Is Mastery of a Second Language More Important Than That of One’s Native Language?

Is Mastery of a Second Language More Important than that of One’s Native Language?
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Is Mastery of a Second Language More Important than that of One’s Native Language?
Contemporary society prioritizes globalization, which implies that people can easily move and settle or interact with those from different backgrounds. In most cases, one’s native language can positively influence the acquisition of a second language. People that exhibit considerable comprehension or mastery of a second language have a better insight into other’s cultures and can easily integrate or work in other regions. In essence, mastery of a second language should not be considered more important than that of a native language. This is based on the fact that native language skills, including literacy and fluency, can significantly inform second language success. In this regard, Madrinan (2014, p. 63) writes that “teaching students who are able to transfer knowledge from their mother tongue to the second language enriches learning.” Second language acquisition is often considered different from the first/native language (Kaushanskaya et al., 2011). The authors assert that the m...