native language
Childhood speech inheritance
A native language is the language a person learns from birth or early childhood, typically from parents and family.
It's the language of first fluency, the one that shapes how you think and dream.
Also called mother tongue or first language.
A person may have more than one native language if raised in a multilingual household.
Smooth linguistic command
- bilingualismProficiency in two languages
- multilingualismMultiple language proficiency
- vernacularEveryday regional speech
- dialectRegional language variety
accent · phonology · syntax · grammar · vocabulary · lexicon · proficiency · pronunciation
Inherited cultural legacy
- cultureCollective social practices
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- ethnic identityBelonging to ancestral group
- homelandOne's native land
belonging · roots · tradition · community · diaspora · immigration · assimilation · cultural preservation
Conveyed thought or feeling
- idiomFixed phrase, opaque meaning
- nuanceSlight shade of difference
- eloquencePersuasive verbal grace
- articulationClear vocal expression
intonation · colloquialism · slang · proverb · wordplay · humor · emotional expression · storytelling
fluency
Smooth linguistic command
- bilingualismProficiency in two languages
- multilingualismMultiple language proficiency
- vernacularEveryday regional speech
dialect · accent · phonology · syntax · grammar · vocabulary · lexicon · proficiency · pronunciation · comprehension
heritage
Inherited cultural legacy
- cultureCollective social practices
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- ethnic identityBelonging to ancestral group
homeland · belonging · roots · tradition · community · diaspora · immigration · assimilation · cultural preservation · mother country
expression
Conveyed thought or feeling
articulation · intonation · colloquialism · slang · proverb · wordplay · humor · emotional expression · storytelling · oral tradition
- cultural heritagefolklore, traditions, customs, folk music revival, museum collections
- language rightsbilingual education, multilingualism, bilingualism, immersion programs, Catalan
- languageword, words, grammar, spelling, alphabet
- language learningvocabulary lists, lessons, acquisition, basic vocabulary, grammar books
- language educationbilingual, biliteracy, immersion, literacy skills, reading
- immigrant identityimmigrant experience, immigrant identity, dual identity, hybrid identity, hyphenated identity
native languagesecond language
Tongue learned after childhood
foreign language · target language · lingua franca · third language · auxiliary language
native languageforeign language
Another nation's speech
foreign tongue · colonial language · heritage language · trade language
language, native, languages, natives, nativity, nonnative, mother tongue, native speakers, first language