importance of mother tongue essay in urdu

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The Power of Mother Tongue: Its Impact on Language Learning and Understanding.

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मातृभाषा का महत्त्व

मातृभाषा क्या है.

जन्म से हम जिस भाषा का प्रयोग करते हैं वही हमारी मातृभाषा होती है। सभी संस्कार एवं व्यवहार हम इसी के द्वारा पाते हैं। इसी भाषा से हम अपनी संस्कति के साथ जुड़कर उसकी धरोहर को आगे बढ़ाते हैं।

मातृभाषा में शिक्षण की आवश्यकता

आज बच्चे अपनी मातृभाषा में गिनती करना भूल चुके हैं। हमें उन्हें प्रोत्साहित करना चाहिए कि वे अपनी मातृभाषा सीखें, प्रयोग करें और इस धरोहर को संभाल कर रखें।

आप जितनी अधिक भाषाएँ जानेगें, सीखेंगे वह आपके लिए ही उत्तम होगा। आप जिस किसी भी प्रांत, राज्य से हैं कम से कम आपको वहाँ की बोली तो अवश्य आनी चाहिए। आपको वहाँ की बोली सीखने का कोई भी मौका नहीं गवाना चाहिए; कम से कम वहाँ की गिनती, बाल कविताएं और लोकगीत। पूरी दुनिया को ट्विंकल ट्विंकल लिटिल स्टार (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star) या बा – बा ब्लैक शीप ( Ba-Ba Black Sheep) गुनगुनाने की कतई आवश्यकता नहीं है। अपनी लोकभाषा में कितने अच्छे और गूढ़ अर्थ के लोकगीत, बाल कविताएं, दोहे, छंद चौपाइयां हैं जिन्हें हम प्रायः भूलते जा रहे हैं।

भारत के हर प्रांत में बेहद सुन्दर दोहावली उपलब्ध है और यही बात विश्व भर के लिए भी सत्य है। उदाहरण के लिए एक जर्मन बच्चा अपनी मातृभाषा, जर्मन में ही गणित सीखता है न कि अंग्रेजी में क्योंकि जर्मन उसकी मातृभाषा है। इसी प्रकार एक इटली में रहने वाला बच्चा भी गिनती इटैलियन भाषा में और स्पेन का बालक स्पैनिश भाषा में सीखता है।

मातृभाषा शिक्षण का महत्व

भारतीय बच्चे अपनी लोकभाषा जिसमें उन्हें कम से कम गिनती तो आनी ही चाहिए, उसे भूलते जा रहे हैं। इससे उनके मस्तिष्क पर भी गलत असर पड़ता है और उनकी लोकभाषा में गणित करने की क्षमता कमजोर हो जाती है।

जब हम छोटे बच्चे थे तब पहली से चौथी कक्षा का गणित लोकभाषा में पढ़ाया जाता था। अब धीरे धीरे यह प्रथा लुप्त होती जा रही है।  मातृभाषा में बच्चों का बात ना करना अब एक फैशन हो गया है। इससे गाँव और शहर के बच्चों में दूरियाँ बढ़ती हैं। गाँव, देहात के बच्चे जो सब कुछ अपनी लोकभाषा में सीखते हैं स्वयं को हीन और शहर के बच्चे जो सब कुछ अंग्रेजी में सीखते हैं स्वयं को श्रेष्ठ, बेहतर समझने लगते हैं। इस दृष्टिकोण में बदलाव आना चाहिए। हमारे बच्चों को अपनी मातृभाषा और उसी में ही दार्शनिक भावों से ओतप्रोत लोकगीत का आदर करते हुए सीखना चाहिए। नहीं तो हम अवश्य ही कुछ महत्वपूर्ण खो देंगे।

