Ajay Pinjani - Why mother tongues matter? pt. 1

[@MsLoumon]

I am amazed by your clarity. I felt moved by your "anecdotes" because I have had these " aha" moments myself during my long teaching career. I was brought up in an immersive bilingual school and it was OK with me. I had relatives who spoke English so that was probably the reason. It was not so unfamiliar. But, in my work as a teacher trainer I realized that that was not a good way for many groups whose variety of the language ( the language was the same!) was stigmatized somehow. So I fully agree with you. Thank you so much for all you have done for the children. I will try to connect somehow.

[@belkisb.blancog.2937]

It is a very enlightening talk. Thanks. You talk about the previous knowledge children bring to us when we greet them at school. It's a great pity that education everywhere does not consider this cultural, social and linguistic knowledge children bring to us. Instead we insist on obliterating their essence to replace it with something standarized and lacking of humanity. You have helped me realize that student-centered is about embracing the students essence in the process.

[@asadullahbalouch2674]

Truly indebted for making insightful talk about mother tongue matters. Also acknowledge efforts of organizers.

[@TheVeronett]

Love it

[@Taqweemteaches]

keep it up buddy

[@abdelaziztifouti738]

I think it's a crime to compel someone to study, to think, to develop, to aquire knowledge... in any other language than his/her beloved 'most familiar' Mother Tongue, the language he/she grew up with since birth. This is why as research shows, kids' creativity and 'even happiness' [mine] diminishes tremendously the moment they join school especially where & when they must 'all of a sudden' interact in an unfamiliar (sometimes foreign) tool or language. I say language, such as Urdu, that can be written and read, not a dialect. This is a conscious political PUSH OUT which is termed as 'LINGUISTIC IMPERIALISM'.

[@belkisb.blancog.2937]

Thanks for this amazing opportunity to access to the insights of multilingual communities of Pakistan. In Venezuela, our mother tongue is largely Spanish and in high school we learn English. However, there are many indigenous communities that have their own language. These languages are often seen as irrelevant though. Certainly teachers and the educational system as a whole does not value these linguistic capabilities our children in these communities posses.