''If one’s mother tongue is forgotten, one’s value will also be forgotten.''

--Shri Pramukh Swami Maharaj

This does not summon any worries. Linguistically speaking, language is a functional tool for communication, and if those speakers are satisfied that English is enough for them, they can get along with it. Other matters like culture, patriotism, or political factors can be treated on their own.

Thank you professor Falih Al- Emara

I think the global use of English as a lingua franca does indeed pose threat to other languages. As more people get educated, and media is wider spread because of internet and platform like Netflix, Apple TV, English is seen as more useful. The ideology towards English as being the most useful language in academia, education, media, and workplace could tip over that of the other languages.

Human beings are pragmatic (part of our survival instinct too) and we are transmitting the importance of English to our children in possibly every corner of the world. For colony countries and communities who have a higher level of education, English is used more prevalently. In theory, it shouldn't clash with the other languages. We can switch as and when we need. But if our children see English as a more 'cool' and useful language, then the an imbalanced view could emerge. We won't ignore our culture over night, but things will certainly get anglicised over time, e.g. my child likes eating Chinese "dumplings" just, but he can't differentiate the northern jiaozi, Shanghai wonton, xiaolongbao, Hong Kong prawn wonton, Japanese gyoza, and he doesn't care to know the different names; pretty much like a foreigner, to me.

I'd also like to read and write some articles in Chinese. But with English being the dominant language in Academia, if you want to thrive in the international arena, it seems more sensible to invest in writing papers in English. The result? I find it hard to read a Chinese academic paper without my eyes squinting and pausing to try and comprehend every sentence. And this is sad.

Thank you Dr. Yvonne Tse, for your contribution.

As long as there have been large civilisations of people gathering together and practising trade and cimmunication, there have been languages used for general communication. The 'lingua franca' of today being english MAY mean that young people are unable to read the African texts of their home culture, but in practice, it seems people just turn out to be biligual. This dual nature of communication if formed because it is nearly impossible to live somewhere a different language is spoken and not pick up any of it, especially if you are a part of that local culture.

While the trend of local languages being eschewed in favour of English for academic papers may have an effect on the status of the local language, there is also an element of pragmatics to be considered. It is just easier to build a common network when the languages the network is written in is limited to one main language. As time has proven, being able to learn from past mistakes and see other people's progress and read of their findings is generally a positive trend. In short, I would agree with Falih Al-Emara that in this case, English is only a tool to gain knowledge, and the young people who use it will understand that appreciating one's culture is important, just as much as monolingual locals do. In fact, they may even be better at being grounded in their heritage and celebrating it in a wider cultural context.

Thanks Dr. Sofie but english becoming a mother tongue very strange. Imagine my son can't greet my grandma!!!

Thanks Dr. Sofie but english becoming a mother tongue very strange. Imagine my son can't greet my grandma!!!

It helps build personal and professional identity.

Thanks Dr. Hassan

Mother toungue is identity of individual, from where they belongs too. Mother language defines you and your native place. Mother toungue also describe your patriotism, the way you represent your country, cultural and social identity.

Thank you Shah for your contribution

You can express your heart feeling and reality

True Dr. Tripathi, thanks

''If one’s mother tongue is forgotten, one’s value will also be forgotten.''

--Shri Pramukh Swami Maharaj

I think the mother language is very important but sometimes the situation can be slightly more complex. For my children for example the mother language is Chinese, the father language French, the local language is a Swiss German dialect and the official language at school is High German, in addition they use English to speak to relatives living in Canada…This was pretty hard at the beginning but now they can perfectly cope with it

Dear Bruce Robin Nyamweha, all languages, like all living things, are born, evolve (grow) and die. In other words, all languages change very slowly from day to day until they become completely incomprehensible to those who lived a few thousand years ago. Pericles and Aristotle perhaps would not be able to understand or speak the Greek language that the Athenians speak today. Globalization has accelerated and continues to accelerate this process more and more. Therefore, I believe that in 4021 all in the world: we will speak the same language, we will have the same skin color and the same shape of the eyes, we will all belong to the same homeland, mother Earth. Of course, ancient languages (those spoken today) will be the subject of study in schools and universities. Perhaps they will continue to be spoken, following an evolutionary path different from the terrestrial one, by the colonizers of the solar system and any external exoplanets.

For all these reasons, what is really important and what is really matters is that men are able to communicate and above all to "understand each other" between them. How and by what means (languages) they do it doesn't matter. On the other hand, in today's increasingly globalized world, the concept of nation, as it has been conceived until now, no longer makes any sense. Everyone's homeland is mother earth.

Dr. Aristidis, I have loved your contribution. Thank you.

Dr. Jean- Pierre, thank you for your contribution. Despite of the hard situation, parents must help their children to learn language of their origin.

Dr. Leonardo, thanks for your contribution. Death of language may mean death of a tribe. So we are trying to prevent that.

With all due respect for everyone's opinions, I believe that today is the time to deliver tribes and nations to history. Because, if humanity is survived the two world wars of the last century, perhaps it might not survive the wars of this century or this millennium. The earth, as the geneticists have definitively established, is populated by a single people of men. That is all men belong just a single species called "human species". Therefore, like it or not, men are destined: to be all equal (equal rights and equal duties) and to feel that they all belong to the mother homeland Earth. Therefore, as Pope Francis says, it is necessary to "tear down walls and build bridges". Speaking all the same language helps and accelerates this inevitable process.