बांग्ला भाषा में बेहद सुन्दर लोकगीत हैं जो वहाँ के लोकगायक बाउल ( baul – इकतारे के समान दिखने वाला) नामक वाद्ययंत्र पर गाते, बजाते हैं। उनके गायन को सुनकर अद्धभुत अनुभव होता है। श्री रबीन्द्रनाथ टैगोर जी ने इन्हीं से ही प्रेरणा ली थी। इसी प्रकार आंध्रप्रदेश के ‘जनपद साहित्य‘ और लोकगीत, छत्तीसगढ़ के लोकनृत्य, केरल के सुन्दर संगीत, भोजन, संस्कृति सब कुछ अद्भुत है।

अपनी सभ्यता और संस्कृति

1970 में, कॉलेज के दौरान मैं केरल गया था। तब वहाँ पर सिर्फ केरल का ही भोजन ‘लाल रंग के चावल’ खाने को मिलते थे। उन्हें सफेद चावल, पुलाव इत्यादि के बारे में कुछ नहीं पता था। वे लोग वही परम्परागत उबले हुए लाल चावल ही खाते थे जो बहुत सेहतमंद होते हैं। लेकिन आज अगर आप वहाँ जाएंगे तो बर्गर, पिज्जा, सैंडविच इत्यादि सब कुछ पाएंगे। इसी प्रकार धीरे धीरे वहाँ का पंचकर्म और आयुर्वेद लुप्त होने लगा था। लेकिन कुछ प्रबुद्ध, विद्वान् लोगों ने उस प्रथा को जीवित रखा और उसे धीरे धीरे वापिस ले आए हैं।

अतः हर प्रांत की कुछ न कुछ अपनी अनूठी विशेषता होती है – वहाँ का भोजन, संस्कृति, बोली, संगीत, नृत्य इत्यादि जिसका मान करना चाहिए और उस धरोहर को संभाल के रखना चाहिए। यही तो असल में विविधता है जिसका हमें आदर और प्रोत्साहन करना चाहिए। तभी तो हम वास्तव में ‘विविधता में एकता’ की कसौटी पर खरे उतरेंगे जिसका सम्पूर्ण जगत में उदाहरण दिया जा सकेगा।

यही बात मैं विश्व की आदिवासी संस्कृति के बारे में भी कहूंगा। कनाडा की अपनी एक विशिष्ट आदिवासी प्रजाति है। उनकी अपनी संस्कृति है और इस प्रजाति को वहाँ की सर्वप्रथम नागरिकता का सम्मान प्राप्त है। इसी प्रकार से अमरीका में भी, मूल अमरीका के निवासी या अमेरिकन इन्डियन्स प्रजाति के लोग, जो अब अपनी भाषा तो भूल चुके हैं, किन्तु अब भी उन्होनें अपनी संस्कृति, सभ्यता को जीवित रखा है। इसी प्रकार से दक्षिण अमरीकी महाद्वीप में भी ऐसा ही है।

मेरे विचार से यह (भारतीय भाषाएँ एवं संस्कृति) विश्व की एक अनुपम धरोहर है। हमें अपनी सभ्यता के बारे में सचेत रहना चाहिए और उसे प्रोत्साहित करना चाहिए। – गुरुदेव श्री श्री रवि शंकर

मातृभाषा पर सामान्य प्रश्न

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Essay on Importance of Urdu Language in Urdu

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اردو زبان کی اہمیت پر مضمون

اردو زبان وہ پیاری زبان ہے جس سے محبت کی خوشبو آتی ہے۔ اردو زبان ہندوستان کا فخر ہے۔ اس ملک کو نعرۂ انقلاب دینے والی اردو زبان ہی ہے۔ اردو زبان کی اہمیت کا اندازہ اس بات سے لگایا جا سکتا ہے کہ یہ اردو زبان ہی ہے جو قوموں کے درمیان رابطے کا ذریعہ بنی ہے۔ یہ وہ اردو زبان ہے جس کی شیرینی اور پیرائے اظہار کی نزاکت ہی اس کی مقبولیت کا سب سے اہم راز ہے۔ اردو کا لہجہ جہاں پیار و محبت سے ڈھلا ہے وہیں یہ حسن و عشق کے سوز و گداز سے بھی مزین ہے۔

