The Essential Role of Mother Tongue in Children’s Educational Development

By Muhammed Nurullah Kiliç
Botan Times | March 20, 2025

Language shapes identity in ways that extend far beyond communication, with particular importance during childhood education. Research increasingly demonstrates that children deprived of mother-tongue instruction face significant disadvantages, while those educated in their native language thrive academically and culturally.

Language as the Core of Human Identity

Just as an atom’s nucleus determines its fundamental properties, language forms the core of human identity. When this core is altered, the essential nature of a person changes—potentially undermining their ability to function authentically.

As Kurdish scholar Zana Farqînî defines it: “Language is such an element that humans cannot be imagined without it. It is the primary characteristic that distinguishes humans from other creations, allowing people to think, express their feelings and thoughts, and demonstrate their actions and reactions.”

Education’s Broader Purpose

Education extends beyond knowledge transfer to include the transmission of ethics, culture, and art. Though not confined to classrooms, school becomes a primary source of formation during childhood, second only to parental influence in shaping character and moral development.

During this critical phase, children must be properly understood and educated according to their needs. When children cannot express themselves adequately or are misunderstood, numerous problems emerge.

The Critical Nature of Childhood

While childhood can be defined through multiple lenses (psychological, sociological, educational, legal), it universally represents a foundational period for individual and social development.

Children are the seeds of families and societies—their future. The period between infancy and adolescence is when language acquisition, moral development, and social etiquette establish themselves as the framework for personality formation.

Sigmund Freud noted that “Events in childhood have a significant impact on later emotional and personality development.” UNICEF similarly emphasizes that childhood extends beyond birth to maturity, requiring education, play, love, and family support to develop self-confidence and social integration.

Mother Tongue’s Profound Influence

From birth, children learn through their mother’s voice and surrounding sounds. Their emotions and thoughts develop through this language as they come to understand the world. What they learn and the education they receive determines their personality and social position.

The mother tongue secures a place in children’s consciousness that remains difficult to displace. Attacks on this foundational element can create confusion and psychological damage, potentially disrupting personality development since children understand life through this primary language.

When children begin formal education, they relate new knowledge to what they’ve already learned through their mother tongue. If they can make these connections, education becomes meaningful.

“For a child, the mother tongue is more than just language. It encompasses personal, social and cultural identity. Words and expressions vary across cultures. In some languages, directly asking something is considered ‘interference,’ while in others it’s viewed as ‘curiosity.'”

Problems with Foreign Language Instruction

When teachers speak a foreign language, children often fail to comprehend much of the instruction. The child attempts to translate, but during this process, loses the teacher’s intended meaning, creating confusion.

For example: If a teacher discusses cooking utensils, children need to understand what these tools are. If the teacher says “qûşxane” (kitchen) in their native language, children immediately understand cooking will be discussed. But if the teacher uses foreign terms like “tencere” or “boiler,” children cannot make connections, leaving topics unclear and learning impaired.

Children educated in a foreign language typically receive inferior education and experience lower success rates. The foreign language exhausts them and diminishes their energy. Unable to learn effectively, their quality of life suffers, often leading to school abandonment.

“In Zambia (an African country where English is not the native language but is the official language), it was found that by the end of primary school, children could not read or write properly. Many fail exams because they cannot read and understand instructions.”

When education continues this way, motivation disappears and children abandon their educational journey.

Benefits of Mother Tongue Education

Caroline Savage outlines several advantages in her research:

• Children learn other languages more easily when grounded in their mother tongue
• Mother tongue nurtures personal, social, and cultural identity
• Using mother tongue develops critical thinking and literacy skills
• Studies show mother-tongue educated students perform better academically
• Children educated in their mother tongue feel better in school, achieve more success, and enjoy school more

Table: Impact of Educational Language on Children’s Success

Type of Education	Knowledge Development	Language Development	Social Development	Psychological Development
Mother Tongue	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Foreign Language	Low	Moderate	Low	Poor
Bilingual	Good	Good	Good	Good

Additionally, when parents can help with homework, family interaction increases.

