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.
