KEEPING IN MIND OUR MOTHER TONGUE

            “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” A very striking and mind setting passage by Nelson Mandela regarding true importance or significance of mother tongue in our society.

            Mother language has a very powerful impact in the formation of the individual. Today we are all witnessing an aspect of globalization which is the increasing movement of people from one country to another for different purposes, and this really affects one’s mother tongue. Every language spoken in the world represents a special culture, melody, color and asset and to everyone, the mother tongue is certainly one of the most precious treasures in our lives. In our mother language here in Ilocos Sur, we proudly have our Iloco dialect. This serves as our own identity depicting every history of our province with our rich culture and traditions. Our native language links us with the culture of the society we come from and shapes our identity. When a person doesn’t know their native language well, we cannot say that he will be nurtured with his culture properly for the fact that the relationship between mother tongue and culture is deeply rooted. Mother tongue is one of the most powerful tools used to preserve and convey culture and cultural ties. People who are unaware of their culture, their language and their history will lose their confidence in themselves, the family, society and the nation to which they belong and will have no other option then seeking an alternate identity. Our mother tongue, the beautiful sounds of which one hears and gets familiar with before being born in shaping our thoughts and emotions. Our personality, character, modesty, shyness, defects, our skills and all other hidden characteristics become truly revealed through the mother tongue because the sound of this in the ear and its meaning in the heart give us firm trust and confidence.

            It’s a duty and responsibility to preserve our mother language and pass it down from generation to another. Whether we are urged by necessity or because of other reasons, learning another language brings a lot of advantages in our life. While doing this, let us not forget this instead, keep our mother tongue in mind and heart. Let’s embrace and be proud of our cultural identity, our MOTHER TONGUE.