother language is a language which a baby gets familiar from the gestation of the mother even before he is born whereas the first language is a language which a child gets to learn from either schooling or socialising.
- Picture Dictionary
- English Speech
- English Slogans
- English Letter Writing
- English Essay Writing
- English Textbook Answers
- Types of Certificates
- ICSE Solutions
- Selina ICSE Solutions
- ML Aggarwal Solutions
- HSSLive Plus One
- HSSLive Plus Two
- Kerala SSLC
- Distance Education
- EssayBasics.com
- Pay For Essay
- Write My Essay
- Homework Writing Help
- Essay Editing Service
- Thesis Writing Help
- Write My College Essay
- Do My Essay
- Term Paper Writing Service
- Coursework Writing Service
- Write My Research Paper
- Assignment Writing Help
- Essay Writing Help
- Call Now! (USA) Login Order now
- EssayBasics.com Call Now! (USA) Order now
- Writing Guides
Importance Of Mother Tongue (Essay Sample)
Mother tongue is the initial language one learns as a baby; the language one grows up knowing, which is also known as the native language. A child first comprehends what is around them through the language they hear their mother communicating in from before they are born and throughout their lives. Mother tongue is valuable due to several reasons.
Mother tongue is crucial in framing the thinking and emotions of people. A language plays an essential part in the life of a human being. The language facilitates a comprehension of the surrounding, learning of concepts and attaining of various skills. A child who ably learns their mother tongue from the initial parts of their lives, amass extensive language skills that help them to express themselves and developing their thinking capacity. Additionally, this language cultivates confidence and a sense of self-worth to a child in learning other things.
Learning in school accentuates with the use of mother tongue. Mother tongue is a powerful tool in advancing the learning in people. In childhood, when children spend their time with parents, they develop communication skills, skills that become paramount in school settings, for them to participate in class. Also, when parents tell stories and discuss matters with their children, it develops their terminology and concepts. Thus, when learning is conducted, the children effortlessly follow and understand, resulting in educational success.
Mother tongue develops a strong foundation for learning additional languages. Children are capable of learning multiple languages while young. Therefore, having a strong foundation in their mother’s language equips them the skills to learn other languages. Children achieve this by transferring the different structure of a language to other languages. Grammar that develops when a child learns their native language is easily transferable, whereby; a child can easily guess the meaning or read between the meanings of words in different languages.
Mother language develops a personal and cultural identity. Personal identity emerges out of a person’s understanding of themselves, their surroundings and their history. An individual hears their native language first when in the womb, and it subconsciously begins shaping their thoughts and emotions. Nelson Mandela said, “Talk to a person in their language, and it goes to their heart.” Thus, it becomes the source of instance connection with family, society, culture, and identity. Its strong foundation creates a strong accepting of oneself through an understanding of social origin and character in the most basic and natural manner. Moreover, by upholding of the different languages spoken in society, cultural identity arises that flows undoubtedly in other aspects of an individual’s life.
The mother tongue creates job opportunities. Increased immigration and population growth of international students who speak other languages other than English characterize the society. Thus, to facilitate effective communication and understanding of each other, different sectors of the economy, such as schools, health and in businesses, necessitates the need for an understanding of different languages. Consequently, the necessity for persons competent in different languages arises in the job market. Understanding and fluency in various native dialects hence give individuals an upper hand in becoming language specialist, thus, gainfully employed.
Mother tongue elicits the development of strong family bonds. In various households, particularly those of immigrants, some family members such as grandparents and parents do not understand English commonly utilized in different countries. Thus, when a child grows up with particular emphasis on speaking in a language other than their mother tongue, results in a linguistic gap with some family members, consequencing in an emotional disconnect with other family members.
The knowledge of the native language is a crucial aspect of a person’s life. It not only stimulates their confidence but also creates awareness of their individual and cultural identity, facilitates learning and adoption of other languages, creates job opportunities and keeps families tightly knit.
The Significance of Language: “Mother Tongue” Argumentative Essay
Introduction, language: significance and effects, importance of language: the tool that can unite and isolate, language as a necessity, importance of language in literature & communication, works cited.
