The Role of Mother Tongue in National Development

Abstract

Language is a universal phenomenon that must exist in every human society. There is no society which does not carry out its activities through language. Language, therefore be it foreign or indigenous is very important to its speakers, because it is the only vehicle through which a society operates. The mother tongue is the first language of an individual. It is the language to which a child is born, bred, trained and cultured. It is therefore important in the development of a nation. This paper mirrors on the importance of the child's first language to the development of a nation. It takes a look at the various areas such as education, social, political, economic and religious which a person engages in as he grows and lives in a society. These are areas of development if well utilized, to not only an individual but the nation as a whole.