Our Correspondent
Kohima | May 28
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasised the need for regular use of language/dialect, particularly as medium of teaching and learning for promotion of languages.
This was stated by Dr Zavise Rume, chairman, Tenyidie Education Division, Ura Academy, while delivering keynote address at the seminar on “Mother Tongue/Local Dialects of Tenyimi communities” as part of Ura Academy 55th Annual Tenyidie Seminar in Kohima on May 28.
He said that Nagaland Heritage Studies was introduced in schools in Nagaland as a curricular subject for classes 1 to 8, with an aim to teach Naga indigenous languages and mother tongues through the study of Naga heritage, origins, migration routes, and cultures.
The mother tongue textbook, Nagaland Heritage Studies, has been gradually implemented in Nagaland schools since 2018.
Currently, 18 mother tongues are taught in Nagaland’s schools. The subject aims to academically study the mother tongues of all Naga indigenous tribes, promoting indigenous knowledge, folklores, folktales, and cultural values.
He said that early education for children should focus on the learner's mother tongue to support literacy, cognitive development, cultural identity, and emotional well-being treating it with the same importance as learning foreign languages to boost proficiency, cultural pride, and academic success.
“Alongside the mother tongue, adopt Tenyidie as a culturally relevant link language, which is nearest to your cultures so as to unify Tenyimia tribes and enhance academic and employment opportunities,” Dr Rume said.
He said that Tenyidie as an academic subject of study does not necessarily confine to Tenyimia communities alone. He hoped that many more institutions like universities, colleges, schools across the world may like to introduce Tenyidie as a subject of study. He stressed on the need to adopt a bilingual model with the mother tongue as the primary medium in early education and Tenyidie or English as a supportive link language, ensuring both languages strengthen each other.
He also felt the need to organise a regular seminar at least once in a year for all Tenyimia Literature Boards of Tenyimia tribes and sub-tribes to share and document cultural resources, indigenous knowledge, strengthening heritage preservation, unity, and intercultural understanding.
Further, Dr Rume stressed on the need to encourage research communities/research scholars particularly Department of Tenyidie of Nagaland University to conduct research studies on Tenyimia mother tongues/local dialects.
