THE IMMINENT DEATH OF AFRICAN LANGUAGES

A Professor of Linguistics once described language as a reservoir of culture. As a matter of fact, the ability to create and use language is the most distinctive feature of humans. Culture is transmitted through language and one of the fastest ways to showcase the beauty of a culture to the world is through language. No matter where you go, your cultural identity stays with you and the language you speak is part of that identity. Language is like an ambassador of culture and its ability to be representative of that culture highly depends on its frequent use and how well it is spoken, especially by the native speakers.

However, most African languages are in danger and at the risk of falling out of use. According to UNESCO estimates, there are 231 extinct languages in the world. Of these, 37 are from sub-Saharan Africa. For example, the Zeem language in Nigeria, Berakou in Chad, Kwadi in Angola and Kw’adza in Tanzania are said to be among many that have become extinct in the last decade. Nigeria and Cameroon have the highest number of critically endangered languages. (source: Ethnologue, a comprehensive reference work cataloging all of the world’s known living languages)

During the era of colonialism in Africa, the Americas and Asia, the colonial masters imposed their languages on the colonies. It was one of the strategies used by the colonial masters to ensure smooth cultural assimilation in these societies which made it easier for them to rule and exploit these colonies without language barriers or communication problems. Gradually, these alien languages gained their footing in these subjugated African cultures and became the official languages of these colonies to the detriment of the people's original languages that were spoken long before the Europeans invaded their lands. 

Although colonialism is now a foregone issue in Africa (well, I actually think it just took a new form), the colonial rulers left us with certain elements of their culture (like language) which are continually swallowing up African languages. People now speak in English and dread to even communicate in their mother tongue. Schools only provide students with texts written in English and French but do not see any value in teaching with Igbo in classes neither do they entertain the idea of including Hausa texts in their reading lists.

As a Yoruba man, Yoruba is my first language. It is the language of my ancestors and contrary to what 'they' make you believe, it is a UNIVERSAL language spoken in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Cuba, Brazil and several parts of West Africa, the Caribbean and South America. It is a tonal Niger-Congo language that is melodic to the ears and sweet on the tongue. Ibo, Hausa, Swahili, Efik, Twi, Xhosa, Zulu, Krio etc, are all beautiful African languages that are equally as rich and widely spoken as the colonial master's language. But the saddest part of it is that, even Africans are rarely appreciative of their culture.

The death of my language is now imminent. Many people of my age now dread to speak in Yoruba or even bother to understand it. I have friends whose spoken English is better than that of the Queen but they can't read, write or utter a single phrase in their native language. Yet, they still identify themselves as Yorubas. Our perception about these native languages is a ludicrous one and the warped mentality that accompanies the way we see them makes me boil with moderate fury.

These days, when you speak English very well, then you are articulate, intelligent and educated but when your fluency in Yoruba (or your native language) is better than the alien language that was imposed on you, then you are 'razz' (a slang for being unrefined) and probably an illiterate. However, the language you speak or your fluency in it (or lack of it) does not determine or diminish your level of intelligence or reasoning. My Chinese friend can't speak English very well but he is a genius in Mathematics and he is proud of his Mandarin. We ignorantly indulge in continuous devaluation of our rich culture while we water the alien one to blossom like a flower.

To make matters worse, some parents are also complicit to this endangerment of native languages. During the formative period, these parents encourage their children to speak English and could care less about teaching them how to speak in their native tongues. This is no different from stripping these children off their cultural identity. How can such kids cherish that facet of their culture when they grow up or even pass it down to generations to come?

The creative African writers must also share in this blame. I remember when I was in high school, I could only read English literature because the ones that were written in my native language were not preponderant. The ones we read were only used for academic purposes during the two-hour Yoruba classes that every student dreaded in those days. What if more prominent African writers wrote in their native languages?

I have nothing against the English language or any other alien one. If I did, then I wouldn't be blogging with it. It will also be foolish not to recognize the benefits attached to being able to speak more than one language or the barriers that are broken when one is adept at speaking English, French or Spanish. At the same time, we need to appreciate our native languages and celebrate every aspect of our culture in the most exhilarating way. African culture is like a marketable commodity that needs to be well sold if the rest of the world must buy and appreciate it and language is part of what makes it a quality product.

Our native languages shouldn't die just because we want to speak like the English do or sound like the French. Neglecting and undervaluing our cultural heritage is a huge mistake we will all live to regret in centuries to come. The death of any language is like burning a library, the knowledge of that culture will be reduced to smithereens.