Kurdish scholar Bedîuzzeman Seîdê Kurdî notes: “The seal of destiny in humans is language. The face of humanity reveals itself through language. Mother tongue, being natural and innate, brings words and speech to mind without effort. Since interaction is solely with meaning, the mind doesn’t become confused, and knowledge acquired in that language remains permanent like ‘inscriptions on stone.’ Whatever appears in the national language feels familiar and sweet.”

As Kurdî explains, when one hears a familiar sound, there’s no hesitation, and meaning is immediately understood without translation effort. This facilitates easier success.

Solving Educational Challenges

When children aren’t educated in their mother tongue, numerous problems arise. The solution requires mother-tongue education in schools until children reach an appropriate proficiency level. Teachers must employ educational strategies that capture children’s attention, which is most effective in their mother tongue.

In these formative years, children learn about themselves, their art, culture, and history—all powerful motivators. Unburdened by foreign language acquisition, they can advance their mother tongue, improve reading and analysis skills, build a strong foundation, and more effectively learn foreign languages later.

When teachers cannot understand children, they cannot address their problems, provide benefits, or offer guidance. A child may possess exceptional ideas and strength, but if the teacher cannot understand them, these qualities are lost along with the child. When children suffer such losses, society stagnates and ultimately fails.

Turkan Tosun’s thesis on Children’s Literature in Nûbihar Magazine states: “Children are very important, like seeds. If these seeds are properly planted and cared for, they grow like fruit trees and spread their branches. Their fruits become a source of happiness for the world.”

Impact on Kurdish Culture and Art

Mother tongue education significantly affects culture, art, and family values. Through it, children maintain their language and remain connected to their culture and art. They become curious about their history and folklore, questioning and seeking their identity, thus recognizing their existence.

Family relationships also improve. Many people cannot speak their mother tongue and throughout their lives cannot communicate with elders (like grandparents), missing out on family values and sentiments. This weakens kinship bonds, potentially causing family conflicts and enmity.

Education and Subjugation

When education is not provided in the mother tongue, subjugation increases. Research shows that populations denied mother-tongue education are often oppressed, with poor economies. Understanding that education offers emancipation, they struggle academically due to language barriers, preventing them from achieving dreams, quality employment, and self-determination.

These subjugated populations face severe inequality—increasing ignorance, inequality, and suppression of identity and language. Consequently, they never receive proper respect.

Conclusion

If children are not properly educated and nurtured, they will harm themselves, their families, and their communities in the future. Neglected children may even become global threats.

In summary, children are like fields—if properly tended, they yield abundant fruit and bring joy to their caretakers. Well-nurtured and educated children will contribute positively to the world, creating happiness and peace in society.

Chart: The Impact of Mother Tongue Education

Impact	Initial Result	Secondary Result	Long-term Result
Easier Learning	Better Comprehension	Learning Other Languages	Bright Future
Identity Development	Cultural Identity	Preservation of Kurdish Culture	Healthier Society
Critical Thinking	Making Connections	Scientific Development	Life Success
School Success	Motivation	Reduced Dropout Rates	Bright Future
Family Connection	Kinship Relations	Preservation of Family Values	Healthy Society

Sources: [1] https://botantimes.com/du-tegihen-tekildari-hev-cand-u-ziman/ [2] https://kurdarastirmalari.com/yazi-detay-oku-145 [3] Olivier Houdé, Child Psychology, Dost Publishing, May 2006 Ankara, p. 10 [4] https://www.unicef.org/sowc05/english/childhooddefined.html [5] https://www.ie-today.co.uk/comment/the-importance-of-mother-tongue-in-education/ [6] www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd35846.pdf [7] https://zehra.com.tr/kitapoku.php?id=22&sayfa=178 [8] https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezDetay.jsp?id=VxtpW6zgnHdereYds0GZiA&no=rCog9_QawovozoRyD4-TGQ [9] https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,5&q=effect+of+mother+tongue+on+development#d=gs_qabs&t=1703880461923&u=%23p%3DFeqfTeIfrpkJ

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