By ‘DIPO ONABANJO
This piece is not about politics or its twin sister, economy. It’s not in memory of Hubert Ogunde, the doyen of Yoruba theatre whose stage play in that name caused some upset in the South West Nigeria during the Awolowo-Akintola political dispute that ignited crisis in the then Western Nigeria.
This is rather a warning about the Yoruba language, a language mostly spoken by the Yoruba tribal group in the South West Nigeria, a few West African countries like Togo and Benin Republic and in the Diaspora.
The concern here is that the language though admirable and dynamic which lends itself to easy use, is taking a back seat and may die if urgent actions are not taken.
Why, you may ask. Answer: neglect and nonchalance, bad policy/policies by government through its education ministry and related agencies. The first two above are quite related and border on attitude of users of Yoruba language, its scholars particularly teachers, and students/learners.
Some years in the teaching profession have taught me that most learners/students, even of Yoruba origin, are contemptuous of the subject which they feel is inferior to subjects like English language or the sciences.
Many of these students see Yoruba language as irrelevant to their chosen careers and life goals and such exhibit so much disaffection and disdain towards it. Although some who are good speakers of the language still feel it is unnecessary to know more about it or improve their writing of it.
The result is that most students find it difficult to write Yoruba in its pure autography which in fairness has been improved upon by Yoruba scholars over the years.
The students are unable to understand Yoruba idioms, proverbs or even read poems and other genres of its literature. Yet many of these students find it difficult to express themselves in English language, their preferred language, which is even not their mother tongue. Caught in a language quagmire, they find themselves unable to use words effectively and efficiently and therefore resort to aggressiveness and physical bullying , using their limbs, sometimes negatively, as alternative means of communication.
Perhaps unknown to many, this policy signposts additional death knell on indigenous languages in the country. This raises deep concern because the death of a language signifies the eventual death of a culture and the race attached to it.
This may be a cause of irrational violent expressions in the youth of nowadays who now constitute a “soro-soke” (speak louder) generation. Unable to soro-soke appropriately in their language of choice, they resort to violence. Provoke a dumb, and he sparks as he tries unsuccessfully to communicate!
Unfavourable attitude by students/learners of Yoruba language is sometimes a product of the same untoward attitude from the home where in most cases, parents speak (and write) English (sometimes adulterated) in the home. Some parents do this to show their social status as ‘learned men and women’ in the Western culture and its language.
Their children adopt this attitude and show a disdain for a local language which they see as irrelevant as they seek to climb the socio- economic ladder like their parents. Unknown to them, their indigenous language progressively dies.
Yet the situation becomes worse with government’s flip-flop policies on indigenous languages in schools. For instance, the Federal government has recently chosen English language as the preferred language to adopt in schools as against indigenous languages. The negative effect of this is the prevailing downgrading of indigenous languages like Yoruba in most schools in the country.
Check the schools. Yoruba language and its indigenous counterparts have been dropped as core subjects in secondary schools except for Art students.
Where I dwell, students and managers of schools appear quite happy with this policy which undermines the teaching and learning of indigenous languages in schools as most parents appear nonchalant preferring rather to murmur in their homes!
And the teachers of indigenous languages? Some, underrated and humiliated, or simply ignored, resign, lose their jobs or forced to teach other ‘superior’ languages.
Perhaps unknown to many, this policy signposts additional death knell on indigenous languages in the country. This raises deep concern because the death of a language signifies the eventual death of a culture and the race attached to it.
Why then this clarion call on the Yoruba to ‘ronu’ (think) in particular? By race or tribe, this is where I belong. I speak, write, hear and teach Yoruba language. I’m proud to do so and hope that something will be done to prevent the language from dying.
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