Nombuso sparks talks about our mother tongue
Nombuso explained that our mother tongue is very important in childhood development because it is the first language that you are exposed to from birth.
Nombuso Shangase the Assistant Principal and isiZulu Coach at SPARK Weltevreden Park spoke to the Northsider about Mother Language Day and the importance of mother languages in our modern-day school environment.
“My home language is isiZulu and I am deeply passionate about different languages and the use of language to express oneself,” explained Nombuso.
“The use of words to invoke emotions while using language and grammar to uncover the worlds of the unknown makes it even more interesting. That is one of the reasons why I became a language teacher. I have also noticed gaps in language development in the foundation phase and I wanted to use my knowledge and passion to impart and share with my scholars the art of language. It is the beauty of teaching old poetry and fairy tales that were taught by our grandparents and safekeeping our heritage that fuelled my passion for becoming a teacher, specifically a language teacher.”
Nombuso explained that our mother tongue is very important in childhood development because it is the first language that you are exposed to from birth. It helps us keep our heritage and culture alive.
“It allows scholars to be able to converse with and learn from elders in their communities and close generational gaps. With that said, being taught and learning in your mother language makes it easy for scholars to be able to express themselves and to dissect content in a meaningful manner using a language that they have been exposed to from as far back as they could remember. Living in a diverse South Africa it has become more and more important to serve in a kaleidoscope of ways,” added Nombuso.
She believes that the primary reason for increased awareness of the mother language in our modern-day school environment is to allow communication to flow from generation to generation while also upholding and maintaining heritage and culture. Instilling pride in oneself and a sense of belonging.
“Knowing oneself allows one to appreciate diversity and authenticity, as well as respect and treasure others. Language forms a sense of identity and authenticity, and it is the basis of communication,” concluded Nombuso.
