How important is your mother tongue? - Nigerian Movies & Nollywood on Naijarules.com

Oyinkan · #1 (**permalink**) 06-27-2005, 04:28 PM

Whats your own opinion about this?
Would you rather bring up your children speaking ur native language or just speaking English?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4123852.stm

Gen Sani Abacha · #2 (**permalink**) 06-27-2005, 04:39 PM

My mother tongue/national language is extremely important and cannot be separated from my culture. Loose the language, and you've lost the cultural identity.

Oyinkan · #3 (**permalink**) 06-27-2005, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gen Sani Abacha

My mother tongue/national language is extremely important and cannot be separated from my culture. Loose the language, and you've lost the cultural identity.

But if you look at Nigerian community in the U.S.A. and perhaps the U.K., even more devastating in the mother land Nigeria, parents speak English to their children, but what concerns me the most is about Nigerians born in the Diaspora, many have never been to Nigeria, they dont wanna go, they dont wanna be called Nigerians 'cuz they believe that they are Akatas African-Americans. Can you imagine what would happen when The Second generation Nigerians start getting married, having children, they probably wont marry Nigerians and they would know so little about Nigeria and from then on they are losing their heritage, tearing apart from Africa, joing African-Americans, becoming part of them, so what would happen to like the 3rd and 4th generations. This are ppl who could help Nigeria, but if they do not identify with the country how can they help. Nigeria populaion is decreasing, mother land losing its son and daughters and upcoming generations. Que lastima!!!! What a shame!!

Iya Laje · #4 (**permalink**) 06-27-2005, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oyinkan

But if you look at Nigerian community in the U.S.A. and perhaps the U.K., even more devastating in the mother land Nigeria, parents speak English to their children, but what concerns me the most is about Nigerians born in the Diaspora, many have never been to Nigeria, they dont wanna go, they dont wanna be called Nigerians 'cuz they believe that they are Akatas African-Americans. Can you imagine what would happen when The Second generation Nigerians start getting married, having children, they probably wont marry Nigerians and they would know so little about Nigeria and from then on they are losing their heritage, tearing apart from Africa, joing African-Americans, becoming part of them, so what would happen to like the 3rd and 4th generations. This are ppl who could help Nigeria, but if they do not identify with the country how can they help. Nigeria populaion is decreasing, mother land losing its son and daughters and upcoming generations. Que lastima!!!! What a shame!!

Say that! BTW how come I never hear you speak Yoruba when we talk for phone.......

Gen Sani Abacha · #5 (**permalink**) 06-27-2005, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oyinkan

But if you look at Nigerian community in the U.S.A. and perhaps the U.K., even more devastating in the mother land Nigeria, parents speak English to their children, but what concerns me the most is about Nigerians born in the Diaspora, many have never been to Nigeria, they dont wanna go, they dont wanna be called Nigerians 'cuz they believe that they are Akatas African-Americans. Can you imagine what would happen when The Second generation Nigerians start getting married, having children, they probably wont marry Nigerians and they would know so little about Nigeria and from then on they are losing their heritage, tearing apart from Africa, joing African-Americans, becoming part of them, so what would happen to like the 3rd and 4th generations. This are ppl who could help Nigeria, but if they do not identify with the country how can they help. Nigeria populaion is decreasing, mother land losing its son and daughters and upcoming generations. Que lastima!!!! What a shame!!

Oyinkan, this is nothing new really. Nigerians have been relocating abroad since the 1960s or even earlier. Most of the kids born in those days are now middle aged, do not speak any Naija language, and they probably only identify with the place in name only. Well, maybe we'll get to a stage whereby Naija will become completely culturally colonised by the Western world, Arab world, our AfroAmerican and AfroCarribean cousins, the Chinese, Indians and whoever else Naijas choose to adopt as their role models, mentors and masters. Too bad!

