You agreed with Afam I shouldn't claim being Igbo, didn't you?

If that's what you think, then you must have misread/misunderstood what I wrote.

I do not think i have met any yoruba person born and brought up in nigeria that does not know how to speak yoruba. .There must be a reason for that.

asha 80:

I do not think i have met any yoruba person born and brought up in nigeria that does not know how to speak yoruba. .There must be a reason for that.

I have

I went to high school [in U.S.] with two Yoruba girls, I believe. One had somewhat of a Nigerian accent, the other had a more naturalized American accent (so I'm guessing she must have been in the U.S. for some time by then). Both of them spoke Yoruba like no man's business. The thing blew me away, I tell you.

@ibkaye

Be serious.

asha 80:

@ibkaye

Be serious.

Lol I am being serious

This one guy, born and bred there and yet could not speak the language, maybe a few words and sentences but that's all, I was appaulled to say the least.

But as for those who were born in nigeria but not bred there or were both born and bred in a foreign country, I think that some of them have somewhat of an excuse, sometimes it's not their fault and therefore if such is the case i think it is unfair to 'strip' someone of their tribe just because they can't speak their language.

ChinenyeN:

If that's what you think, then you must have misread/misunderstood what I wrote.

No I didn't. I'm not bad at comprehension, sorry.

@ibkaye

Did he give any reason why he could not speak it?

asha 80:

@ibkaye

Did he give any reason why he could not speak it?

Didn't bother to ask, but next time I see him, I'll ask.

stillwater:

No I didn't. I'm not bad at comprehension, sorry.

You might want to go back and reread everything I said from my first response on page 3. . .
or. . maybe I made a mistake and didn't use the right words to convey myself.
Either way, it doesn't matter. You can take your interpretation and go, if that's what you really think I meant.

Must you have the last word?

Is this about having the last word

Who said it was?

For me not learning Igbo was just it. It wasn't necessarily a choice but something I grew accustom to. We had to interest in learning the language. Yeah we understood it but learning it was just not something we were fond of. Does that make me any less Igbo then the next person, No.

Most africans that I knew who were born abroad didn't speak a word of their language. Just a select few. So you can't just throw it all on the Igbos.

I'm learning it now as a personal thing. I'm not trying to justify myself as more Igbo then my friends cause I could care less. I just want to learn for the sake of learning it.

@ poster i have been out of Nigeria for 13 years with my parents and my younger ones but we still speak ibo, my daughter even speaks ibo so its just a matter of FAMILY most parents teach there kids English forgeting the mother tongue.
So i sugggest it not something someone should be proud of that you are igbo and cant speak it. How many Americans cant speak American english, ? To me its just a MIND-SET THING

The parents are to blame in most cases. When you forbid your children from speaking "vernacular'' at home, the ''vernacular'' will fade away into oblivion. Some of the parents believe it is a sign of ''enlightenment'' or civilization, but I believe they are suffering from a very bizarre form of mental derangement.

It is never too late to learn though. If an oyibo woman married to an Igbo man can speak Igbo fluently (including the bush Awka dialect and **Osisi people's incoherent gibberish dialect ), I don't see why any Igbo (who was somewhat deprived of the opportunity by perhaps imbecilic parents) can't master the language.

grafikdon:

The parents are to blame in most cases. When you forbid your children from speaking "vernacular'' at home, the ''vernacular'' will fade away into oblivion. Some of the parents believe it is a sign of ''enlightenment'' or civilization, but I believe they are suffering from a very bizarre form of mental derangement.

It is never too late to learn though. If an oyibo woman married to an Igbo man can speak Igbo fluently ([b]including the bush Awka dialect and **Osisi people's incoherent gibberish dialect ;[/b]D ), I don't see why any Igbo (who was somewhat deprived of the opportunity by perhaps imbecilic parents) can't master the language.

ROFL.
You get dialect and you get the imirimious deep deep one
even the Igbo alphabets A B GB D no fit write am

I hear say na A B CH D now

**osisi:

ROFL.
You get dialect and you get the imirimious deep deep one

Unu ga-egbu mmadu ooo 

grafikdon:

The parents are to blame in most cases. When you forbid your children from speaking "vernacular'' at home, the ''vernacular'' will fade away into oblivion. Some of the parents believe it is a sign of ''enlightenment'' or civilization, but I believe they are suffering from a very bizarre form of mental derangement.

I've had a first-hand experience of this. My uncle fails to speak Igbo to his children here in port harcourt. When I discussed it with him, he doesn't consider it important. So what I've done is to resort to speaking only Igbo to them whenever I'm around and you know what? They are picking up greatly.

Culled from an email from Uwandiigbo yahoo groups

Folks:

Ndeewo nu.


As I hinted the class a while ago, I reviewed a copy of Maazi Amalinze Azih's "Igbo Lesson 1.1." I showed it to children that I teach Igbo two weeks ago. They had loads of fun and asked for encore! Their parents were so impressed by their smiles they asked for "copies" even before watching it. I told them it was not "for copy"; it is not a Nollywood movie or Igbo gospel CD people copy "anyhow." They wanted it anyway and anyhow. I ordered a few copies from Maazi Azih to pass on to them in June.

