Even though we were colonised by the British ;our culture and languages should not be in shambles.Imagine a full bread nigerian unable to speak his or her local dialect or language. It's always a sadenned story in our homes, children are never allowed to speak the indegenous language as it incure punishment on them.

Even youths of today, they prefer communicating in English to the older ones even they know they don't understand it. I find it difficult to read Yoruba novels as fast as I could read English novels and understand Yoruba news and sometimes prefer conversation in English as I could not understand most of the words.

Don't you think this is posing danger on our culture? No wonder level of morals has been reduced drastically. What do you think are the causes and consequences of this?

my sister that's globalisation for u. remember the only constant thing in life is change itself. inevitably languages will come and go. and Igbo language in Nigeria is the one dying most among the major languages. ever heard an Igboman make two complete sentences in Igbo back to back? there's always got to be some english in it.

i myself i'm Igbo. i understand the language very well but speaking it is a problem. such is common among many Igbo kids of today especially thos who didn't grow up in the East.

but still sha one can't run away from his culture. so i guess we youths should make more effort to learn/preserve our languages

Olaide, We are suffering from the same ailment as explained by you.
So, who will diagnose and possibly prescibe and treat us?
I am waiting for solution.

hehehe, I think it is very common occurence amongst those "Super-educated" homes. They (the parents) think they are too civilized to be speaking their native language with the kids. Well its really pathetic (No offense, if its applicable to you).

I call it Westernization of Nigerian homes. Losing ones identity in the name of so called Sophistication. I speak Yoruba fluently, although my accent, might be bad, but at least I speak it. And I love my language so much that I do not miss the opportunity of speaking it with anybody I meet, that is Yoruba, although they might reply with English to prove they are so called "High classed" or whatever. It is very common among Nigerians residing overseas. Although also common within Nigeria itself, which is very pathetic.

A lot of Nigerian parents today, do not speak their native language with their kids, I am kind of included somehow, but nevertheless I can be excused because it was spoken to me when I was a little kid.

Consequences? Westernized Nigeria. or should I say "EDUCATED". some people might agree to that.

The funny part is that when Nigerians now move abroad we suddenly recognise the value of our language!!

In UK most parents are trying hard so that thier children can speak yoruba!!

being in the UK makes me appreciate Yoruba and Pidgin 1000 times more, because you realise it is a unique part of your identity!

I have so many cousins who are jealous that they cannot flow with us in yoruba because they were born in the UK and did not learn it, so they now try and learn at an old age!
One of my cousins said that growing up he did not want to be identified as nigerian but now with the influx of nigerians and seeing them do well he is proud to be nigerian but now cannot join in speaking the lingo with them and it hurts him when he sees nigerians in his class mates and they are speaking in thier lingo and laughing he feels left out.

Parents in the UK have now been advised to speak Yoruba in the house and English outside as the best way to make our children bilingual and lots of them are trying hard.

In Nigeria I understand the need for a family to instill good english in thier children but it should not be done at the expense of the native language.
Both should be encouraged as both of them are rich languages, and the only reason we disrespect our native tongue is because it is common at home and you see it every where and think it has no value.
Well travel abroad and then you will know the value of it!

I believe that the world will be a better place when all of us can understand each other.

One of the reasons why India is becoming an Infotech superpower in the world today is because of their educational system's focus on the English language, the language of the Internet.. In Nigeria, we are fortunate to have that same focus. If you understand English, then the moment you are connected to the Internet, you can start exploring and learning. Because you already understand the language.

So I'm not bothered by this decline in the use of our native languages. In fact, if it is accompanied by an equivalent increase in our mastery of the English language, I'd say it's a positive development. I've held this view for years.

I could not disagree with you more!! India is where they are due to better technical infrastructure including constant power source and cheap labour.

Nigerians speak better english than Indians and that has not made anyone outsource to Nigeria! I work with people in India as my company CSC has outsourced a lot of work to them and we have major communication problems with them.

That last statement that I have put in bold is very worrying and comes from someone who does not know the value of what they have and will not until you lose it!

Now I understand why you are very anal in the way you edit certain words and phrases, you see the queen's english as some form of utopian communication. My friend you could not be more wrong!

No matter what we are not english and even if all of nigeria lose thier native langauge and start speaking english it will not make us english!

