NaijaPositive.com

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

It saddens me to see a higher number of Nigerians in diasporia ignoring the basics of training their children on how to speak their native languages. I feel it is a pathetic show of ignorance/colonial mentality/complex (inferiority) on our parts to be so immersed with trying to westernize ourselves at the expense of our heritage.

Maverixz
4/10/04

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Maverixz, I think what is even more pathetic are those Nigerians in Naija, who deliberately speak only English to their kids!

Right here in the UK, I have observed 3 types of attitudes towards the mothertongues.

A) Those who don't want their kids to speak it.
B) Those who want their kids to know it, and go out of their way to teach the kids.
C) The undecided. This group usually come under the influence of either group above.

On a personal level, I believe people in group A should be left to their own devices. Naija doesn't need people like that!
People from group B should try to influence as many people in group C as possible.

I also believe that a large number of people on this site fall into either group B or C. We should learn from each other, and try exchanging strategies/methodologies which can be used to stimulate mothertongue interest/learning in our kids. All parents should know that it is easier to teach kids their mother tongue ( without harming their English/French/Portuguese language competency), than a 24/25 yr old grown adult. Previous generations of UK based Naija parents, are now regretting their failure to teach their now grown up children, the mother tongues.
I hope the new generation of Nigerians abroad don't make the same mistakes !!

A word is enough for the wise !

The Dreamer
4/10/04