I admire the Yorubas. They love their language and they are not ashamed to show it. It is not uncommon to hear Yoruba in the stores, in church, in the streets or in offices. All it takes is two Yoruba people in the same place. I must confess it used to be a bit irritating to me back in Nigeria when you hear Yoruba in corporate offices instead of English. However, here now, I’m more appreciative of the fact that they don’t care what other people think about them using their language to communicate (even though I still there should be a limit to it).
The average Igbo man is different. He wants to show he can speak English. I’ve experienced several cases where I met another Igbo person and maybe said something in Igbo, only to be replied to in English. We feel like speaking our language makes us ‘Igbotic’. I have to admit that I’ve been guilty of this. The primary language in my house growing up was Igbo, even though we started mixing it up with English as we grew older. I remember I used to feel a bit ashamed in primary school when some friends would visit and go like ‘You speak Igbo in your house?’ I don’t know why right now, but I know there was this twinge of shame. Now, I feel totally foolish for ever feeling that way. I am so glad I was raised in my native tongue. It is an asset to me and part of my heritage and culture which can never be replaced. There’s nothing like knowing how to speak another language apart from English, and which other is best to start with if not yours. I wish I had taken my French classes in Secondary School more serious. I always liked it in Primary School, but I had the most boring of teachers when I got into Sec. School that I totally lost interest. I just worked hard enough to pass. Seriously, teachers have a lot of influence on your take on a subject. But I digress.
Back to the Yorubas. I am yet to meet a Yoruba person who cannot speak Yoruba. Seriously. All the Yoruba people I know can speak, old and young, living in Nigeria or abroad. I really don’t know how they do it. Even those living abroad can speak almost as if they are in Nigeria. Fine, it might not sound as ‘conk’ as the Nigerian one, it might have a bit of an accent to it (like GNG who has been murdering the language since 1979), but the bottom line is that they can communicate well in their native tongue. Yes, I know many Igbo kids who can understand Igbo, but most of the time, they can’t speak. My sister’s kids here in the States can understand every word you say in Igbo, but they can’t speak a word of it. I am so impressed that they understand, that’s a lot more than you can say for some kids in Nigeria who can’t even understand talk less of speak.
However, me, I want more than understanding. I want the full communication. Toddler munchkin is growing, and right from infancy, we’ve been speaking to her in Igbo. All her first words were in Igbo. Sometimes, we had to repeat things we had said in English to her in Igbo for her to understand. It was really funny. Now that she’s growing and with programs like Dora, Sesame Street and Barney them, she’s picking up English. She hasn’t started daycare yet, but now she’s started making full sentences, she makes them in English. She still says some things in Igbo, but more of the time, she speaks in English.
I could just be content that she understands the language and that no one can ‘sell’ her in Igbo, however I want for her to be able to express herself in Igbo too. I always imagine scenarios where we don’t want people to know what we’re talking about. It won’t be fully complete if she responds in English, cos people can still make out a bit of the conversation if a part of it is in English. When the Yorubas talk, you don’t hear any single word is English. There’s a Yoruba word for every single thing. Meen!
Anyway, what I really want to know is how the Yorubas get their little ones to speak the language. I think the key is to insist that they reply or speak to me in my native tongue and not in English. Is there another trick to it? Yorubas in the house, please let me know.
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Speak as much Igbo to your baby as you can. I can’t speak Igbo and I side eye my mother almost everyday. I have an aunt in the states that speaks Igbo in the house almost exclusively. Her kids learnt to speak English when they started kindergarten. Till today they can speak their dialect fluently and they have only been home like twice or thrice.
lol @ side-eying your mom. yeah, I think the key is speaking as much Igbo as I can. Hope they’ll turn out like your Aunt’s kids. That’s a good job she did.
Thanks for dropping by.
