WHY LEARNING IN YOUR MOTHER TONGUE IS IMPORTANT

Scene 1: A mother and her 12-year-old daughter step into a bookstore at the recently concluded 48th Kolkata International Book Fair. As she glances at the shelves, she says in Bengali, “Let’s leave. There are no English books here.”

Scene 2: A father is taken aback when he hears that his friend has enrolled his son in a Bengali-medium school. “Without learning English, there’s no future,” he remarks.

In today’s world, where technology dominates our lives, are we moving away from our mother tongue? Does working and communicating in one’s native language make a person seem less educated than someone fluent in English? And is it really something to be proud of if one struggles with their mother tongue or claims not to know it well?

Language shapes our sense of home and belonging. Speaking in one’s mother tongue feels like home. Yet, many urban Indian families are losing that connection as children grow up without fluency in their native language. But history tells a different story—India’s greatest literary minds, from Rabindranath Tagore (Bengali) and Munshi Premchand (Hindi) to Subramania Bharati (Tamil), Gopinath Mohanty (Odia), and KP Kesava Menon (Malayalam), wrote in their mother tongue.

Studies show that learning in one’s regional language improves understanding, retention, and engagement. It also strengthens cultural identity and pride. Recognising this, the Union Budget 2025 introduced the Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. This initiative aims to provide digital books in Indian languages for school and college students, making education more accessible. Learning through one’s native language not only enhances comprehension but also creates a more inclusive and empowered generation.

“The Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme of the Union Budget 2025 is a major move towards democratising education by making education accessible through Indian languages. With digital books in local languages, the scheme tackles one of the basic hurdles to education: the language divide that typically keeps students from fully participating in their studies when material is mostly in English or Hindi. The advantages of this strategy are many: students are able to understand complex ideas better in their own language, resulting in better understanding and retention; they are able to learn critical thinking without the hassle of processing information in a second language; and they are able to stay connected to their roots while accessing contemporary education,” said Dr MM Ramya, Dean of AM Jain College.

Around 37% of students in low- and middle-income countries are not taught in the language they understand best. In India, this figure stands at about 35%, including many children in English-medium schools, according to a UNICEF report. Indian education policies have acknowledged the importance of the mother tongue in early schooling. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 promotes teaching in the mother tongue or local language up to Class 5 and, where possible, up to Class 8. Data from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (2020-21) shows that instruction in grades 1 to 5 is already available in 28 languages. The launch of the Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme marks another important move toward making education more accessible, especially in rural and remote areas, while preserving India’s rich linguistic heritage, said Rajeev Tiwari, Co-founder of STEMROBO Technologies. “This will further encourage students to embrace modern learning tools while staying connected to their cultural roots,” he said. Odisha’s Department of Women and Child Development, in collaboration with UNICEF, introduced ‘Nua Arunima’ (New Horizons)—a mother tongue-based early childhood education curriculum available in 21 languages. Designed for children aged 3 to 6 attending Anganwadis, this initiative aims to strengthen early learning in regional languages.

The Covid-19 pandemic affected mother-tongue education as well. A UNESCO report mentioned that school closures worsened existing education gaps worldwide. While schools were shut for an average of 20 weeks, some remained closed for over 70 weeks, more than a full school year. “Students typically grasp concepts better in their mother tongue, which can help achieve thriving learning outcomes. This digital transformation in regional language education supports India’s vision of inclusive growth while preserving linguistic diversity in education,” said Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services.

In today’s globalised world, education is becoming increasingly multilingual. As businesses expand across borders and cultures intertwine, knowing multiple languages is an advantage. This has also made multilingual education more important than ever. It emphasises learning in both the mother tongue and additional languages, helping students become proficient in multiple languages and preparing them for a diverse world. “English is the global language of business, but knowing one’s mother tongue is essential for understanding culture, ethos, and literature,” said Anil Acharya, a well-known Bengali scholar, and founder of Anustup, a Bengali publishing house. “In today’s diverse world, being bilingual or multilingual is a valuable asset.”

Our native language is an important part of our identity. It is a source of pride and a connection to our heritage. Learning in the mother tongue helps children develop better thinking and communication skills while making it easier to learn other languages. This International Mother Language Day, let’s promise to celebrate the importance of linguistic, cultural diversity, and multilingualism.