Mother Tongue and the Teacher: Challenges and Possibilities in Primary Education in the Digital Era

Mother Tongue and the Teacher: Challenges and Possibilities in Primary Education in the Digital Era

The digital age has opened new avenues in the field of education. Social media and digital platforms are now flooded with classroom videos, especially from teachers in government schools. In fact, their online presence often surpasses that of private school educators. If you are a part of any educational group on platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Facebook, you’ll find a constant stream of teaching videos being shared every minute.

This trend reflects a positive shift—teachers are now more open to sharing their classroom practices. These shared experiences serve as inspiration and motivation for other educators, many of whom try to adopt or adapt such innovative practices in their own classrooms.

However, amid this wave of digital sharing lies a critical issue that deserves attention—the choice of language used while teaching, especially in early grades like Grade 1. A close observation of many videos reveals that teachers are predominantly using standard Hindi, even when the learners are just beginning school. As a result, it feels as though these lessons are designed more for the adult viewers—supervisors, fellow educators, or evaluators—rather than for the children sitting in the classroom.

Policy Emphasis on Mother Tongue

India’s educational policies—be it the older ones or the latest National Education Policy 2020 (NEP)—have consistently emphasized the importance of using the mother tongue as the medium of instruction in early education. The NEP 2020 clearly recommends teaching children in their mother tongue or regional language at least until Grade 5, and preferably up to Grade 8.

The rationale behind this is clear: children grasp concepts more effectively when taught in a language they are familiar with. Their thinking, emotional expression, and comprehension are deeply rooted in their mother tongue. When education begins in that language, students are able to relate better to the content, which fosters a deeper and more lasting understanding.

Performance vs. Purpose in the Digital Age

Unfortunately, the increasing trend of online performance often leads teachers to focus on how their teaching will be perceived by adult viewers rather than how well it connects with their students. In most classroom videos, especially those involving newly enrolled young children, teachers are seen interacting entirely in standard Hindi, often ignoring the fact that the children may not understand it completely.

This disconnect becomes evident in the children's expressions—confused, blank, and at times disinterested. The question then arises: are these teaching practices truly child-centered, or are they shaped by the desire to impress viewers?

The Power of Mother Tongue: Personal Observations

As someone deeply involved in early childhood education and a part of many educational groups, I often watch these videos with a critical eye. Very few of them show teachers using the child’s mother tongue effectively. On the rare occasions when I do see a teacher interacting in the local language, the difference in the child’s engagement is striking.

Whenever I come across such videos where the teacher uses standard Hindi with children who clearly speak a different home language, I personally reach out—either through a message or a call—to encourage them to consider using the child’s mother tongue. The encouraging part is that many of them respond positively and take steps to change. But such examples are still far too few.

It is vital for every teacher to understand that regardless of whether they are being recorded or not, their language in the classroom should always be aligned with the children’s linguistic context. Language is the bridge that connects teacher and student. If that bridge is weak or unfamiliar, the connection suffers. On the other hand, when the language resonates with the child’s world, they feel at home, accepted, and ready to learn.

Training, Mindset, and the Role of the Teacher

We need to develop a mindset where we prioritize the needs of the child over the expectations of viewers or evaluators. Teachers must be trained not only in pedagogy but also in cultural and linguistic sensitivity. It takes a great deal of courage and wisdom to set aside one's own linguistic expertise and communicate at a child’s level, in their language, with their expressions.

Teaching is not a stage performance. It is a deeply human interaction. A teacher’s knowledge is of little use if it cannot be translated into terms that a child can understand. When we speak in the child’s mother tongue, we are not simplifying the content—we are empowering the learner.

A Humble Appeal to Fellow Educators

Through this article, I sincerely appeal to all my fellow educators: Please, whether or not you are creating teaching videos, always speak to your young learners in their own language. Do not worry about how you will be judged. Let go of the fear that your gestures, expressions, or informal style might appear unprofessional.

In fact, it is your ability to simplify, to laugh with children, to sing and dance with them in a language they understand—that is your true mark of excellence. If your students can understand you, connect with you, and feel joy in your presence, then you are already among the finest educators.

Let every word you speak in the classroom revolve around the child. Let your language reflect their world, their identity, their home. Only then will your classroom truly become a place of learning, love, and liberation.

Conclusion

Education is not just about delivering content—it is about building relationships, and language is the first step toward that. When a child hears their own language in the classroom, it affirms their identity and builds trust.

Let us all take a pledge today: that we will honor and use the mother tongue of our students in our classrooms. That we will see children not just as learners but as individuals with their own linguistic and cultural worlds. That we will teach not for the camera, but for the child.

Because our real success as educators lies not in how fluent we sound, but in how well we are understood by our students.

Thank you.
Priyanka Kumari
Teacher, Middle School Malhatol, Parihar, Sitamarhi, Bihar

E-mail - pkjha2209@gmail.com

---