By Florence Amagiya & ADERONKE ADEYERI
Today, many indigenous languages have become endangered and would probably go into extinction if nothing is done to save the situation.   The young people who are supposed to champion the preservation of  the indigenous languages are mostly not in tune with their native dialects.

English language has become the language in many homes to the detriment of the indigenous language. Saturday Vanguard spoke with some young adults to find out their proficiencies in their mother tongue.

Sylvester Azubuike, a 16 year old, graduate from Okota Grammar School told Saturday Vanguard:

“I don’t speak my indigenous language because my parents didn’t speak the language to me while I was growing up. I know speaking my language very well would have helped me a lot and perhaps I would have had something to give to my own children in future.  My advice to other parents is to teach their children their indigenous language because it gives them identity.”

Children in cultural display

For Emmanuel Ndubuisi, sixteen-yr-old secondary school student:

“I understand my language enough, but l am happy l cannot speak it.  l don’t care about the language, after all there is English language to be spoken and l don’t plan to live in my village. But I think parents should teach their children their language .”

Chinenye Okoro thinks there is no big deal about learning the indigenous language.

“I don’t see why I should learn my mother tongue because I consider it out of vogue.”

Mrs. Sharon Richard says;  “I don’t even speak my mother tongue and so I cannot teach my children.  My  advice to parents is to teach their children their indigenous language in order to strengthen  the bond between people.  This is already lacking in Nigeria.

Seven-year-old Ebuka Arinze would love to speak his language because it would help in communicating with his extended family if they cannot speak English but he doesn’t understand the language.

According to Jeffery Jelome, a student,

“I understand my mum’s language more than my dad’s. My parents do not speak the same language. I think the major reason why parents are not able to teach their children their language is because most marriages these days are inter- tribal.

Mrs Tioluwani Ojigbo, a teacher says her refusal to speak her native language to her children is out of  fear  that the children may not grasp the standard English very well and this may affect them in school and even in future . Ojigbo is of the opinion that it is in the interest of her children that she is doing this. She went further to say, ‘’I want the best for them and I have to groom and secure their future by teaching them the official language very well’’

Regina Brenett  a student of the University of Lagos attributes her inability to speak her native language to the fact that her parents are not from the same ethnic community and so they speak English language in the house.

‘’ My father is from Cross River and my mother is from Edo state. They communicate in English.’’

For Ajayi Hannah, a 15-year old student, her parents are Yoruba.

‘’My father is from Awori, Lagos State and my mother is from Abeokuta,Ogun State. My siblings and I  speak Yoruba fluently because we were brought up with both Yoruba and English. There was a time when our  home teacher taught us that any other language apart from English language is vernacular, my parents went against this and said  ‘’we are proud of our language and culture and there is no reason for you not to understand it’’.

Lynda Ekwesile, a fresh graduate says she would ensure her children speak Igbo ‘’ My parents wanted me to study English and by so doing, did everything in their capacity to keep our native language out of my hearing. I am their only child and this only makes matters worse. It got to a point that if there was a visitor from the village or someone who could not speak good English,I will be sent to my room as if it was a disease I  should not catch.  I will ensure my children speakmy native language and it will be another medium of communication between us when I want to pass an information to them  I do not want others to know’.’