The Mother: Language in the Workplace
- Dr Ehssan Aljohani
- Jul 25
- 3 min read
By Dr. Ehssan Aljohani
Originally published in Al Madina Newspaper on 25 July 2026.
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What is a mother?
She is our first existence, our origin, our lineage, and the very first root of who we are.
In the workplace, we rarely use the word mother except when asking, “What is your mother tongue?” Yet language is far more than a passing question. Language is a mother in every sense of the word. It is the open gateway to the mind, to thought, to culture, to human history and the present—and even to the future we are moving toward. Language is our root, our identity, our history, our geography, our memory, and our source of meaning.
In my previous article, I discussed story management as a tool for understanding, change, and transformation within organisations. But what is the root of every story?
It is the word.
And what is the root of every word?
It is language.
Why does language matter?
Because if you want to understand a person, listen to how they speak. What do they say? How do they construct their thoughts? Which words do they choose? How do they connect ideas together?
Language is not merely a collection of words. It encompasses vocabulary, structure, meaning, message, and purpose, and serves as a window into both the speaker and the listener. Good language education does not simply teach grammar and vocabulary—it teaches people how to think.
This is precisely what excellent language institutes recognise. They do not merely teach words and sentence structure; they teach how to build a text, organise ideas, communicate information, and develop logical arguments that allow a message to reach its audience effectively in the target language.
Language, therefore, is not a dictionary.
It is a way of thinking, expressing oneself, and communicating.
But where do we encounter language in the workplace?
We encounter it everywhere:
in emails,
meeting minutes,
decisions,
drafts,
reports,
research,
policies,
memoranda,
reading,
understanding,
spoken conversations,
written communication,
and even in analysis itself.
By analysing words, phrases, and sentence structures, we uncover broader meanings and organisational intentions. Language provides our first gateway to understanding organisational context:
Who says what?
When do they say it?
What ideas keep recurring?
What receives emphasis?
What remains unsaid?
Through language, we can understand an organisation’s maturity, experience, culture, complexity—or simplicity—and even the level of its institutional sophistication.
Language is an extraordinarily intricate human process.
In today’s labour market, language remains a professional skill, a craft, and a tool of influence.
A person’s mother tongue is no less important than the dominant language of the workplace. Rather, it provides depth, clarity, and greater capacity for understanding and expression.
Language extends far beyond being a communication tool in the workplace. It is a vehicle for learning, development, and transformation.
What is education?
It is the transfer of knowledge—and language is the vessel that carries that knowledge.
What is change?
It is the transfer of knowledge into behaviour and practice.
For this reason, every process of development and organisational change begins with language.
Likewise, authenticity and distinction begin with identity, and language is among identity’s most fundamental components.
Indeed, the first true reading of any workplace begins with its language.
Language is not simply a “mother” in a symbolic sense.
It is the beginning of every act of learning, every transformation, every distinction, and every meaningful analysis.
It is the origin.
It is the foundation.
It is identity.
Just like a mother.
Perhaps the true “mother” of the workplace is language itself—the language through which we understand, analyse, communicate, and ultimately lead change.
As the labour market evolves and expands, people may come to have more than one linguistic “mother”: the language of their roots and identity, and the language of business, knowledge, and global communication.
Caring for one’s mother tongue while also mastering international workplace languages such as English does not weaken identity—it enriches it, both culturally and professionally.
For this reason, investing in both our native language and acquired languages is not a cultural luxury.
It is an essential requirement for individual career growth and organisational development.
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Aljohani, E. (2026, July 25). The Mother: Language in the Workplace [Originally published in Arabic as اللغة الأم في مكان العمل]. Al Madina. https://www.al-madina.com/article/993737/منتدى/اللغة-الأم-في-مكان-العمل
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