“A different language is a different vision of life”.
Singapore is a melting pot of cultures and nationalities, and this has led to her people benefitting from a rich linguistic culture. It is common for people to be bilingual here, and you might even find people who can speak more languages without much effort. But the most common mix you can see would be people who speak two languages; one is their mother tongue, and the other is English. Due to these linguistic differences, people most often rely on English to communicate when they are outside. The use of the mother tongue becomes constrained within the four walls of the homes.
In recent times, it is seen as a general trend where parents try to train their children in English alone, neglecting their mother tongues. English gives you the advantage of communicating across different cultures than you can with your mother tongue, be it Tamil, Chinese, Malay, or any other language. But, does that mean other languages are not important? Every language has its own share of history and riches that another cannot replace. Your mother tongue is part of your roots, culture, and heritage and must be passed onto future generations. But even when parents are aware and actively trying to promote it, many students today feel like learning their mother tongue is not of much use and therefore, are less interested in it.
So, how can you encourage your children to take an interest and put more effort into learning their mother tongue?
Increased exposure
When you are with family, try to use your mother tongue to communicate. Take your family to your relatives’ and friends’ houses where they converse in your mother tongue. It can create a sense of familiarity with the language and a sense of belonging in your children.
Explain the history and heritage
Explain to your children the history and culture of your mother tongue. Learning the roots of the language and the stories behind them can create interest in your children to learn it. Tell them about the famous personalities and influential people who spoke the language. Introduce traditional literature, classic works, and art forms associated with the language to your children.
Tell them stories
Brush up your memory and try to recall the stories you heard during your childhood and pass them on to your children. If you have a good enough imagination, try making new stories that will pique their interests. Make them interactive, ask your children questions in your mother tongue and encourage them to reply in it. Slowly, you can ask them to tell you stories. Making up stories and trying out creative writing can improve your grasp of the language.
Teach them songs
Another fun way to get your children familiarised and interested in their mother tongue would be to teach them songs. Folk songs, new songs, whatever you might think can catch their attention, try it out. If you think about it, we do have the capability to memorise song lyrics better than any other form of information. Such little tricks can change their understanding and interest in the language.
Games
Try word games and guessing games in your mother tongue. You can try making it a weekly event for the whole family. Try giving away a prize for the winner. It will motivate your children to research and learn more about the language so that they can win the prize.
Movies and series
Encourage them to check out movies or TV series in their mother tongue. Introduce them to interesting titles that you think are good. You can even have family movie times and discussions for this. It can be a fun bonding experience for the whole family.
Buy them books
Gift them books and encourage them to read. If you can find a good enough book, you won’t have to worry about them learning their mother tongue anymore. Books have the power- to influence and attract everyone. Many people say that they are not interested in reading. But that’s just because they haven’t found the book for them.
Explain why learning the mother tongue is important
Tell your children why learning their mother tongue is important; from a cultural and personal perspective. If they understand how much you want them to learn it, they will surely make an effort to do so. And also make sure you explain to them the different advantages that they can have if they learn the language.
A group effort
There are cultural groups and other collectives that are formed based on the mother tongues or countries of origin. You can make use of the opportunities that they provide. You can discuss with other members and plan activities to raise awareness and encourage the young children in the community to be more interested in their mother tongue. Competitions, classes, and other activities can be planned as part of this. It can also help your children find and interact with other children with the same mother tongue. It can serve as a space where they can interact with young people of similar age in their mother tongue.
We hope these tips help your child feel motivated to learn their mother tongue. Do try them and let us know how it pans out for you and your children. We wish you all the best! 🙂
Exam Smart Tips
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Exam Smart Tip #3 – Establishing Routines!
Exam Smart Tip #4 – Let’s Read Carefully!
Exam Smart Tip #5 – Beating the Exam Fever!
Exam Smart Tip #6 – How to Eat Right for the Exams?
Exam Smart Tip #7 – How to Avoid a Meltdown?
Exam Smart Tip #8 – Taking Stress out of Tests
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