With a pen and a piece of paper in my hands, I ask myself, ‘where is that identity which made us once proud of where we are from?’ A lot of questions, so many ellipses fill my pages. My vision stretches across horizons searching for a trace, a lost path, a fossil, to remind me how far we have sailed from the shores of our origin. All I hear are strange voices, lost tongues from a beautiful nation called Nigeria.
Mother Tongue
The origin of the term “mother tongue” goes back to the notion that the linguistic skills of a child are honed by the mother and, therefore, the language spoken by the mother would be the primary language of the child.
A first language (also native language, mother tongue, arterial language) is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity. In Nigeria, the terms native language, or mother tongue, refers to the language of one’s ethnic group rather than one’s first language. The first language of a child is part of their personal, social and cultural identity. Another impact of the first language is that it brings about the reflection and learning of successful social patterns of acting and speaking. It is basically responsible for differentiating the linguistic competence of acting.
To a person, his mother tongue is a “blessing in disguise”. It is not merely a time-table subject in his education but is forced upon him from all sides. It is learnt by both the direct or conscious and the indirect or unconscious method. The direct method supplements and regulates the knowledge gained by hearing. The mother tongue is an indispensable instrument for the development of the intellectual, moral and physical aspects of education. It is a subject thought and by which other subjects can be tackled, understood and communicated.
Mother Tongue in Nigeria
Who are we and from where have we come? This is a question that lacks viable answers in recent times. Overtime, there has been a decline in the norms and values, cultures and pertinent traditions that gave us our identity as Nigerians. We have, on the basis of westernization, lost the touch that gave credence to our existence. The use of our native languages in communication is gradually getting “unfashionable” as English (phonetically spoken for that matter) is now the order of the day. We live in a Nigeria where children don’t even know the states or local governments they come from, let alone their native languages. Parents are too busy (if they know at all) to sit with their children from time to time and tell them about their history, stories that ought to shape and give direction to their future.
National TV stations have replaced culture and national value oriented programmes for foreign ones. School curriculums no longer feature local languages like Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. There have being replaced by French and Spanish, all in the name of westernization. Our children do not bear ethnic names anymore. Most of them, as a matter of fact, are even ashamed of it. Funke, Ngozi and Mustapha have now been replaced by Brian, Anastasia and Shaniqua. How can this mishap be corrected?
It is said that once the cause is known, the solution is easier. We, as a matter of necessity, need to return to these parts from which we have veered off and erroneously traded on the grounds of westernization. It’s a national issue and all hands must be on deck to save our nation from a complete loss of identity. We can be selectively westernized but we must do all in our power to remain completely Nigerian. Our priorities have to be put in place; we all need to understand the term identity. Parents should take it upon themselves, it should be a clarion call for the nation. It starts with you.
The onus lies on every Nigerian to restore our identity. We have to, as trivial as it may seem, be more patriotic and have a higher sense of trust in our own. Parents should, as a matter of priority, educate their children on cultural values and Nigerian history. Schools should inculcate study of Nigerian affairs and major Nigerian languages in the curriculum. Youths and children should develop a habit of watching Nigerian news and reading newspapers as opposed to constant use of the internet.
Importance of Mother Tongue
1. The mother tongue is the language which the individual did not learn in a conscious manner but acquired in his growth process. It therefore moulds and forges his personality and worldview. Therefore he can only truly express his identity through that language. Moreover, for any message to have meaningful and lasting impact in the innermost part of his soul, it must be conveyed in the language that shapes his culture and worldview.
2. Mother tongue in education and learning has led researcher’s to conclude by saying, “children who begin their education in their mother tongue make a better start, and continue to perform better, than those for whom school starts with a new language”. (UNESCO).
3. Mother tongue development and preservation has both temporal and eternal values. It favours a sound educational development in children, thus laying the good foundation for intellectual and economic development. It gives a sense of identity to the human being in a globalised environment and lays a solid foundation for the intellectual and cognitive development of those who embrace it. Moreover, it preserves the dignity of each person created in the image of God and prepares for the advent of a multicultural kingdom of people from nations, tribes and tongues.