تقسیم ہند کے بعد اردو کو وہ مقام حاصل نہیں ہوسکا جس کی وہ مستحق تھی۔ اردو صرف زبان ہی کا نام نہیں بلکہ وہ ایک چلتی پھرتی تہذیب کا نام ہے۔ اردو زبان کی بدقسمتی ہے جو اسے ہندوستان میں قومی زبان کا درجہ نہیں دیا گیا لیکن اس کے باوجود گفتگو گفت و شنید اور بول چال میں اسے قومی زبان کا درجہ حاصل ہے۔

ہم سب کو اپنے ذہن سے یہ بات نکال دینی چاہیے کہ ہم یا پھر ہمارے بچے اردو زبان نہیں جانتے۔ حقیقت تو یہ ہے کہ ہم سب اردو جانتے ہیں۔ اردو زبان صرف مادری زبان ہی نہیں بلکہ ہندوستان کی ایک کثیر آبادی آج بھی اردو بولتی اور جانتی ہے۔ لیکن یہ بھی ہماری بدبختی ہی ہے جو ہم نے اردو زبان کو صرف فطری طور پر بولنے کی حد تک ہی محدود رکھا ہے۔

ملک کے سبھی علاقوں کی بول چال کی زبان بلا لحاظ مذہب رنگ و نسل اور ذات پات آج بھی ہندوستانی ہے۔ اس ہندوستانی زبان میں آج ملک کی تقریب ڈیڑھ کروڑ عوام جو الگ الگ زبانیں بولتے ہیں سب کو ایک ساتھ جوڑ کر رکھا ہے۔ تعصب اور تنگ نظری یا پھر کسی وجہ سے ہم جسے ہندوستانی کا نام دے رہے ہیں وہ ہندوستانی کیا ہے؟ ایسے متعصب ذہنوں کو معلوم ہونا چاہیے کہ اردو دراصل اسی ہندوستانی بول چال کی معیاری شکل کا نام ہے۔

زبان کو روزمرہ کے کام تک ہی محدود رکھنا ہی کافی نہیں ہوتا۔بول چال کے علاوہ اس کا لکھنا اور پڑھنا بھی زبان والوں کے لئے بے حد ضروری ہے۔ خاص طور پر ان کے لیے جن کی یہ مادری زبان ہوتی ہے۔

جب تک کہ ہم اپنے بچوں اور گھر والوں کو اردو پڑھنے اور لکھنے کے لائق نہیں بنائیں گے تب تک اردو کے روشن مستقبل کی سب تدبیریں دھری کی دھری رہ جائیں گی۔ ہمیں انفرادی طور پر اردو کے استعمال کو لازمی کرنا ہوگا۔ جب تک ہم انفرادی طور پر اردو کے استعمال کو لازمی نہیں کریں گے تب تک اردو کا تحفظ اور فروغ ممکن نہیں ہے۔

زبان کی اہمیت اس کے استعمال سے ہی قائل اور برقرار ہوتی ہے اور ہمیں اس حقیقت کو بھی تسلیم کرنا ہوگا کہ کوئی زبان کسی بھی زبان سے بہتر نہیں ہوتی۔ دینی مدارس میں اردو کا ہی بول بالا ہے۔ اور مدرسے کے مولانا علماء بھی اردو کے فروغ میں بڑھ چڑھ کر حصہ لیتے ہیں۔ ہم سب کو بھی اردو کے فروغ میں حصہ لینا چاہیے۔

اردو کے استعمال کو کسر شام تصور نہ کریں۔ اردو زبان کا استعمال کریں۔ دیگر سرکاری اسکول دفتروں میں اردو زبان کا ہی استعمال کریں۔ ہماری خواہش یہی ہونی چاہیے کہ آنے والی نسلوں میں اردو زبان سے لگاؤ محبت اور الفت کو فروغ دیا جائے۔

Why mother language-based education is essential

Every year on 21 February, the world celebrates International Mother Language Day , which was established at the initiative of Bangladesh by UNESCO’s General Conference in 1999. The Day is an essential platform to promote the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity, and multilingualism for peaceful and sustainable societies.

