The first language or mother tongue is the first language a child learns to speak. The first language, also known as the native language, primary language, mother tongue, or indigenous language, is the personal language that a person learns from birth and speaks fluently, often with cultural and social significance. In some countries, the terms native language or mother tongue refer more to the national language of a person rather than their first language. In contrast, a second language is a language that a person speaks differently from their first language. From a neurological perspective, the first language occupies a different position in the brain compared to languages that a person learns later in adulthood, known as second languages.

To understand how individuals in Iran face their mother tongue, it is important to first have an understanding of what a mother tongue is. A mother tongue is typically a language or languages that a person learns in their childhood and has equal and complete proficiency in using. By complete proficiency, it means the ability to understand and use the language or languages as if it were the only language the person knows and has learned since childhood.

Therefore, the first language or languages of each person is not necessarily a single language that their parents speak. Biological research has also shown that brain injuries can affect only the first or second language, depending on the location of the injury, but if a person learns multiple languages in early childhood, all of these languages are stored in the same area of the brain as the first language and their vulnerability is the same. As a result, forcing the first language to be the national or official language of a country is fundamentally unscientific and futile.

The first language has a decisive impact on an individual’s understanding of the world and at the same time is considered a valuable cultural heritage in any language. One of the factors that makes the first language or languages very important is its connection to the critical point of a person’s first entry into society, which is school. A range of different emotions accompany a child’s first entry into society and, like the first language, the language of the educational environment can greatly contribute to the positive experience and positive impact on the formation of an individual’s personality.

In Iran, the official language is Persian and other languages are not taught officially. However, almost all children in Iran have a relatively good ability to use Persian when they go to school, which greatly reduces the effects of language barriers. Persian is also taught to children through media and their limited presence in society, and it can be considered as the first language of every person in Iran in recent years, alongside the language spoken at home.

However, regardless of what the first language is and what effects it has on the individual and society, the reality is that non-Persian languages in Iran are slowly disappearing. The most important reasons for this can be listed as follows:

Not writing in non-Persian languages.

The family’s inclination towards speaking in Farsi is due to its importance in society and limited use of non-Farsi languages, which varies depending on geographical location.

Lack of academic education in non-Persian languages and the absence of an official language policy leads to the weakening of non-Persian languages over time.

Although it is almost impossible to find any signs of prohibition against speaking languages other than Persian in Iranian society, similar to neighboring countries, but for some reason these languages have declined and this can be considered a serious cultural damage – regardless of its impact on individuals – to be examined.

North Khorasan is an example of regions that have gradually lost their native languages over the past few decades. Turkic Khorasani is completely shifting towards Persian, and most young people in this region only have the ability to understand this language. The inability to speak this language will lead to its disappearance in the next generation. The same is happening at a slower pace for Kurdish Kermanshahi in Khorasan. The lack of neighboring countries in eastern Iran that speak Turkic Khorasani or Kurdish Kermanshahi has further contributed to this linguistic erosion.

No government has the power and capacity to preserve the culture of a country except at the cost of widespread damage and politicizing of fluid affairs. Therefore, the people themselves must safeguard their culture through their civil institutions and focus on educating and protecting the common languages of the country.

This fact is not limited to non-Persian languages only, but it has also affected various Persian dialects, including Gilaki and Mazandarani, which are also declining and will likely not leave a trace in a few generations.

All of these are warning signs for the decline of Iranian cultural wealth. According to the writer, it is not only the government’s responsibility to protect culture, but also the responsibility of Iranian civil society to preserve their cultural heritage. Although Iranian civil society has been severely affected by the regime, this is not a permanent situation and as soon as conditions change, the protection of Iranian culture must be prioritized. The government, as well as businessmen, factory owners, bankers, and even good teachers, are not capable of preserving a country’s culture unless they are willing to pay the price of widespread damage and the fragmentation of affairs. Iranians must defend their culture through their civil institutions and focus on educating and protecting the common languages of the country. Perhaps this can best be achieved in special schools, with the help of language professors who not only teach Persian, but also other languages. On the other hand, non-Persian media can help keep Iranian cultures alive in Iran with the help of language professors.