THE IMPORTANCE OF USING MOTHER TONGUE AT FIRST THREE YEARS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL (A CASE STUDY OF MAIDUGURI METROPOLIS)

The study examines the importance of using Mother Tongue at first three years of Primary Schools in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Borno State, Nigeria. the objective was used to direct the study, the objective were to: (i) identify use of Mother tongues as an effect in learning of English as a foreign Language, (ii) identify the various factors affecting the use of Mother tongues at the first three years of Primary Education (iii) also identify whether the use of mother tongue can help to improve the general performance of the pupils of the first three (3) years of primary School. The research design used for the study was survey research design, the population of the study (87). Out of these population fifty (50) was taken as a sample of the study. The instrument use for the study was adapted questionnaire from Balarabe and Mannir (2015) the data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics which is simple percentage. The findings of the study, it revealed that.(i) the pupil develop much interest in learning with the use Mother tongue (ii) the government don’t allow the teachers to use mother tongue while teaching. (ii) Mother tongue can help to improve the general performance of the pupils. It also showed a significant importance of using mother tongue when pupils were taught with their immediate language and questions were asked in the same language this establish a link between the new knowledge to be learned and their immediate environment. Based on these findings conclusion and recommendations were made. The research recommended that, early childhood education should be practiced in the mother tongue.