Teaching the mother-tongue: a sociolinguistic perspective

Abstract

Adequate education and pedagogy should be based on an accurate understanding of the psychological reality of language acquisition and the social reality in which it takes place. Considering some pedagogical practices observed both in the United States and Brazil, we discuss the fact that the teaching of the mother tongue in schools is not always based on this principle. Thus, it ignores both the processes of child language acquisition and the facts of linguistic variation by seeking to impose the standard language. Importantly, the school ignores that what is called the ‘standard’ is essentially the language variety used by the social classes that have high prestige and social power. Although historical and pseudo-logical reasons are presented to justify the standard language, they turn out to be false when seen scientifi cally. Hence, attempts to ‘teach’ the features of the standard language often fail, particularly when they are based on the false assumption of the superiority of this variety and on an inadequate understanding of linguistic difference. Such attempts result in stigmatization and humiliation of those children who do not speak the standard language at home, and in their alienation from school; in this, the school is an accomplice in maintaining the social subordination of those who belong to lower social classes. The proposed alternative is to teach an appreciation of the linguistic diversity of society and the recognition of the standard as one variety among many, one which is appropriate to certain situations and social purposes.

Key words: mother tongue, standard language, language acquisition.