UNESCO has been leading the way and advocating for multilingual education based on the mother tongue from the earliest years of schooling. Research shows that education in the mother tongue is a key factor for inclusion and quality learning, and it also improves learning outcomes and academic performance. This is crucial, especially in primary school to avoid knowledge gaps and increase the speed of learning and comprehension. And most importantly, multilingual education based on the mother tongue empowers all learners to fully take part in society. It fosters mutual understanding and respect for one another and helps preserve the wealth of cultural and traditional heritage that is embedded in every language around the world. 

However, there is still a long way to go before guaranteeing all learners their right to education in their mother language. In most countries, the majority of students are taught in a language other than their mother tongue, which compromises their ability to learn effectively. It is estimated that 40 % of the world’s population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world today. But linguistic diversity is increasingly threatened as more and more languages disappear at an alarming rate. And when a language disappears, it takes with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage.

Globally, progress is being made in multilingual education based on mother tongue with growing understanding of its importance, particularly in early schooling, and more commitment to its development in public life.

Through its normative frameworks for language policy and education, UNESCO shares good practices in bilingual and multilingual education and mother tongue instruction. It works with Member States to integrate multilingual education into curriculums and education systems. Recent successful initiatives to promote mother language-based education have taken place in Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti and Kenya.

The findings from UNESCO’s new report From rights to country level action shows national efforts made by different countries to foster cultural and linguistic diversity.

In addition, UNESCO recently unveiled the World Atlas of Languages , an unprecedented initiative to preserve, revitalize and promote global linguistic diversity and multilingualism.

Impact of COVID-19 on mother language education

School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and deepened pre-existing education inequalities around the world. The closures ranged from a global average of 20 weeks to above 70 in some cases, more than a full school year. As always, it has impacted vulnerable and marginalized learners the hardest, which includes indigenous and speakers of languages from minority groups. According to UN estimates, nearly 500 million students from pre-primary to upper-secondary school were unable to access any remote learning opportunities during the lockdowns.

In many countries, distance teaching and learning tools, programmes and content were not always able to reflect linguistic diversity: They were largely provided in dominant national or international languages. When remote learning content is not available in students’ mother tongue, it increases the risk of learning loss, dropouts and exclusion. Many learners lacked the necessary equipment, internet access, accessible materials, content relevant to contexts and needs, and human support that would have allowed them to follow distance learning. Many teachers also didn’t have the skills and readiness for using distance teaching. They also struggled with digital tools in languages that they didn’t always master.

The massive digital divide shows how connectivity has become a key factor to guarantee the right to education. The lack of access to digital learning content is deepening inequalities, marginalization and exclusion. Another element that exacerbates the digital divide is the fact that many languages are not present on the Internet: There is a major linguistic divide in cyberspace today. The inclusion of languages in the digital world and the creation of inclusive learning content is vital. Remote learning based on the mother tongue should be incorporated into education systems in order for all learners, especially those from linguistic minorities, to access education during school closures and beyond.

This year’s International Mother Language Day theme, “ Using technology for multilingual learning ,” is an opportunity to take stock of the experience of the past two years, to move forward differently and better.

• More on International Mother Language Day
• More on UNESCO’s work around languages in education

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Recognising the importance of mother tongue education

On Tuesday, Nelson Mandela University joined educational and other organisations across the world to celebrate International Mother Language Day.

This is observed internationally every year on this day to acknowledge and celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as promote the value of mother tongue education.

