hardyweineberg
Member
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2022
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Igbo
- Home Country
- Nigeria
- Current Location
- Nigeria
QUESTION: Learning English at school is often seen as more important than learning local languages. If these are not taught, many are at risk of dying out.
In your opinion, is it important for everyone to learn English? Should we try to ensure the survival of local languages and, if so, how?
Many languages are at risk of extinction, and a lot of people feel this is due to schools prioritising English over local languages. Personally, I believe it is necessary for everyone to learn English, though I think we should still try to make sure native languages do not die out.
To begin with, if everyone is able to speak English, language barriers will reduce, resulting in our lives being much easier. International trade, scientists from different countries collaborating, nations working together to solve problems, and so many other important things are difficult because of language barriers, but they would be easy if we were all able to speak English. French scientists, for example, have difficulty sharing their research findings with the rest of the world as most scientific articles have to be written in English, which is considered a universal language by many, before they can be published in international journals.
Nevertheless, I feel people should also learn to be fluent in their mother tongues in addition to learning English. The reason for this is that native languages are used to pass cultures down from older to younger generations. Without ensuring survival of native languages, preservation of cultures will not be possible; we, therefore, have to prevent local languages from going extinct.
Perhaps the best way to do this is for parents to start speaking their native languages to their children at an early age, for example when they are two or three years old. By doing so, it will make it much more easy for them to learn to speak the languages as well as making them interested. Clearly, if all parents do this, it will significantly reduce the chances of languages dying out.
In conclusion, while I feel that everyone learning English is important since it reduces language barriers, I believe that since local languages is used to transfer culture, we need to ensure their preservation. Parents communicating with their children in their native languages seems to be the most effective way to achieve this.
In your opinion, is it important for everyone to learn English? Should we try to ensure the survival of local languages and, if so, how?
Many languages are at risk of extinction, and a lot of people feel this is due to schools prioritising English over local languages. Personally, I believe it is necessary for everyone to learn English, though I think we should still try to make sure native languages do not die out.
To begin with, if everyone is able to speak English, language barriers will reduce, resulting in our lives being much easier. International trade, scientists from different countries collaborating, nations working together to solve problems, and so many other important things are difficult because of language barriers, but they would be easy if we were all able to speak English. French scientists, for example, have difficulty sharing their research findings with the rest of the world as most scientific articles have to be written in English, which is considered a universal language by many, before they can be published in international journals.
Nevertheless, I feel people should also learn to be fluent in their mother tongues in addition to learning English. The reason for this is that native languages are used to pass cultures down from older to younger generations. Without ensuring survival of native languages, preservation of cultures will not be possible; we, therefore, have to prevent local languages from going extinct.
Perhaps the best way to do this is for parents to start speaking their native languages to their children at an early age, for example when they are two or three years old. By doing so, it will make it much more easy for them to learn to speak the languages as well as making them interested. Clearly, if all parents do this, it will significantly reduce the chances of languages dying out.
In conclusion, while I feel that everyone learning English is important since it reduces language barriers, I believe that since local languages is used to transfer culture, we need to ensure their preservation. Parents communicating with their children in their native languages seems to be the most effective way to achieve this.
