MOTHER TONGUE TABOO IN NIGERIAN HOMES

I remember when I was in secondary school, JSS2 to be precise; I was one of the best readers of Yoruba texts in class. Our Yoruba teacher then, Mrs Yusuf would call me to stand, and then read whichever literature text it was we were reading at the time. Of course some of the mates found my pronunciation of some Yoruba words funny. Interchanging‘s’ for ‘sh’ and vice versa was one of the most ridiculous things people used to make fun of me for then. I could barely speak correct English and barely a day went by without being poked fun at; even by teachers. I’d just stand or sit there, depending on where and when it was, barely able to defend myself or talk back at them.

Who would blame me? I grew up in the lost local parts of Oyo town. Born, bred and raised by semi-literates parents, I grew up to a total Yoruba- speaking household. Of course I had uncles who could at least speak little bits of English; they all went to Lagos before I really grew up; so I was left in a non-English environment.

Now however, I can proudly boast to you about the fluency and fluidity I use in speaking both English and Yoruba. Every whole and bits of English language I speak and write today are products of my educational environment, nevertheless, I am a proud bi-lingual and I can boast of a slightly above average competence in the two languages.
While I understand situations where some kids are unable to speak or understand their native languages, I also know that this all depends on the language parents speak to their kids while growing up, what they perceive to be the easier and prouder language to speak to their kids in public and what they deem appropriate to raise their kids with- which is rarely ever their native dialects.

There are circumstances where both the father and mother speak the native language and English but the most spoken and preferred language is English; invariably the children will grow up speaking only English. Now my issue is in a situation whereby parents intentionally prohibit the children from speaking in their native tongues. Some believe the native language; no matter how raw or unrefined, tush or refined it is, is a disadvantage to the learning progress of their children and a bonus to their social status and thus, force their children to speak only English.

Now let me mention the big deal about social status and a superficial sense of superiority over those who can speak their native languages, who speak only their native languages, who speak a mix, and who speak a complete Yoruba dialect, the cause of this is the inherent desire to sound foreign and cute. I will gracefully tell you now that I don’t think there is any pride or feather on the cap deserved if your child grew up and lives in Nigeria, and is unable to speak your native language.  It’s a shame and no matter what you believe, it makes your child shameful and perhaps feel inferior when they find themselves in the midst of people who can speak the native languages very well. There’d be this nagging feeling of being made fun of when people talk and laugh in their presence- in a language they have little or no knowledge of. I’ll take it one step further by telling you that children can learn to be bilingual, and that it is actually easier for a child to learn two languages at once than it is for most adults to pick up a second one.

Furthermore, learning and understanding their native languages will do nothing to interfere with their ability to learn very good English. As a matter of fact, I was taught in the University that the knowledge and understanding of one’s local tongue goes a long way in helping to understand the mastery and rules of English language. In most cases nowadays especially for children born and raised in the modern-lands like Lagos, English is seen as a fashionable mode of communication for children and at the end of the day there is only an half baked knowledge of English {as a mix of pidgin and Yoruba is the inherent form of English there} and a barely-there knowledge and capability of speaking their local tongues.

Moreover, do you know the joy that comes with the ability to code switch?  The interesting and beautiful switch or mix of both English and Yoruba in the same sentence? You really don’t want to deprive them of rapidly expressing their emotions in a mix of two languages, the fast change of Yoruba or Hausa to English when angry, the ability to speak your native language to your child, to do aproko in the midst of people who don’t understand it. Even you will be proud when your child grows up and you can communicate with the in more than one language- English.

In conclusion and most importantly, being bi-lingual in English and at least one native language goes beyond just communication abilities; it aids in intellectual growth, leaves room for language enrichment, there is more flexibility in what language they think in and gives a better ear for listening. Furthermore, it will give your child the opportunity to meet and talk to people they wouldn’t normally talk to with a cocooned language capability and opens countless doors in places where language sensitivity and diversity is required.

Besides, I’m sure no parent will ever want to miss the opportunity of teaching their child religion and the words of God in the language of their native land. And if we were all to make a choice, no one would ever want to be responsible for why their native language would possibly go into extinction or in the next 20-30 years.