Keeping in Mind Our Mother Language

          The term mother tongue or mother mother language is used for the language that a person learnt as a child at home, usually from their parents. In some countries, the term refers to the language of one’s ethnic group rather than one’s first language. Sometimes, there can be one mother tongue, when the child’s parents speak different languages. Those children are usually called bilingual.

         People are fond of imitating things they see and hear from other nations. Everybody wants to discover and learn something new to add their knowledge and understanding. Language- all forgot us have their own tongues which are able to verbalize everything we want to say. Across the globe there are different countries and nations making each continent. Each country has their own languages; each has their own which they can be proud of. Here in the Philippines, Filipino is our national language. Aside from this, we still have many different dialects in each region.  In Region I, known as the Ilocos Region is where you can find the thrifty and child-friendly Ilocanos. “Ilocano” is our mother tongue. As our parents taught us how to speak, this language is the first one we were able to know and learn. Iloko is a rich, profound language so even other Ilocanos are often not sure of what some words mean because not all are familiar.  It is the key of communication for us Ilocanos so we must not be ashamed of our mother tongue. As we know, Filipinos adore things which are imported from other countries. Frequently, we admire their products, and most especially, we try to learn about their languages so that we can understand a foreign tongue and it makes us proud of ourselves. But, we must always bear in mind that we have our own and we must be proud of it.

        It’s a funny thing when people have already their own; yet, they still keep on finding others which they consider as better. Learning is not that bad; it is indeed a good thing so that we are able to be aware of what’s happening around us. But always remember, our country is so rich in its culture and traditions, natural resources, history and many more. Be proud to be a Filipino! Be proud you’re an Ilocano! Even though we had so many foreign languages out there, Iloko is the first thing we had. So don’t forget! Ilocano—our mother language!