The importance of mother tongue-based schooling for educational quality

International Mother Tongue Day

While there are many factors involved in delivering quality basic education, language is clearly the key to communication and understanding in the classroom. Mother tongue-based bilingual programs use the learner’s first language, known as the L1, to teach beginning reading and writing skills along with academic content. The second or foreign language, known as the L2, should be taught systematically so that learners can gradually transfer skills from the familiar language to the unfamiliar one. IB promotes mother tongue so as Oakridge for the following good reasons:

• Use of a familiar language to teach beginning literacy facilitates an understanding of sound-symbol or meaning-symbol correspondence.

• Since content area instruction is provided in the L1, the learning of new concepts is not postponed until children become competent in the L2.

• Explicit teaching of the L2 beginning with oral skills allows students to learn the new language through communication rather than memorization.

• Transfer of linguistic and cognitive skills is facilitated in bilingual programs. Once students have basic literacy skills in the L1 and communicative skills in the L2, they can begin reading and writing in the L2, efficiently transferring the literacy skills they have acquired in the familiar language. 

• Student learning can be accurately assessed in bilingual classrooms.

• The affective domain, involving confidence, self-esteem and identity, is strengthened by use of the L1, increasing motivation and initiative as well as creativity.  L1 classrooms allow children to be themselves and develop their personalities as well as their intellects.

• Students become bilingual.  

 

These efforts to promote the first language are truly international and need to be applauded. Our school sends out a very clear message to their communities. We value your language and your culture.  Being bilingual is a resource for the student, the school and the society.