Those whose languages are facing threats of extinction would
do well to think deeply on this International Mother Tongue Day. And
they should begin to walk back from the brink of disaster. Nigerians,
especially the “nouveau elite” members, are reminded that English is a
borrowed language and can neither convey nor institutionalise our core
values in children. An “aculturised” society, as we know, breeds
homosexuality and total failure of systems resulting in senseless
murders and mutilations, lack of respect for societal symbols – just
about everything we are witnessing in Nigeria today.
UNESCO deserves commendation for instituting this Day that was first observed on February 21, 2000. It was particularly chosen to honour four students who stood against all odds for the reinstatement of their mother tongue as a national language in Eastern Pakistan. The students died in the process, but they did not die in vain. Though government resisted the protesters initially, it succumbed to pressure on February 21, 1952. Bengali became the official language in Pakistan not long after.
In Nigeria today, our excessive quest for westernisation has led to all manner of degradation, so much so that anyone supposedly coming from Europe or America is considered better than all others. The rate Nigerians spend so much on educating their children abroad tells another story. These children are left to the influence of all kinds of cultures and subcultures. And the result? The Farouk Abdulmutallabs of this world! Cultureless, they do not know what to accept and what to reject because there is nothing to symbolise for them the core values of our society.
The mother tongue is the only known medium that can truly convey values that form the foundation of the society and hold its fabrics together, give it standing and meaning. One-time minister of education Prof. Babs Fafunwa enacted a policy that was to ensure that every student in Nigerian secondary schools studied a Nigerian language. This was particularly emphasised in the unity schools. One of those languages in danger today is Igbo.
The Hausa have an adage, “The home leaves whoever leaves it.” Whoever abandons his heritage would be abandoned by same. A child’s psychological and personality development depends largely on what has been conveyed through the mother tongue. Our heritage, cultural and traditional values are all preserved in the mother tongue; it preserves and enhances our identity, what we are, who we are, and what we stand for. We must agree with the late Nelson Mandela who said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” The theorists of languages predict that several years of mother-tongue instruction always lead to a better second-language acquisition than being instructed in that second language at the early stages of education. Today, many countries are looking for novel ways to ensure the easiest and most effective learning method for their students: mother tongue is canvassed as one of the ways.
As we join the world to celebrate the International Mother Tongue Day, parents are urged to make concerted efforts to help their children develop good literacy skills in their first language. Shame on anyone that allows his/her mother tongue to vanish!
Leadership
UNESCO deserves commendation for instituting this Day that was first observed on February 21, 2000. It was particularly chosen to honour four students who stood against all odds for the reinstatement of their mother tongue as a national language in Eastern Pakistan. The students died in the process, but they did not die in vain. Though government resisted the protesters initially, it succumbed to pressure on February 21, 1952. Bengali became the official language in Pakistan not long after.
In Nigeria today, our excessive quest for westernisation has led to all manner of degradation, so much so that anyone supposedly coming from Europe or America is considered better than all others. The rate Nigerians spend so much on educating their children abroad tells another story. These children are left to the influence of all kinds of cultures and subcultures. And the result? The Farouk Abdulmutallabs of this world! Cultureless, they do not know what to accept and what to reject because there is nothing to symbolise for them the core values of our society.
The mother tongue is the only known medium that can truly convey values that form the foundation of the society and hold its fabrics together, give it standing and meaning. One-time minister of education Prof. Babs Fafunwa enacted a policy that was to ensure that every student in Nigerian secondary schools studied a Nigerian language. This was particularly emphasised in the unity schools. One of those languages in danger today is Igbo.
The Hausa have an adage, “The home leaves whoever leaves it.” Whoever abandons his heritage would be abandoned by same. A child’s psychological and personality development depends largely on what has been conveyed through the mother tongue. Our heritage, cultural and traditional values are all preserved in the mother tongue; it preserves and enhances our identity, what we are, who we are, and what we stand for. We must agree with the late Nelson Mandela who said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” The theorists of languages predict that several years of mother-tongue instruction always lead to a better second-language acquisition than being instructed in that second language at the early stages of education. Today, many countries are looking for novel ways to ensure the easiest and most effective learning method for their students: mother tongue is canvassed as one of the ways.
As we join the world to celebrate the International Mother Tongue Day, parents are urged to make concerted efforts to help their children develop good literacy skills in their first language. Shame on anyone that allows his/her mother tongue to vanish!
Leadership
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