Let us, wholly, embrace our mother tongues. It is part of our history, our culture, and our identity.
Related
You might also like:
This article was first published on 23rd March 2012 and updated on April 16th, 2012 at 9:49 am
Comments (40)
cialis otc You should just call Xu Chenghan in the future
priligy buy Schout B, Meuleman EJ
buy cialis pro Molecular mechanisms that could contribute to prolonged effectiveness of PDE5 inhibitors to improve erectile function
cialis online ordering 6 on dapoxetine 60 mg, and 0
I have to study for my SAT s and I have NO time. clomid for sale 50 mg
Our external packaging is new Yay. nolvadex for sale uk
The mean high- to- median ratio was 2. can doxycycline treat uti
citalopram griseofulvin 500mg dosage The Justice Department on Tuesday sued to stop AmericanAirlines parent from combining with US Airways, saying theproposed tie up would reduce competition and hurt consumers byleading to higher airfares and fees lasix and calcium levels
Haywood lrUcMXMPAuuBh 6 17 2022 buy cialis online in usa
Новый сериал
stromectol kopen kruidvat When theyГў re out further, the debris is estimated to be too dispersed to form a planet as massive as Jupiter, because thereГў s just not enough stuff out there to accumulate
priligy canada 493, 739 reports
clomid nolvadex pct The drugs used for the management of side effects, along with their prices, are mentioned in the parameters shown in Table 1
Patients with metastatic dissemination face a very grim prognosis as available treatments are unable to eradicate the disease what is clomid 067 M phosphate buffer was first made by dissolving this drug through the aid of repeated 4 h periods of sonication over 5 days
The city was bathed in light as America celebrated the 237th anniversary of its independence stromectol who makes it
DeepLabCut DLC is a deep learning based tool initially invented for markerless pose estimation in mammals lasix and potassium levels Created on 7 18 2019
doxycycline side effects for dogs 2 fold when it was co administered with ketoconazole, a potent inhibitor of CYP3A4
Each lobe of the breast terminates in a major lactiferous duct 2 to 4 mm in diameter, which opens through a constricted orifice 0 ivermectin tablets buy Este es el mismo proceso que siguen la mayorГa de los medicamentos antihipertensivos2
Delayed Puberty it s no secret; in most all cases children have no business supplementing with anabolic androgenic steroids as such use can severely damage their fragile and developing androgen system; often irreversibly is propecia from budgetmedica real
what does lasix do to blood pressure The possibility that ADs may exhibit a bi phasic effect, whereby short term use and or low dose antidepressants may increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, warrants further investigation
Hi, my one year old schnoodle was recently put on a five day course of prednisone 1 2 tab morn and night for skin allergies is viagra for women E mail florian
reddit where buy priligy 5 hr IR; 3 8 hr ER
They re not as magical as they sound, says Noemie Elhadad, a biomedical informaticist at Columbia University side effects from viagra Because of the many terms to which we refer by acronym in this proposed rule, we are listing the acronyms used and their corresponding meanings in alphabetical order below
rogaine or propecia Spanish Collaborative Group on Male Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism
PubMed 20089221 soft tab cialis Exercise And Low Blood Sugar NM Crisis Line
lasix sulfa allergy I m getting bloodwork done in 2 3 weeks
People in the study took 420 mg of silymarin per day how much does clomid cost Disclosure This study was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health, the Italian Association for Cancer Research, and the Italian League Against Cancer
With the 2nd eye when I went in for my follow up the next morning I told them my eye was hurting effect before and after viagra 6 uric acid mg dl 5
His testosterone was actually normal, but further testing revealed SHBG was high due to genetics and not leaving him with a lot of Bioactive Testosterone is there a generic cialis available
What does this mean for you, if you re caring for aging parents or other older persons order clomid from india online ROC curve was conducted to assess sensitivity and specificity of this RRS on basis of selected LncRNAs
No one in my family has a history of breast cancer, or any cancer for that matter stromectol
After a while, the techniques to lower your blood pressure of the sea again, shook his how much does turmeric lower blood pressure on his face, and shouted loudly with a smile on his face non prescription cialis online pharmacy
Simultaneous permeation of tamoxifen and gamma linolenic acid across excised human skin cialis 40 mg