This essay examines the importance of language in literature, communication, and culture in general. Language, identity, and power have an interrelationship that has generated debate and discourses that affect not only an individual but also the broader community from where he comes. In this research paper, we will explore the relationship between language and identity. Using Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”, we will look at the significance of language and how it affects the lives of people in their communities.
Reading this story, it comes out clearly that the tongue affects the lives of individuals. That’s how language defines who we are. Therefore, it plays a role in his or her choices and the lifestyle he or she lives. People use language to view human life from different perspectives.
In this story, Amy explores how the language she learned in classroom affected her life in different ways. She is a daughter to immigrant parents; her mother is a smart woman. Amy is a source of communication between her mother and those who don’t understand her. Here, Amy has used this story to emphasize that someone is not less intelligent just because he or she can not speak perfect English, like those who are native speakers.
It is rare to get two people who speak the same language, even those who think they do so, fail to notice the variations in their speech because they are used to it. Amy is of Chinese descent, and therefore, language played a significant role in her family as she struggled to fit into the American society with a mother who used “limited English” (Tan 78).
This story reflects the lives of many Americans who are natural citizens of the United States. I am sure there are many people out there who have parents with their way of speaking and comprehension of the English language, as did Amy.
This fact does not reduce the intelligence of such parents. Still, they are forced to depend on their children for translations during communications. Sometimes it makes children ashamed by their parents, just as Amy was when she joined others to describe her mother’s English as ‘Broken “or “Fractured” (Tan 78).
Language is exceptional, not just for Amy and immigrants in foreign lands, but for all of us. Speech brings people close to their families in special ways. Amy agrees with me saying that language “can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth” (Tan 76).(Tan 76).
Imagine a situation when you wake up one day and realize that you have no voice and, therefore, can not communicate with those around you. That’s when you will understand how large the importance of mother tongue is. Speechlessness means that you are not able to express yourself, communicate, or participate in what goes on in your world. Language involves combining specific words in a particular order.
This depends on different people where you can find people using the same words but in a separate order. What is important is that so long as they can communicate, then that order is important to them. Language, therefore, helps in empowering people and helping them establish and define their identity.
There is no doubt that through speech, people are bound together as one community. However, it can also alienate individuals in a community.
Sometimes people use language to label others as outsiders. People use language to form stereotypes of others. For instance, in this story, Amy tells us that she has often been asked why there aren’t many Asian Americans in American literature. We also learn that there are very few Asian Americans who do creative writing. The answer to these questions lies in the formation of stereotypes.
Many Asian Americans are known to do well in sciences and mathematics than in English. Their English, as Amy says, is also described as “broken” or “limited”. It means that their teachers use these stereotypes to steer them away from writing. They encourage them to take mathematics and sciences courses just as they did to Amy. Stereotyping, in essence, is wrong (Zeng 10).
Language does more than just articulating a simple truth; the way one commands language also matters a lot. We have just learned that without being able to speak, an individual will be voiceless, but having an imperfect language makes others see one as incomplete. However, those who are fluent in the standard language are seen to be superior to others. It is illustrated in “mother tongue” when Amy tells us the community treated her mother. She says: “People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.” (Tan 78)
Those people were not respectful to Amy’s mother because she spoke English that was simple, which they disparagingly termed as “broken” or “fractured” (Tan 78).
This reflects what happens in many communities in the world. When people lack the standard skills of a language, they become outsiders and, therefore, are discriminated by those who enjoy the standard language skills in their communities.
Reading through this story, one gets to understand that acquiring a specific language does not only enable one to be accepted in a community; it also helps in determining one’s individuality. The experience that an individual goes through with language goes a long way in shaping his or her self identity.
This is illustrated in this story clearly when Amy tells us about the different Englishes she applies in her daily communication. We see that to communicate with her family, Amy uses the simple form of English. She calls the one her mother uses as broken English, and however, when interacting with people in her personal life, Amy uses a more sophisticated version of the English language.