The day was first announced by Unesco in 1999 to mark the day when, in 1952, several protesting students were killed at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) following the declaration of Urdu as the only national language in the country, and the subsequent marginalisation of the majority national language, Bengali.

The students were protesting for the right to speak and use their mother tongue in the learning process.

International Mother Language Day is significant for SA because of our diverse linguistic and cultural heritage.

Furthermore, during centuries of colonial and apartheid eras, Dutch, English and Afrikaans were elevated above local indigenous languages.

The use of these languages was restricted to the domestic sphere and lower levels of education and this contributed to their de-intellectualisation.

Therefore, in SA, similarly to Bangladesh, language issues are a fundamental aspect of social justice.

First, language is linked to identity, cultural heritage as well as economic and political participation and these are all aspects of language rights.

Second, in SA and specifically at Nelson Mandela University, social justice also relates to issues of access and success in education.

The International Mother Language Day highlights the link between language and access and success in education.

There are many studies that illustrate disregard of students’ linguistic experiences in learning can have negative effects on their learning outcomes.

The issue of access to education is also closely linked to inclusion and optimal participation.

In the education context, when students are able to communicate in their mother tongue they are more likely to feel included in different communication acts of the university, and are also likely to participate fully in social, cultural and other aspects of university life.

This can also be extended to other contexts outside university.

In line with efforts to advance indigenous languages, Mandela University’s faculty of humanities has collaborated with the Eastern Cape Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) to draw a spotlight to this day.

Our aim is to bring attention to the value of linguistic diversity and the importance of preserving and promoting the mother tongue and indigenous languages.

We wish to raise awareness of the many benefits of speaking and learning multiple languages, including cognitive and cultural benefits.

Earlier this month, the faculty of humanities and PanSALB marked their commitment to International Mother Language Day by engaging with staff and students on multilingualism, and giving away dictionaries and other resources in isiXhosa, Sesotho and Nama languages.

Dr Xolisa Tshongolo, the Eastern Cape PanSALB senior provincial manager leading the campaign, said for this year “PanSALB’s annual observance of the International Mother Language Day the entire month of February, the Language Activism Month, is dedicated to the promotion of mother language”.

We strongly support the teaching and use of isiXhosa and Afrikaans in different academic interactions, and are leaders in producing postgraduate research written in these languages.

We will also be offering a short-learning programme (SLP) in South African sign language.

This year also marks 200 years of the historic moment of the conversion of isiXhosa from an oral to a printed language.

The year 1823 marks the publication of the first isiXhosa printed words, followed by literacy in isiXhosa, which was accelerated by African intellectuals who were early literates. The humanities faculty’s strategic research theme on African vernacular archive and heritage studies seeks to document and preserve these works.

This is important in the transformation of the curriculum at our university, especially the diversification of the academic canon through inclusion of the works of early African thinkers.

We research the literary archive, especially writings from early African thinkers, such as Tiyo Soga, SEK Mqhayi, John Solilo, Nontsizi Mgqetho, Charlotte Maxeke and William Wauchope.

We had, for the first time in the history of Mandela University, a highly scientific seminar presented in isiXhosa with simultaneous translation offered.

In our institutional quest for social justice, we will continue our efforts to advance the mother tongue.

This article appeared in  The Herald (South Africa) on  24 February 2023 written by  Prof Pamela Maseko , Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Nelson Mandela University

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Is the Urdu language the same as Hindi?

Urdu language

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• University College London - Urdu
• Omniglot - Urdu
• IndiaNetzone - Urdu Language
• Academia - The Urdu Language Reforms

What language family does the Urdu language belong to?

The Urdu language is a member of the Indo-Aryan group within the Indo-European family of languages.

The Urdu language is closely related to Hindi. They share the same Indo-Aryan base, are similar in phonology and grammar, and are mutually intelligible. However, they are from different sources: Urdu is from Arabic and Persian, and Hindi is from Sanskrit. The most distinct difference is in terms of writing systems: Urdu uses the Nastaliq ( nastaʿlīq ) script, while Hindi uses Devanagari.

