Blog Post 4 - Amy Tan Article
The Importance of a person's home language
In my opinion, I think it is important to maintain your home language because you learn basic skills to set you for a foundation era of your life. And then, you can broaden your expertise into a more complex and advanced perspective of the world and people's beliefs and opinions. To speak your mother tongue, will also help you to learn another language easily - unless the languages are totally different. But, if they are similar like (Dutch & Afrikaans), it is more likely that you will use the same technique to learn the language like you were taught with your home language. Thus, having to speak and maintain your home language helps others identify you and it makes you into the person you are (culturally & personally).
It is important to develop your native language(especially for international students in international schools) because, we will tend to lose vital aspects of our mother tongue or even forget the whole language or how to pronounce words that we could pronounce before. Forgetting about your mother tongue, will also reflect on how much you know about your culture and therefore you lose apart of your heritage. For international students, you can develop your native language, even though it is not spoken at home and it is spoken in your home country; try to use online classes or literature written in your language.
In the article of Amy Tan, she pointed out that she doesn't mind her mother's use of the English language because she understands it, whilst others cannot. In reality, people tend to use their native language's rules and techniques to interpret what they are saying in another. Like I said before, people tend to use techniques from their native language to interpret another.
Knowing your home language will help you interpret another, particularly one that is similar to your native tongue. Similar languages (often) has words that mean and sound the same. For example, my native tongue is Afrikaans and Dutch is quite similar as to most words (meaning and pronunciation). "Verstaan jy my?" which means "Do you understand me?" in Afrikaans. In Dutch it is said to be, "Versta jij mij?" It has different grammar and spelling variations but it is pronounced and means the same.
Your home language is a true measure of your identity. Maintaining your home language will help you value your heritage and culture. You will be well - nurtured and set for the future.
In my opinion, I think it is important to maintain your home language because you learn basic skills to set you for a foundation era of your life. And then, you can broaden your expertise into a more complex and advanced perspective of the world and people's beliefs and opinions. To speak your mother tongue, will also help you to learn another language easily - unless the languages are totally different. But, if they are similar like (Dutch & Afrikaans), it is more likely that you will use the same technique to learn the language like you were taught with your home language. Thus, having to speak and maintain your home language helps others identify you and it makes you into the person you are (culturally & personally).
It is important to develop your native language(especially for international students in international schools) because, we will tend to lose vital aspects of our mother tongue or even forget the whole language or how to pronounce words that we could pronounce before. Forgetting about your mother tongue, will also reflect on how much you know about your culture and therefore you lose apart of your heritage. For international students, you can develop your native language, even though it is not spoken at home and it is spoken in your home country; try to use online classes or literature written in your language.
In the article of Amy Tan, she pointed out that she doesn't mind her mother's use of the English language because she understands it, whilst others cannot. In reality, people tend to use their native language's rules and techniques to interpret what they are saying in another. Like I said before, people tend to use techniques from their native language to interpret another.
Knowing your home language will help you interpret another, particularly one that is similar to your native tongue. Similar languages (often) has words that mean and sound the same. For example, my native tongue is Afrikaans and Dutch is quite similar as to most words (meaning and pronunciation). "Verstaan jy my?" which means "Do you understand me?" in Afrikaans. In Dutch it is said to be, "Versta jij mij?" It has different grammar and spelling variations but it is pronounced and means the same.
Your home language is a true measure of your identity. Maintaining your home language will help you value your heritage and culture. You will be well - nurtured and set for the future.
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