In our last meet, the discussion was Dignity of Mother Tongue. We hope it gives you an understanding of why you need to learn your mother tongue.

If you’re new here or yet to read Beauty of Language and Dignity of Mother Tongue, click each of the title.

Today, we are concerned about challenges facing the learning and the use of mother tongue.

In life, if someone or something does not face any difficulty, it means such person or thing never exist. Therefore, and for the progress, some difficulties appear against mother tongue in our society today, and few of them will be discussed.

Enjoy the ride.

Problem 1: Individual Problem

Most often, the problem arises from individuals (i.e. from parents and guardians). Most parents do not show interest in teaching their children how to speak and use their mother tongue.

For instance, Parents A traveled out of the country (or left Nigeria, as a case study), married and gave birth to children over there. Then, Parents A do not introduce their indigenous language to the children. They will, of course, only know foreign language. But if Parents B traveled to live in a foreign country and teach, make use of their indigenous language in the presence of their children. The children will know their mother tongue and foreign language as well.

Let’s assume all parents are like Parents A who do not care to introduce their mother tongue to children and be consistent about it, imagine what would have happened to such a mother language. We need to be more responsible as parents (irrespective of our locations) to value what is ours for posterity. A language that is not used from time to time will run into extinction.

Problem 2: Absence of Books Written in the Mother Tongue

Most libraries and bookshops prefer to get books written in English and not many in mother tongue. This is on increase basically because many press in this contemporary days do not produce such books. When we have authors who write in their mother tongue, it will birth more books in libraries and bookshops. If some textbooks are written only in their mother tongue, hopefully, students would perform better in their studies. According to Nelson Mandela, “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.”

Problem 3: Lack of Teachers’ Training.

Some teachers today do not know how to put words together in their mother tongue and their school do ask them to handle such subjects like Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, French, etc., which will lead to a lack of vocabulary, poor arrangement and pronunciation of words in teaching the students the mother tongue.

Point 4: Motivation to Learn.

Most children and people generally are not encouraged to learn their mother tongue by their parents, peer group, friends, etc. because of how less today’s society value it. Many people are ashamed and not proud of who they are. Our society needs to return to who they first were and encourage the use of mother language.

Thanks for reading through.

You can also share some other problems and solutions you know in the comment section. Let’s learn together.