A comparative study on Multilingualism & Mother Tongue Education

Abstract

Abstract

?If we teach todaythe way we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.? by John Dewey. Children areborn with an innate language faculty. We know fromour everyday experiences that most children, evenbefore they start their schooling, internalise an extremelycomplex and rule-governed system called language, andpossess full linguistic capabilities. In many cases, childrencome to school with two or three languages already inplace at the oral-aural level. They are able to use theselanguages not only accurately but also appropriately.Even differently talented children who do not use thespoken languages develop equally complex alternativesign and symbol systems for expression andcommunication.