What writing system does the Urdu language use?

The Urdu language uses a modified form of Perso-Arabic script known as Nastaliq ( nastaʿlīq ).

Where is the Urdu language spoken?

The Urdu language is spoken predominantly in Pakistan and India. It is the official state language of Pakistan and is also officially recognized in the constitution of India. Significant Urdu communities exist in the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Urdu language , member of the Indo-Aryan group within the Indo-European family of languages. Urdu is spoken as a first language by nearly 70 million people and as a second language by more than 100 million people, predominantly in Pakistan and India . It is the official state language of Pakistan and is also officially recognized, or “scheduled,” in the constitution of India. Significant speech communities exist in the United Arab Emirates , the United Kingdom , and the United States as well. Notably, Urdu and Hindi are mutually intelligible.

Urdu developed in the 12th century ce from the regional Apabhramsha of northwestern India, serving as a linguistic modus vivendi after the Muslim conquest. Its first major poet was Amir Khosrow (1253–1325), who composed dohas (couplets), folk songs, and riddles in the newly formed speech, then called Hindvi. This mixed speech was variously called Hindvi, Zaban-e-Hind, Hindi, Zaban-e-Delhi, Rekhta, Gujari, Dakkhani, Zaban-e-Urdu-e-Mualla, Zaban-e-Urdu, or just Urdu, literally ‘the language of the camp.’ Major Urdu writers continued to refer to it as Hindi or Hindvi until the beginning of the 19th century, although there is evidence that it was called Hindustani in the late 17th century. ( Hindustani now refers to a simplified speech form that is the Indian subcontinent’s largest lingua franca .)

Urdu is closely related to Hindi, a language that originated and developed in the Indian subcontinent. They share the same Indo-Aryan base and are so similar in phonology and grammar that they appear to be one language. In terms of lexicon , however, they have borrowed extensively from different sources—Urdu from Arabic and Persian , Hindi from Sanskrit —so they are usually treated as independent languages. Their distinction is most marked in terms of writing systems: Urdu uses a modified form of Perso-Arabic script known as Nastaliq ( nastaʿlīq ), while Hindi uses Devanagari .

Phonologically, the Urdu sounds are the same as those of Hindi except for slight variations in short vowel allophones . Urdu also retains a complete set of aspirated stops (sounds pronounced with a sudden release with an audible breath), a characteristic of Indo-Aryan, as well as retroflex stops. Urdu does not retain the complete range of Perso-Arabic consonants , despite its heavy borrowing from that tradition. The largest number of sounds retained is among the spirants, a group of sounds uttered with a friction of breath against some part of the oral passage, in this case /f/, /z/, /zh/, /x/, and /g/. One sound in the stops category, the glottal /q/, has also been retained from Perso-Arabic.

From the grammatical point of view, there is not much difference between Hindi and Urdu. One distinction is that Urdu uses more Perso-Arabic prefixes and suffixes than Hindi; examples include the prefixes dar- ‘in,’ ba-/baa- ‘with,’ be-/bila-/la- ‘without,’ and bad- ‘ill, miss’ and the suffixes -dar ‘holder,’ -saz ‘maker’ (as in zinsaz ‘harness maker’), -khor ‘eater’ (as in muftkhor ‘free eater’), and -posh ‘cover’ (as in mez posh ‘table cover’).

Although both Urdu and Hindi typically mark the plural by changing the singular suffix -aa to -ee , Urdu uses -aat in some cases, such as kaagazaat ‘papers,’ jawaharaat ‘jewels,’ and makaanaat ‘houses.’ In addition, where Hindi and Urdu both use the suffix -ka ‘of’ in many constructions, Urdu marks the genitive ‘of’ with -e(e) , as in subhe-azadi ‘the morning of freedom’ and khoon-e-jigar ‘the blood of heart.’