الامر كله يتعلق بالام والاب هما المسؤولين عن لغة اطفالهم يحب تعليم الطفل لغته الام ولغة ثانية كي يتواصل مع العالم..

Thanks Dr. Leonardo for more contribution and Dr. Altaf for your contribution too.

2 November MMXX

Hi there, Leonardo!

I hope you are well.

You are correct in what you think. I have attached an article to this message regarding the two world wars and their effects on us today. I hope it can help you.

By the way, I teach English on SKYPE if you need my help send the OXFORD PLACEMENT EXAMINATION to [email protected]. I live in Calenzano, provincia di Firenze.

Cordially...

Tony

Elite classes of all peoples and nations always adapted to the dominating language ( as a matter of collaboration with the power structure). This does not automatically mean that a mother tongue dies out, which is matter of cultural identity and the fight for it.

Preprint ANCIENT SEMITIC LINGUISTICS

According to our study, the African continent is the linguistically most diverse and rich continent, so it would require a very long-time (measured in generations) to wipe out this cultural fact, even with todays speedy information tech highways.

The great contra-polarity of https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sadducee and

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pharisee seems to exist in every nation, although under other terms of classification.

Many ruling classes of countries did not speak the native language and it did not die out.

Dear Anthony St. John, I'm physically "fine" I hope it's the same for you. I thank you for your offer which I will keep in mind not only for myself but above all for my youngest students. Above all I would like young people to learn and practice mountaineering because from the top of the mountains you can look very far. Never before has it been necessary to look far ahead. The more one looks far further into the past or into the future, the more one realizes: that the people of the humans is increasingly interconnected and interdependent; that it is necessary to peacefully reconcile the reasons of all; that it is necessary to overcome the concept of nation and nationalism; that it doesn't matter what one's mother tongue is. What matters is: to communicate more and more in any way or language; be more and more tolerant; to abhor war and all forms of violence; pursue peace.

2 November MMXX

Hi there, Leonardo!

Yes, I understand you and this rotten situation.

I have attached my THE ART OF SURVIVAL to this message.

Cordially...

Tony

Mother tongue makes it easier for children to pick up and learn other languages. Mother tongue develops a child's personal, social and cultural identity. Using mother tongue helps a child develop their critical thinking and literacy skills. https://ie-today.co.uk/people-policy-politics/the-importance-of-mother-tongue-in-education/

Research shows that continuing to use home languages alongside their new language acquisition will make the process of learning English faster and easier. If home languages are valued and celebrated within the school environment then this sends a powerful message to pupils about their identity. https://www2.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/sites/default/files/folders/documents/childreneducationandfamilies/informationforchildcareproviders/Toolkit/importance_of_home_languages.pdf

Research shows that having a strong foundation in a first language makes acquiring a second easier. Children who have a solid foundation in their mother tongue, develop better literacy skills in other languages that they subsequently learn. https://www.nordangliaeducation.com/en/our-schools/vietnam/hanoi/bis/article/2018/10/5/the-importance-of-first-language-development

Mother tongue is your identity and also provides better connection with your culture. Languages are the most important way of keeping our culture alive. Often the direct translation of one language to another might not carry the same essence as it is in the source language. Thus, the best way to thoroughly know about a culture is to know the language. Mother tongue helps us stay connected to our culture and our roots. https://reva.edu.in/blog/5-reasons-why-it-is-important-to-know-your-mother-tongue-well-21-february-international-mother-language-day/

I strongly agree with Aristidis Matsoukis

I agree with dr @ Chinaza Godswill Awuchi , "Mother tongue is our identity", our thought, our dreams, and our memories.

However, those of us who were born in countries whose language is not important at the scientific level, we are obliged to study several languages of international circulation. The importance of the mother tongue (in my case, Romanian) is fundamental, because it helps me to carry out fieldwork in the language of the interviewees.

I think the mother language is very important. It is very important to speak the mother language to each other in-country. But when we do research we try to use English because English is the language of scientific relations. In addition, English is the language of politics, business, and i.e. We can not learn English to speak like a native speaker without hard-working at school. The best way to learn English is to speak only English at school. But some disciplines must be studied in the mother language to study the culture and literature, traditions of their own nation.

Dr. Andrii Rogovyi , Dr. Silvia Marcu , Dr, G.V.P. Samaranayake, Dr. Chinaza Godswill Awuchi , Dr. Anthony St. John , Dr. Stephen I. Ternyik for wonderful contributions for my discussion.

Thanks Dr. Ali

Мене дуже засмучує, коли африканські студенти кажуть, що їхя рідна мова - англійська. Часто вони кажуть, що розуміють рідну мову, але писати не вміють... Я була вражена незначною кількістю статей африканськими мовами у Вікіпедії - у відповідних мовних розділах. Звернула їхню увагу на це. Розумні замислились...

Mother tongue is very important! It is part of our identity.

Thanks Dr. Hanna and Dr. Temegne

In fact, after the collapse of the USSR, many people were faced with the question: either to forget the Russian language and switch to the language of the national states in which they are living now, or switch to the English - the language of those ones who actually rule the post-Soviet states. And it is also the international language of science. Of course, the choice is obvious ... English forever!

Thank you Dr. Eugeniy, that's an important lesson.

International Mother Language Day 21 February