Multilingualism starts with mastering your mother tongue

Your mother tongue teaches you to analyse, persuade and express nuance. It is the language in which we develop our framework of ideas, our sense of subtle differences in meaning and our ability to express complex thoughts clearly. People who can think sharply and formulate ideas precisely in their mother tongue learn to communicate in another language faster and more effectively.

You learn a new language through what you already know

When you learn a foreign language, you do not start from zero. You constantly compare it with what you already know. Often without noticing, you make connections between the grammar, sentence structure and word use of your mother tongue and those of the new language.

People with a strong foundation in their mother tongue:

• recognise grammatical patterns more quickly;
• understand better how sentences are built;
• sense more easily whether something is grammatically correct;
• and can use nuance more consciously.

A well-developed mother tongue acts as a frame of reference. It means you do not only learn words. You also gain insight into structure and meaning. You can see this difference in how quickly someone progresses and in the level they eventually reach.

The reverse is also true. Learning a foreign language can make you more aware of your own mother tongue. By discovering differences, you become more conscious of how your own language works. This interaction strengthens both languages.

Language is more than grammar

Learning a language is about more than applying rules. It is about register, tone and cultural sensitivity. When should you use a formal phrase? When is it better to be direct? Which expression sounds natural, and which one does not?

You develop this sensitivity fastest when you are taught by someone for whom the language is not a learned skill, but a natural frame of reference: a native speaker.

A native speaker does not only know the grammatical rules. They also have an intuitive feel for:

• which wording sounds credible;
• where nuance is needed;
• and how language and culture are connected.

This combination of language and culture is exactly what makes the difference between speaking correctly and communicating with impact.

The mother tongue as the starting point in our method

At Regina Coeli, the mother tongue is the starting point for every language training programme. Regina Coeli is a language institute in Vught, the Netherlands, and has been teaching foreign languages to learners from all over the world since 1963.

Our trainers teach only in their own mother tongue. This means learners are immersed from the start in the language as it is actually used.

At the same time, we recognise the importance of the learner’s own mother tongue. When you are aware of the differences between your first language and the target language, you learn in a more focused and efficient way. That is why, where possible, we make sure our trainers also have a strong command of the learner’s mother tongue. Not so they can translate constantly during lessons, but so they can clearly compare grammatical structures and expressions when needed.

A Spanish-speaking learner who is learning English, for example, will preferably be taught by an English-speaking trainer who also knows Spanish. This allows differences in sentence structure, verb tenses or fixed expressions to be explained quickly and precisely. It prevents confusion and speeds up the learning process.

The combination of full immersion in the target language and conscious use of the mother-tongue foundation creates depth and lasting results.

Read more about the Regina Coeli method >

A strong foundation for lasting multilingualism

Multilingualism is not a collection of separate language skills. It is a more refined way of thinking and communicating. People who master their mother tongue well have a strong foundation on which to build new languages.

That is why every successful language training programme starts with awareness of what is already there: the first language. When you take that foundation seriously, you learn not only faster, but also with more nuance, confidence and persuasive power.