Aust_nne · #6 (**permalink**) 06-27-2005, 07:40 PM

Whats the need of forcing them to learn a language they might seldom use just for the sake of it. I would bring up my kids so that they can speak other internationally recognised languages..As far as they can communicate well, then my mothers tongue doesnt mean much to me.

Oyinkan · #7 (**permalink**) 06-27-2005, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iya Laje

Say that! BTW how come I never hear you speak Yoruba when we talk for phone.......

okay o, as from today onward, no more oyinbo, na Yoruba lol.

Oyinkan · #8 (**permalink**) 06-27-2005, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gen Sani Abacha

Oyinkan, this is nothing new really. Nigerians have been relocating abroad since the 1960s or even earlier. Most of the kids born in those days are now middle aged, do not speak any Naija language, and they probably only identify with the place in name only. Well, maybe we'll get to a stage whereby Naija will become completely culturally colonised by the Western world, Arab world, our AfroAmerican and AfroCarribean cousins, the Chinese, Indians and whoever else Naijas choose to adopt as their role models, mentors and masters. Too bad!

I know that but the rate Nigerians are immigrating is way way higher than in those days, morever most Nigerians that came here in the 1960s still went back home and even sent their children back home to know the culture b4 coming back here.

rappatainer · #9 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oyinkan

Whats your own opinion about this?
Would you rather bring up your children speaking ur native language or just speaking English?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4123852.stm

Very very impt I love where i'm from and i love who i am i love my mother tongue all dat akata rubbish those children don loss be dat. I love da fact that i can communicate in my native language. i just did a track called Mother tongue.

Simisola · #10 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rappatainer

Very very impt I love where i'm from and i love who i am i love my mother tongue all dat akata rubbish those children don loss be dat. I love da fact that i can communicate in my native language. i just did a track called Mother tongue.

Good to go. I can't help but notice when on public buses italian, spanish, indian and other ethnic parents who speak to their children in their native language. It's always so sweet when these kids as young as even five yr olds responding back in their language.

But it's not always like dat with 9jas, they like to impress other passengers with too much grammar & oyibo repete.

NTB · #11 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gen Sani Abacha

My mother tongue/national language is extremely important and cannot be separated from my culture. Loose the language, and you've lost the cultural identity.

so right.

Gen Sani Abacha · #12 (**permalink**) 07-02-2005, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oyinkan

I know that but the rate Nigerians are immigrating is way way higher than in those days, morever most Nigerians that came here in the 1960s still went back home and even sent their children back home to know the culture b4 coming back here.

I beg to differ a bit. The majority of Nigerians who came to the UK did not return home. I'll wager that 50% returned home, while the other 50% stayed put outside Africa. Most of these kids are now adults with kids of their own. Most of them cannot speak a word of their mother tongue, and consider it to be completely unimportant, they really couldn't care less. Their kids are also the same. I know cos of met lots of 'em, and not just Naijas, but several other Africans as well.

ciao

#13 (**permalink**) 07-02-2005, 05:03 PM

I can only speak up for myself. Was born abroad and grew up with 3 different lagnuages. And am so grateful that my mom thought me yoruba. I have some friends that struggle to learn it cos their parents did not teach them their lang one bit.
I honestly would not know what to do if i would not understand my mother tongue. I think i would be totally lost! Yes my mother tongue is very important because it makes me to be proud of my origin eventhough I was born in Europe.

mimi victor · #14 (**permalink**) 07-02-2005, 05:42 PM

I overheard two kid talking one day, when one was telling the other that My father and mother are [Africa]but I am an American. This happen to be naija children born here. I felt so sorry for their parent. Because they will regret the way they raise this kid later. No matter how westernise we try to be. We will alway be foreigner .Loosing our mothers tongue is double jeopardy.It is like loosing our culture, That is one of the reason the black Americans are like Bats today.

brenda17 · #15 (**permalink**) 07-04-2005, 07:11 AM

no one tot me to speak my father or mother tongue.so i can't