Innovation in Language Learning
Mother Tongue & Its Effect in Early Childhhood Music Learning; A Study of Selected Nursery Schools in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria
Chinyere Celestina Esimone, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State (Nigeria)
Iruoma Amaka Ugoo-Okonkwo, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (Nigeria)
Abstract
Music is as important as life. It is a sin quo non in the day to day living of a man and the best easiest language that children understand better. Music is a language of the soul hence it touches the emotions of man to cause a change in the character and behaviour of the listener. Music affects all aspect of children learning and life but the means of communication of this one important subject remains very paramount if its effect will be lasting. Mother tongue is the native language of a people, the language they are born and brought up with. It is the language that defines who they are and tells about everything concerning them. Mother tongue is proven to be the best language a child is taught and raised with even in pre-school and part of Primary School education, It is more intriqueing when music is taught those children from home to school in their mother tongue because it helps them learn their native music and other music is taught them in the language they will understand without destroying the main goal. This paper x-rays mother tongue and its effect in early childhood music learning. The data for this study is collected through questionnaire and interview methods from few mothers and some teachers of the children in the selected Nursery Schools; and conclusions were drawn from the findings. The findings show collective opinions on the study. Both the mothers and the nursery teachers agreed that the effect of using mother tongue in their teaching and learning activity both at home and in school is very encouraging and overwhelming hence the advocate for the continual use of the mother tongue in the state.
Keywords: Music, early childhood, mother tongue, music learning and its effect.
References
Abeles, F. H., Hoffer, C. & Klotman, R. (1984). Foundations of Music Education. New York: Schimer.
Agu, D. C. C. (2006). The Nigerian Policy on Education: Its impact on music education programme and delivery in Nigeria. Awka Journal of Research in Music and the Arts (AJRMA). 3: 1-8.
Paget, J. R. (2006). The Role of Music in Learning. Birmingham: United Kingdom
