Native language is a simple, yet formidable and effective tool utilized in our daily lives. It is a critical variable that labels our nationality, a factor part of our master identity, demonstrating who we are, what cultural heritage we are from and how we fit in to our local civilization. Although, in the present day world, most nations, mainly consisting of developing countries, regard English above their home language, emphasizing it as a medium of instruction and enforcing it into modern day education as a tongue that is universally significant, notwithstanding the fact that every individual introduced to their stage of early education may not be completely suitable or comfortable with studying a language completely alien to them.
To begin with, children usually find it tough in the initial phase of schooling, after they are placed in an unknown environment with a group they are not familiar with, they require time to adjust to the situation and native language, in my point of view, can play a great role towards that development. As we all know, learning initially commences at home, before any schooling is carried out, as children are familiarized with basic concepts like eating, walking and some speaking, mostly carried out through their native language. At school, speaking in a language that is common to most children allows them to become more interactive, engaging and participating thoroughly and openly sharing thoughts, answers, suggestions and question in class. The use of native language can bring home experiences to school and I believe it can create an adequate base for a child to progress well academically as well as socially, with more content being understood at a greater meaning. Learners are also able to expand their reading and writing skills at a much faster pace when their own language is used, expressing considerable excitement and motivation towards the subject as they are able to make connections in written texts with those orally spoken to them in their tongue and research shows that pupils who are able to acquire reading and writing at an early stage already have a head-start in education. In terms of teaching, greater value towards home language can also release the burden of having to adapt to a new language for local instructors, who are a majority in most schools around the world, providing them with an already known form of speaking, and permit them to display more freedom, creativity and innovation when presenting educational materials to students (as they already know the language and its rules).
I think learning in one's own language can be much less stressful as it is already naturally spoken to and from them, and, once its fully matured, learning other languages comparatively require much less effort as, for example, we already know the basis that grammar exists and letters are used to make sounds for communication. All we need to do is to absorb and assimilate as well as reinforce the new sounds and grammatical rules, while slowly enhancing our vocabulary through reading and writing. For instance, if the scientific process of photosynthesis is taught to pupils in their own language, translating this data into English will not be a very harsh process if students have a vast block of vocabulary for the language, thus exhibiting the idea that languages are transferrable. Maintaining our native languages will also extend our chances of finding jobs in our own country, along with conserving links and relationships with our family and native community, instead of feeling neglected by our own people. Overall, students who balance English with their own home language tend to have higher academic achievements and larger intellectual level, with the capabilities to spread and promote their cultural heritage globally.
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