Loo starter Joe Kelly can match those numbers cheap cialis online pharmacy
and now is 2 months fuck yeah priligy premature ejaculation pills
Het gebruik van c17 alfa gealkyleerde steroГЇden wordt gewoonlijk beperkt tot 6 8 weken om de belasting van de lever niet te vergroten buy cialis without prescription F Microarray results were validated by RT PCR analysis
32 The high rate of RT we observed after BCS among patients with strong indications is encouraging, especially because this constitutes the majority of patients with breast cancer who have strong indications for RT buy cialis uk Malignant Hyperthermia in the Operating Room
Not exactly. The fact is that an online casino no deposit bonus is not ‘free’. Yes, you get extra money from the casino, but if you win, you will almost always have to make a deposit so that you can meet the wagering requirements before you withdraw. This way the casino ensures that it is getting some money out of the deal too. Disclaimer: This website is an informational site and should be used for informational purposes only. We pride ourselves on having the most up to date information but cannot guarantee 100% accuracy. Please check your local laws regarding online gambling to ensure that you are in compliance with the laws of your jurisdiction. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. A casino no-deposit bonus offer is a promotional offer at a casino website that provides money for free or credits in exchange for making no deposit. No deposit bonuses enable players to try out various games and enjoy them without putting their money at risk or making a deposit. Nevertheless, wagering conditions apply to no deposit bonuses.
https://ricardoeyph332198.59bloggers.com/18871928/bitcoin-casino-uk-national-lottery
The difference between us and all the other “handicappers” is we actually BET ON SPORTS. We don’t make our money charging ridiculous prices. We make our money winning bets. We believe in breaking bookies and spreading the wealth. We understand that everyone doesn’t have a huge bankroll so its impossible to pay someone hundreds a week fo Four more Welcome bonuses bring the total bonus chips for new players to $500. Let’s face it. Making your own picks is a horrible decision.You may win a couple plays here and there but ultimately you end up broke. There is a reason sports betting is a $300 Billion Dollar HoneyPot. Our only mission is to WIN and make sure our clients get their share of the pie. Or… Absorption: RTG RealTime Gaming Parting by: Curaçao Sesame Enter Montana Antilles Sept-25th 2015: A dread nail for Usa switches.
generic cialis 20mg Wilburn, USA 2022 04 30 13 46 08
Mega Moolah is quite a simple slot machine, especially by the standards of some of the new slots being released in 2019. The game is based on the African safari and there are five reels in total with up to 25 lines. On each of the five reels you will see symbols and some of these are in the form of animals. Mega Moolah is quite a simple slot machine, especially by the standards of some of the new slots being released in 2019. The game is based on the African safari and there are five reels in total with up to 25 lines. On each of the five reels you will see symbols and some of these are in the form of animals. © 2023 MegaMoolah.com. All material appearing on the MegaMoolah.com website is protected by EU copyright laws and is the property of MegaMoolah.com or the party credited as the provider of the content. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, display, perform, modify, create derivative works, transmit, or in any way exploit any of the content on this website.
https://fair-wiki.win/index.php?title=Bitcasino_mobile
Walking is an effective form of low-impact exercise. Along with burning calories, it’s a great way to relax, take in nature, or get out of the house after a tough day at the office. Examining the different aspects of Pacific Poker online poker network. PokerStars and the APPT invaded the Philippines this year, running a series of tournaments at Okada Manila. After a successful run around the APAC region, PokerStars now wants to try its hand in Cambodia. Situs agen slot terpercaya dan resmi Home → Biggest Online Slot Win Au In Denmark, 888poker was launched as a localized version in September 2015, after acquiring a license from the Gambling Authority. After launch, 888 Denmark manager in Denmark, Simon Ravn, said: “We have a slightly different approach to the Danish poker market than many of the other poker providers; we want to offer value to all our players, rather than focus on sign up bonuses and new customers”, adding that “people still want to play poker and we think we can offer a new, fresh experience with us”.