First language

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The first language is the language that a person learns as the first language. Colloquially, the first language is called the mother tongue . However, for various reasons, this can also be two or more languages ​​at the same time; then they are usually transmitted by more than one person, not just the mother. Multilingual people usually master their first languages ​​with the highest level of competence.

Differences between first and mother tongue

Often the terms “first language” and “mother tongue” are used synonymously. However, the expression “mother tongue”, taken literally, suggests that it is the language that is taught by the mother, which is not always the case, because many children also learn their first language through their father or other reference variables. Therefore the term “mother tongue” is obsolete in linguistics.

First language, second language and strong language

In many cases, a child's first language is also their strong language, i.e. the language they speak best and use the most. But that's not always the case. It may be that children use the second language rather than their first language as a strong language, as in the following examples:

Especially in minority languages with a strong mix of the dominant language, there are many families in which one or both parents have a better command of the minority language than the dominant language and use it normally among themselves. However, the children of such families are often encouraged to speak the more reputable and possibly more useful official language of the country in which the family lives. This is usually done with the ulterior motive that the children should later lead a successful life. The so-called mother tongue is then often only insufficiently learned.

A similar situation arises, however, even in modern migrant families , in which the parents have good second language skills and attach importance to the children learning the language of their country of origin. Even in families in which both parents only use the language of their country of origin, it is very easy for children to get used to speaking only the language of their new home country at home. They have to master these in order to be able to communicate at school and among their peers. The parents speak the language of their new home country well enough to understand their children and to get used to the fact that they do not answer in their mother tongue. Because the language of the country of origin is less trained than that of the new homeland under these circumstances, it soon becomes difficult for the children to use it, which increases the recourse to the language of the new homeland.

Linguists emphasize the importance of mastering the mother tongue for learning a second language. They therefore attach great importance to mother tongue teaching in schools. In addition, parents should in a foreign language that they in no way radebrechend speak, but rather speak in their native language with their children.

literature

  • Hans Bickes, Ute Pauli: First and second language acquisition. Wilhelm Fink, Paderborn 2009, ISBN 978-3-8252-3281-8 .
  • Britta Jung, Herbert Günther: First language, second language, foreign language: an introduction. Beltz, Weinheim / Basel 2004, ISBN 3-407-25731-7 .
  • Christina Kauschke: Children's language acquisition in German: processes, research methods, explanatory approaches. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / Boston 2012, ISBN 978-3-11-028388-4 .

Web links

Wiktionary: First language  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Britta Jung, Herbert Günther: First language, second language, foreign language: An introduction . Beltz, Weinheim / Basel 2004, ISBN 3-407-25731-7 , p. 56 .
  2. ↑ Multilingualism - Languages ​​without Borders - Multilingualism and the Arts - Goethe-Institut , accessed on November 22, 2017.
  3. ↑ Britta Jung, Herbert Günther: First language, second language, foreign language: An introduction . Beltz, Weinheim / Basel 2004, ISBN 3-407-25731-7 , p. 56 .
  4. ↑ School: The mother tongue belongs in the classroom - education. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung. March 16, 2017, accessed November 22, 2017.