The debate over mother tongue versus English has resurfaced with renewed intensity in recent years. Parents aspire to admit their children into English-medium schools, believing fluency in English alone guarantees academic excellence and global opportunities. While English undoubtedly opens doors, an uncomfortable truth often escapes our attention: no language can be mastered well unless the foundation of thought itself is strong. And that foundation is almost always laid in one’s mother tongue.
Many students today, despite studying in English-medium institutions from kindergarten through graduation, still struggle to write confidently, speak extempore or express complex ideas with clarity. The problem is not a lack of exposure to English. Rather, it is the absence of a strong linguistic base that enables the mind to think before it speaks.
My own journey illustrates this point.
Although I studied in convent schools and English-medium institutions throughout my education, I do not credit English-medium education alone for my command over the language. The real foundation was laid much earlier, between the ages of three and five, in a small district town, where an elderly teacher patiently taught me Pedda Balasiksha. More than a primer, it was an encyclopaedia of language, culture, values and knowledge. It sharpened my memory, enriched my vocabulary and trained my young mind to absorb ideas systematically.
That early grounding enabled me to excel academically. I stood first in the entrance examination to Narayanguda Girls’ School, consistently topped my classes and later developed the confidence to write, analyse and teach. Looking back, I realise that my command over English grew not despite my mother tongue, but because of it.
Modern neuroscience increasingly supports what traditional Indian education understood centuries ago—that multilingual learning strengthens cognition. It is therefore no surprise that institutions in countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom have shown growing interest in Sanskrit, appreciating its structured grammar and its potential to enhance reasoning, concentration, memory and linguistic precision. Learning languages is not merely about communication; it is about training the mind.
Language learning also flourishes through reading. As a child, I completed the eight volumes of the Britannica Encyclopaedia and immersed myself in the works of Enid Blyton, Pearl S. Buck, and countless comics, from Asterix and Casper to Richie Rich, Phantom, Tarzan and Archie. These books did more than entertain—they expanded my imagination, introduced me to different cultures and refined my understanding of English.
Equally influential was Sister Jacqueline, an Italian nun who nurtured not only my appreciation of English but also the values of generosity, humility, and compassion. Language, after all, is inseparable from culture and character. It is not merely about grammar or pronunciation; it reflects one’s worldview.
During my years at Osmania University College for Women, Koti, Shakespearean plays became enjoyable rather than intimidating, and I found myself helping classmates understand English literature with ease. Later, educational psychology, political science, research and teaching all became natural extensions of a learning process that had begun decades earlier with a simple Telugu text and an insatiable reading habit.
There is another lesson worth remembering.
Many young people today become overly conscious of their accents. They worry about sounding “foreign” or “native.” Such anxieties are misplaced. Every language carries the imprint of one’s identity. Regional accents are neither weaknesses nor imperfections—they are reminders of where we come from. Authentic communication matters far more than artificial imitation.
Fluency is not about speaking exactly like a Briton or an American. It is about expressing ideas with confidence, clarity and sincerity.
Languages should never compete with one another. Every language enriches the mind in its own unique way. English connects us to the world, but our mother tongue connects us to our roots, emotions and identity. One expands our horizons; the other strengthens our foundation.
Rome was not built in a day, and neither is linguistic excellence. It is cultivated through early learning, disciplined reading, intellectual curiosity and respect for every language we encounter.
Perhaps that is the greatest lesson of all. We need not choose between English and our mother tongue. The strongest command over a foreign language often grows from the deepest appreciation of our own.
Our alphabets—our Onamalu—are not merely letters. They are the first building blocks of thought. When those foundations are strong, every other language becomes easier to learn, appreciate and enjoy.
