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Lagos And The Promotion Of Indigenous Language
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<p>By Ayo Afuwape</p>
<p>The World Bank and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) studies on basic education all indicated
that children learn better and faster – eagerly – when instructed in
their mother tongue.</p>
<p>Other studies further confirm that countries that rank highest in the
world in mathematics and science tests, as reported by Trends in
International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), are usually those
that pay more attention to teaching schoolchildren in indigenous
languages.</p>
<p>Really, learning starts at home not in school with use of indigenous
language. By using the learners’ native language, it is a bit easier to
connect in the learning process. The interactive learner-centered
approach which is well recognized by most educationists, flourishes in
an environment where learners are adequately skillful in the language of
instruction. It allows learners to make suggestions, ask questions,
answer questions and create and communicate new knowledge with
enthusiasm.</p>
<p>About two decades ago the need to strengthen and promote indigenous
languages caught the attention of the international scene when the
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO,
proclaimed February 21st as the International Mother Language Day. The
Day is set aside to celebrate all the languages spoken all over the
world with the aim of promoting the right of people to use indigenous
languages otherwise known as mother-tongue, as means of encouraging
integration in all aspects of public life, particularly in education.</p>
<p>About the same time also in Harare, Zimbabwe, African leaders, having
observed the declining interest in indigenous languages across the
continent, met and restated their commitment to seriously take positive
steps towards raising the status and usage of indigenous languages.</p>
<p>Corroborating the position of the UNESCO and Harare declaration, the
Lagos State Government in February this year signed the Yoruba Language
Preservation and Preservation Law making it compulsory for all primary
and secondary schools – private or public – in the state to include
teaching of Yoruba Language as a core subject at all levels. The law
states that candidates seeking admission into all tertiary institutions
in the State must henceforth possess credit in Yoruba Language.</p>
<p>This new legislation by the Lagos State Government is in line with
the dictate of the national policy on education and a contrast to the
current practice among private school owners who offer international
curricular and teach languages of other countries like Germany, France,
Turkey and the rest as substitute to the various Nigerian indigenous
languages.</p>
<p>In this same direction the Lagos State House of Assembly in
demonstration of its support to the promotion and preservation of the
Yoruba language, now holds its legislative sessions in Yoruba language
every Thursday.</p>
<p>This decision by the State Government, stems out of the belief that
the promotion of the Yoruba language should be exemplified by the
legislative arm of the State and that the development would not have any
adverse effect on the academic performances of school children but
would instead strengthens cooperation among people and contribute to the
attainment of quality education for all.</p>
<p>In addition to this, education scholars have also argued that
children can learn over seven languages at their formative years and any
child who does not understand any concept in his/her mother tongue may
find it challenging to understand it in any other languages.</p>
<p>Perhaps, the most important aspect of promoting the Yoruba language
is that the promotion of the language consciously or unconsciously
translates to the promotion of the culture of the speakers, their
customs and the dignity of respect which the speakers are known for.</p>
<p>In other word, when children are taught the language they will also
be exposed to the societal customs and the way of life of the speakers
and this goes a long way in instilling morals thereby engendering a
cultured society and disciplined individuals who have respect for
elders.</p>
<p>As rightly posited by a former President of South Africa, Nelson
Mandela, “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”. Our indigenous languages play a complementary role in our
ability to understand and interpret scenarios even in other languages.
Linguists believe that promoting indigenous languages will facilitate
the fulfillment of national development as it is the case with most
developed countries of the world.</p>
<p>Lagos State, being a cosmopolitan society, a home to everyone
including expatriates is naturally prone to the western life style and
if stringent efforts are not made, the culture of its indigenous
dwellers would go into extinction in no distant future.</p>
<p>In complementing this bold step taken by the State Government, more
responsibilities lies on parents to ensure the promotion of the Yoruba
language is sustained by ensuring that they communicate and relate with
their children mainly in their mother tongues.</p>
<p>On a broader perspective and for a universal result in the
educational sector, there is need for the formulation of a comprehensive
national language policy that takes into account the use of indigenous
languages in education.</p>
<p>It is high time we realized that when a language is lost, the people
who experience the loss continue to live in the shadow of other peoples’
identity and culture. More attention should be on the preservation of
the Yoruba language for the upcoming generation in order not to sell out
the Yorùbá culture totally or use it as a surrogate to a foreign
culture.</p>
<p>Also, parents need to go back to the tradition of storytelling to
teach morals and cultural values; they should speak Yorùbá language to
their children and encourage the children to do the same thereby
enhancing their knowledge and confidence in the language.</p>
<p>Members of the public should desist from seeing these foreign
languages as a status conferrer at the detriment of our valuable
indigenous languages and also know that preserving these languages from
extinction is the responsibility of all Nigerians.</p>
<p><strong>Afuwape, is of the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja</strong></p>
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<br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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