Home is where language lives

In many South African homes the familiar sounds of indigenous languages are growing fainter, replaced by English or Afrikaans, languages regarded as keys to success.

- by Phenyo Mokgothu

Well-meaning parents, shaped by debunked theories, fear that speaking their home language might confuse their children or hinder academic performance.

But research and reality tell a different story: using native languages at home is not a hindrance, but a powerful tool for preserving identity, culture and cognitive strength.

One of the most persistent misconceptions is that bilingualism causes speech delays. Yet studies in linguistics and cognitive development have long discredited this. Children can thrive with two languages, and home becomes the safest place to nurture the tongue society may sideline. If a child stops speaking their mother tongue before age 12, they can lose it entirely, not just in speech, but in understanding. Language erosion is real, and by the time the child tries to reclaim it, it may be like learning from scratch.

This is not just a personal loss, it is a cultural one. A language lost in the home is a story that stops being told.