Mother Tongue provides Basis for Learning another Language
“Mother tongue is the foundation of all languages and it provides basis for learning another language” said Shri Budhia Singh, a teacher as well as a linguistic, speaking in a press conference on the occasion of “International Mother Language Day”. Mr Jayanti Munda a Community Facilitator state that “Pre-school education in mother tongue is more necessity to a child for his mental and emotional growth”.
Another guest Mr. Sudhir Digal said that “Mother tongue the language of mother and mother land, a mother tongue is main identity of all human being”. Mr. Digal discussed about the need of mother tongue based multi lingual early childhood education in the tribal area of Odisha and the need of preservation of a mother tongue for our future generation. There are 62 kind of tribal community in Odisha and all have their own mother tongue. But now officially the number of the mother tongue is decreasing day by day. Mr. Digal said that Odisha is the first state who declare mother tongue in pre-school and primary school. Last year state Govt launched Anganwadi teachers guide book “New Arunima” in 10 tribal language, it is also a very good decision, he stressed on the proper implementation of it so the tribal children of state will get benefit.
A child’s first comprehension of the world around him, the learning of concepts and skills, and his perception of existence, starts with the language that is first taught to him, his mother tongue. In the same manner, a child expresses his first feelings, his happiness, fears, and his first words through his mother tongue. Mother language has such an important role in framing our thinking, it also creates understanding and participation in their classroom sitting. Later on it becomes a platform for the learner to gradually transfer skills from the familiar language to the unfamiliar one
On the occasion of “International Mother Language Day” on 21st February 2015, the Campaign on Mother Tongue based Early Childhood Education organised a press conference at Red Cross Bhawan, Bhubaneswar to bring into fore font the essence of a mother tongue and the need of mother tongue based pre-school education for 1.4 million tribal children in Odisha. On this occasion a documentary film titled “STEP BY STEP” is screened which showed the urgent need of reform in existing ICDS services being provided in Anganwadi centres in tribal area with focus to mother tongue based multi-lingual pre-school education.
In the press conference Mr. Sudhir Kumar Digal, Program Manager, PREM, Ms. Nandini Mundary, Communication Officer of the Campaign, Mr. Budhia Singh, tribal language teacher, Ms. Jayanti Munda, Community Facilitator and media representatives from various media were presented.