How important is our mother tongue?

   In today's fast-paced society, our traditional cultural values and identity are at risk. We have to make a conscious effort to ensure that we do not lose touch with our cultural heritage.One of the important features of a cultural identity is the ability to speak one's mother tongue. For example, among the Chinesde there are several dialects spoken such as Cantonese, Teochew and Hokkien. Well, I would say that I can speak a dialect, Hokkien which is used in Penang. I mean, my parents are from Penang and anyone, I mean everyone who is from Penang can speak Hokkien because nearly the whole Penang population speak to each other in that particular language. At home, my family usually converse in Hokkien, something i never realised until now. And now, I'm trying to learn Hainamese because that is the dialect my mother and grandmother used when they gossip about other people and being the busy body that I am, I want to know what they are talking about. And besides, I can scold or insult someone right in front of them and they wouldn't know what I am talking about. Isn't that awesome? (Don't worry! I never tried that before. Well actually, I did) Anyways that is not the main point. If we don't preserve this culture or mother tongue, it will be gone forever. Wouldn't it be such a waste and humiliating that our ancestors have passed it from generation to generation and  we are the ones who lost it? Hence, i think that we should not neglect our mother tongue.