Which is More Important: Fluency in English Language or Mastery of Native Language?

Language in a person is very important. It’s been a part to everyone’s life. For me, language is defined as the human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, and a language is any example of such a system of complex communication. It reflects the culture of a certain place or country. We are using language for communication, to inform people around us of what we think, what we feel, and what we wish for. Being capable to communicate to others forms bond, affiliation, and teamwork. But many Filipinos ask themselves for only one question regarding language: what is more important, fluency in the English language or the mastery of the native language?

The importance of language isn’t much different whatever our nationality is. In our country, we always use Filipino to communicate to other Filipino citizens. We are using it for better understanding. We can understand more if we are using Filipino language. Even our parents introduce first our native language to us because it is the root of all our communications in our country. We can understand more about the other languages if we master first our native language. But, if we were to communicate to other countries, we are using English language. It is because English language is what we call the “Universal Language”. Most of the countries are using English language for businesses and transactions. Without it, our communication to other countries will be harder.

I have been concerned in many languages. Our language is the most important part of our identity and life. I think it is more important to learn our own mother tongue because this is one of the most important parts of our identity. For me, if we lose our own language, we will not be complete. Our identity will just be unknown therefore it is nonsense if we lose our mother tongue. We are losing the most important part of ourselves.