Hmmm, this one is hard. The truth is hat Nigerian languages as a whole are dying out. Even in Nigeria today, you get some born and bred naija kids who can’t speak any language except English. Here in the UK, some parents say with pride ‘Ah, don’t mind him, he doesn’t understand Yoruba’ and I think that is such a tragedy. Why make an effort so your children can learn foreign languages then totally disregard your own native tongue? I don’t get it at all. My children understand Yoruba, Egirl can speak a few sentences of it, but she pretty much understands most things. It takes determination and effort to teach them, just speak as much and as often as you can, and encourage them to speak back. I’ve told Egirl taht I will soon ban her from speaking English in the house, and then I promptly forget! We’ll get there sha, one day. Great post.
I think you’re right. Everybody is going English and foreign languages these days and it’s such a pity. It’s tough though having them learn the language and one has to be persistant. lol @ you and Egirl. It’s the same with me. I still mix English and Igbo most times and I suppose English is easier for her to pick up. She sounds so funny when she speaks Igbo.
Hey Mom, I think you are on the right track already. English is something she can pick outside the house kama nke gi bu nke gi! I cant believe you were ever embarrassed about speaking Ibo in primary school. That was what I loved most about your family..lol. The pure and sonorous o…rri dialect!
Right on! When I was growing up, my mother insisted we speak only English at home. The good thing is that as an adult, it helped me adjust to life in the states … you know…with being understood and all. The bad thing is that i often lapse into Engiri-Igbo.
lol @ your , yorubas in the house.. o.k so i understand yoruba cos it was spoken around me a lot when i was growing up…my yoruba was tacky up until my first few years in uni…(people made jest of me
we were made to speak english ..cos i guess they were satisfied with the tack yoruba..
so the “key” is to make her hear the igbo a lot and speaking will follow…
Hi just came to check up on you and say hi, it’s been a while. Hope to read from you soon.
Naijamom,there are no two ways to it….Teach them our native dialect,they will pick up English language once they get to school.
We should also learn from the Latin Americans-they proundly speak their language everywhere.I was lucky to have parents that believed in African culture-we were made to speak yoruba when growing up at home.My background is dual(Yoruba-Igbo)Because my mum’s from the east-she also combined igbo then.Even though,I sound like a learner when I try speak Igbo-am glad I understand a large percentage of it.
I am already planning getting yoruba literature books from naija for my son-to enhance his reading ability in yoruba.
As moms-we should be proud to teach our kids our native language.
@Ginger: yes o! nke gi bu nke gi. dunno why I ever felt that way back then, just know I’m grateful I can pass it on to my kids.
@ LucidLilith: lol @ lapsing into EngiriIgbo. I do that a lot too. Well, at least you know enough not to get sold. lol.
@ simone: see? tacky or not, you could still speak the language. That’s what I really love about the yorubas. yep! she’ll understand this Igbo whether she likes it or not!
@Myne: That’s for checking up on me. Been teriibly busy. Hope you’re cool too.
@Modupe: Wow! Yoruba literature? Meen! it would be cool if your son can learn to read Yoruba too. My dear, those Latin Americans don’t care. Most times, they can only speak their Spanish and they have no apologies for that.
Welcome and thanks for visiting.
*ahem* clearing throat and totally ignoring that this post is a year and some years old***
*Waving frantically* Omo Odua in the house!!
Lol, funny that after spending almost all my life up to my teenage years in Nigeria, sometimes when I speak English, people think I schooled in Britain at some point. Yet, when I launch into my Yoruba, you might think I grew up with the old ladies in Ojo Oba. I think I learnt both languages simultaneously even though I remember that for my younger brother, before he started school, all he spoke was Yoruba. So tey people even thought he would never be able to pick English….lie of the devil!
My niece who was born in the States about a year ago said her first word at some point and you know what it was? Eja…fish! (the girl likes food a lot).
We all speak Yoruba around her…In fact, I think that’s all we speak and now, she understands the basic commands in the language like “Lo gbe bag mi wa” (go and bring my bag).
Long story short, speak the language around them a lot. Have conversations with people (your husband, maybe) around them. They will pick it up.
I just love you guys. See? No matter where the youruba guy is, he doesn’t send anybody, and will speak his language. lol @ your niece. me too, I like fish.
Yeah, Igbo is the official spoken language in my house now, even though I have to always make that conscious effort not to break into English halfway, but I must say there’s been lots of progress, even though the girls stillc an’t make full sentences. They understand sha and that’s ok.