Is it More Important than our Mother Tongue?

            We all know that English is the Universal language that every person must study and learn to speak and understand in order to interact with people outside our country. Even though we have our own language, our mother tongue, we can’t deny the fact that we need this foreign language in order to succeed and become successful in the future. Still, what is more important? Our own language or the foreign language that we are going to need in the future? We know it’s not inferior to use other languages, but what if we’re already used to speaking this language that we already forgot what our real one is? Our mother tongue, Tagalog.

            Our school implements the rule ESC, English Speaking Campaign to make sure and to train students to become fluent and confident on speaking English. Many complain on why they should use English other than their mother tongue, Tagalog, knowing the reason for doing this is also for their own benefit. Still, many other people oppose, even though they know it’s for their own success. But how can we blame them? We’re born in this this country, our flesh and blood are pure Filipinos, and we have our own language, Tagalog, but they’re not using it, instead they use English. Some Filipinos abroad, who don’t speak Filipino, rather, English always. As time flows away, they forget their native language and speaks other language. Still, some Filipinos abroad love their native language and even though they use English in their everyday lives, they still know their mother tongue fluently than that foreign language they use.

            We should be proud of those people who even though they seldom use their native language and use English in their daily life, they can still speak Tagalog fluently. I have cousins in America that even though they speak English all the time; they still know how to speak in Tagalog. So when they go here in the Philippines for their vacation, they could speak with us in straight Tagalog. Although my other cousins can’t speak Tagalog that well, they could understand what we are saying in Tagalog. To me even though English is the international language, I’ll never forget my native tongue, my mother language, Tagalog.