I now have enough copies for them and then some. If you are in the U.S., contact MOE at egbedaa@aol.com

For those who are new to the Igbo language, the CD is just what "onyenkuzi otaakara" (kindergarten teacher) ordered. It will give you the needed lift to tackle Igbo from ground zero. And for those struggling to teach their children the rudiments of Igbo, this is your answer. In one afternoon, they will make their first Igbo sentence and understand what they are saying. The presenter speaks clearly and deliberately slowly for children and beginners to follow. He even employed two computer characters, "Okorigwe" and "Mmokwugo" to help as teaching assistants. This cracks children up!

This version dwells on Igbo alphabets and takes on what he called "Special Igbo Letters." If nothing else, you will earn to pronounce "GB," "GW," "KP," "NY,"  etc. The rest of the ~ 40 minute lesson dwells on objects with "CH" letter. Oh, it carefully translates "nwanne" as sibling"!

"CHIKA na CHINEDU bu nwanne." 

Four things are worth mentioning.

1. The author/presenter included "C" (Seeee) as an Igbo alphabet. WRONG. There is no "C" among Igbo alphabets, even though there is "CH" -- something that compelled Prof. MJC Echeruo to propose the replacement of "CH with "C." It did not fly. I have brought this to the attention of the author, and he promises to consult more widely before Version 1.2 is put to bed later this year. 

2. The common mistake of not separating the pronoun "m" from proper nouns and verbs found its way into the production. For example: "Afam bu Chinelo" should be  "AFA   M   BU  CHINELO"; four words: My name is Chinelo.  Also, "Cherem" should be "CHERE M" (Wait for me.)
Then again, this is for children primarily and  for getting the "the hang" of Igbo, not for Igbo linguists and purists.

3. The author used ["Chukwu" or "Chineke"]  for "God." Children might think that God in Igbo is "Chukwu or Chineke" In future, he must settled for one term for one object. He could later supply other terms. There are probably 99 names for God in Igbo. We meet the reverse in "OCHE" -- which covers all sorts of sitting objects. "ACHICHA" also translats as "cookie" or "bread." Fair enough, the few the words that cover their Englsih vocabularly, the better.  Actually "oche" does not cover all sorts of chairs!   

4. The so-called "Special Igbo Letters" were separated from the main alphabet. That is so old school. This is one good thing Echeruo and Egemba did, besides the very difficult task of writing a dictionaries, of course! The alphabets should read as set in English, from whence we lifted the modern abichidi (Igbo alphabets)

This CD is VERY good for beginners; once mastered, the beginner can take off and build on what was offered living audio-video.
I recommend it.

If you want a copy, $10.00 will get it to you in USA. The project needs all the support it can get to further lower cost and even put it online. I have promised him Uwandiigbo support, if and when needed.



MOE
Ps. Read my review of our JAK's "unusual songbook" tomorrow at www.kwenu.com
Now that I have promised, I will be forced to deliver,  ouch!

I felt I should post this for the benefit of beginners. If you are in the U.S., you can contact MOE at egbedaa@aol.com.  BTW MOE is an authority in Igbo language. (www.kwenu.com)

@poster



y nah? pele sha

I just started a thread about Igbo classes in case anyone's interested.

Thread: https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-271704.0.html#msg3860080

Please my sisters i need Igbo teacher. I will pay anything to learn how to speak and write. At the moment i can only say few things in Igbo.Like "Ahuru m ngi na anya, ifunanya, Bia ka anyi mee , ihe na agu m" don't even know if i got it right. Any female teacher?

^Oh, I think you're trying to be funny good luck with that.

You guys should read this:

http://books.google.com/books?id=Vf-_V8DtPFIC&pg=RA1-PA82

ezeagu:

You guys should read this:

http://books.google.com/books?id=Vf-_V8DtPFIC&pg=RA1-PA82

Very interesting read.The article explains 2 things in my mind.

1.The seeming erosion of igbo language.

2.The problem of all igbos agreeing to 'central igbo'_{.I can now understand where sugabelle is coming from.}

Mercie88:

^Oh, I think you're trying to be funny good luck with that.

Will you teach me? It will be nice.

I would very much like to learn too. I'm Igbo and have just a passable knowledge of the lingo.

I was born and raised in the UK and my parents spoke to us in English when we were growing up so I only understand and speak a few Igbo words and phrases.

I blame my parents for not teaching me but I am rectifying that gradually learning more by myself.
I have been criticised by others for not speaking Igbo but i'm not learning for them i'm learning for myself. I think that

Igbos need to be more welcoming to those that are a stranger to the language. If someone tells you they cannot speak it, rather than passing judgement, why not offer them help or advice on how to learn? Also, don't assume that just because someone doesn't speak Igbo they don't care about their culture and know absolutely nothing about.

my parents told all my teachers to call me "sandra" instead of "chika."
they never ever spoke igbo to me and my siblings, but they speak it to each other.
i started telling my teachers to call me "chika" in high school and
i started buying Igbo language CDS& books (but they're diff. 4rm my parents dialect).

I would recommend that Igbo youth learn their own lects first, but that's just me.