Now since a Snapchat of mine has been brought to Twitter and has sparked a conversation in regards to language learning and one’s mother tongue. I’m here to explain exactly what I meant since I’ve seen very scattered interpretations.
As a Language and Lingustics student I can tell you that language doesn’t determine pride and identity - especially for those living in Britain. However, Kramsch and Widdowson study determined Language to be one of the most important factors in culture studies.
My main point stands that SOME (thank you to the big bro @ChairmanJ_ for the correction in word choice) Nigerians that I know - both in Nigeria and around Europe are becoming less and less able to have a decent command of their mother tongue.
My point never referred to one unifying language because this would wipe out individual cultures and there are too many tribes for this and personally I love that diversity.
There is obviously a room for the argument that schools in Nigeria are no longer teaching it, parents that have migrated focused on learning english and I don’t negate these experience but from my personal experience being brought up in 6 different countries (cont.)
Whilst having cousins, friends and families still living in Nigeria and being surrounded by their individual languages, I took it upon myself to start learning and used online resources to help. One could say it’s easier for me to pick up languages and I accept that (cont.)
However, I felt a certain way about the fact that in comparison to my extended family - I who was born in Nigeria and left at the age of 3 still had a better understanding of the language.
Now onto my comparison to Congo - Being surrounded in Manchester by many congolese friends I noticed a common thread: English, Lingala, French. This doesn’t represent all of them and this doesn’t make them more Congele than those that don’t but was definitely something I noticed.
And I’m very aware of the official language of Nigeria being English whilst this is not the case in Congo.
Anyway the whole point of the snap was to start a conversation on the topic as I can’t have this debate with lecturers so now that my opinion has been explained:
Anyway the whole point of the snap was to start a conversation on the topic as I can’t have this debate with lecturers so now that my opinion has been explained:
Let me know your thoughts