Bond explains further that both accommodation and affirmation can occur to the same content, in other words, there can be different effects language happening to the same type of content (Chen & Bond, p.399). She confesses that there were instances in her life when she was embarrassed by the English her mother used.
However, as she continued to grow, she came to understand how important the role of English was to her. She says in this story that she realized that her mother’s English was perfectly clear; it was actually her native language.
This means that it was this language that helped her make sense of what goes around her. This realization makes her wince whenever she calls her mother’s English as “broken” or “fractured”. She does not think that her mother’s English needs any fixing. To her, it is whole and sound, and therefore terming it broken or fractured when she uses it to communicate with her mum looks unfair (Tan 77).
Towards the end of this story, Amy tells us that it doesn’t matter what type of English you use, what matters is that you can communicate. The different Englishes in her life shaped her into what she later become, a writer, much to her critics’ disapproval that she couldn’t make a good writer. Therefore, the role and importance of language in literature is not as straightforward as it might seem.
It is an encouragement to those who are in the same circumstances as Amy that even if they find it hard to speak perfect English, they should never back down from giving their point of view. We have seen that despite her broken English, Amy’s mother helped her to understand English better.
It is her mother who encouraged her to become a writer. People have different mother tongues that they were taught when young, but as individuals grow, they develop different Englishes which they use as circumstances direct.
The language that an individual uses at work is not the same he uses at home or with friends. Language should be seen as a tool for social improvement, through which many people of different backgrounds come together in a cohesive coexistence (Feng 159).
This essay analyzed the importance of language using Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”. To summarize, Tan’s story tells us that the main purpose of language is to enable people to express themselves and also be in a position to share the expression with others. That’s the sphere where the significance of language is undoubted. It doesn’t matter what form of the language one uses, so long as it is used to express oneself and others understand the expression, then no one is justified to discriminate against it no matter how broken or fractured the language.
Tan’s mother managed to express herself with people in her life using her Broken English; it is this same broken English that shaped Tan into what she is today. Had her mother stooped to intimidation, probably Tan wouldn’t have grown up to become a writer.
It is a person’s point of view that matters; therefore, people should not be intimidated by those who think they know the standard language from giving their points of view.
Chen, Sylvia & Bond, Michael. “Explaining language priming effects: Further evidence for ethnic affirmation among Chinese-English bilinguals.” Journal of language and social psychology 26.1 (2007): 398-406.
Feng, Hui. “Different languages, different cultures, different language ideologies, different linguistic models.” Journal of multicultural discourses 4.2 (2009): 151-164. Print.
Tan Amy (1990). “ Mother Tongue .” Three penny Review: 76-80. Print.
Zeng, Li. “Diasporic Self, Cultural Other: Negotiating Ethnicity through Transformation in the Fiction of Tan and Kingston.” Language and Literature XXVIII (2003): 1-15. Print.
- Perceiving Culture Through the Language
- Christiane Nord Translation Theory: Functions and Elements Analytical Essay
- Linguistic Dominance in the "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan
- Mother Tongue Analysis Essay
- English as a Communication Language
- Vernacular Languages vs. Latin: The Fall of the Babel
- Nature of Taboo Words
- Learning a Second Language
- 8 Inflectional Morphemes in English: Full List & Examples
- The role of morphemes in the English language
- Chicago (A-D)
- Chicago (N-B)
IvyPanda. (2018, May 24). The Significance of Language: “Mother Tongue”. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-significance-of-language/
"The Significance of Language: “Mother Tongue”." IvyPanda , 24 May 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/the-significance-of-language/.
IvyPanda . (2018) 'The Significance of Language: “Mother Tongue”'. 24 May.
IvyPanda . 2018. "The Significance of Language: “Mother Tongue”." May 24, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-significance-of-language/.
1. IvyPanda . "The Significance of Language: “Mother Tongue”." May 24, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-significance-of-language/.
Bibliography
IvyPanda . "The Significance of Language: “Mother Tongue”." May 24, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-significance-of-language/.
- To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
- As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
- As a template for you assignment