Look at Japan, France and Russia not one of these countries wants to be English speaking at the cost of thier own native tongue and in France they even have laws against naming things in English!

I don't understand. How is it going to affect our lives if we all stop speaking our native languages? Are we all going to die or what? English is the mostly accepted language around the world. Most of you Nigerians want to leave this country to explore, study, work and make money, and trust me, your native languages are next to useless outside Nigeria.

I think am going to disagree with Seun on this. If you look at the asian powers, ther reason they are growing is simple, INFRASTRUCTURES. No NEPA, no petrol shortage, no water shortage, and affordable labor. Nigeria has over 100 million people which is but one of the factors of production. Speaking english does not in anyway influence such decisions.

I live in the UK and I can tell you categorically, a lot of Oyinbo people, cant even spell or speak correct english. For example, the average Londoner would say: "That is your one" meaning that is yours. A primary school pupil in Lagos would never say that. This asians you say, cant speak a sentence in english properly. I work with several of them and communication is always a major problem with them.

Having said that, in a global village, it is definite that this would happen but I dont think it is so drastic that the Yoruba or Igbo or any other major language would die out. And in anycase what would be the way out, goverment legislaton? please the Govt has more their plate

Thank you my brother Jogego, you said it all. Language does not have any link with progress or developement. Japan, China or even France is a very good example.

When someone visits a westernised Nigeria (everybody wear t-shirts, jeans and suits) (everybody speaks english), how would that person differenciate it from any other western country, if we all share the same language or culture? where is the identity? Culture and diverse Identity is what makes the world a beautiful place to live.

I don't understand how I am wrong. Can I as an English speaker, outsource a project to a software development firm in China if their employees only speak Chinese?

I'm not such a big believer in cultural identity. Anything that makes me feel that I am different from my brother who is white or who speaks Hausa will eventually lead to racism and tribalism. I prefer to draw my identity from my individuality and humanity.

As long as the management or directors speak english what stops you from outsourcing to them? In any case, you are not going to deal directly with factory workers are you?Am sure as a provider of services and products, you want cheap quality imput that will maintain your quality and not cost the world. Rememeber, your customers have a choice, so if its too expensive, they wont buy.

We come from a multi-lingual country and we need a common language to unify us. English all the way people. Failing that, Wafi!

Seun:

....

I'm not such a big believer in cultural identity. Anything that makes me feel that I am different from my brother who is white or who speaks Hausa will eventually lead to racism and tribalism. I prefer to draw my identity from my individuality and humanity.

Cultural uniformity isn't really the answer against racism and tribalism. Ethnocentric and tribal behavior is 'natural' and was vital for our survival as a human race when we were still hunter-gatherers roaming the plains in groups of max. 50 people. We needed to band together for survival.

Now on the other hand, that 'natural', 'instinctal' behavior is not functional anymore in a modern society (and it has caused a lot of suffering in the last milennia), but the illusion that anyone of us cannot be affected by it is that, just an illusion. We should better try to positively express that than just ignoring it.
Anyone will know what repressing you instincts can cause, just look at the behavior of the Roman-catholic clergy

I, as a Belgian, Dutch Speaking, tend to find my language and cultural indentity important and I am secure in my identity, I don't need to be hostile against people of another background, on the contrary, I find their culture and indentity enriching (if not, I would never have married a Nigerian wife)

Being able to communicate in your mother tongue and at the same time being proficient in English are not mutually exclusive. If primary education were in the people's mother tongue, it would be much easier to learn English as a second language and be truly bilingual

Seun, in India, depending on the state, they study in various languages. some of them thier local languages, not english. and you dont need to know english to be a softwarre programmer. dont you see software coming out of france and japan?

I totally agree with olaide07, trae_z, Vieira, kazey and jogego. You all have spoken well.

i think the problem is from westernized parents who think the native languages are not important enough 2 be learnt by thier kids. its appaling that a native of a certain culture can not speak its language. Nigerians are fast losing thier identity and heritage.my thumbs up 4 those who know the right standard.

a lot of things has been so far about the decline of our mother tongue. I believe the ideas from people are equally great and worth noticing.

I believe that no one will want to change his/her identity just because of language. No one is saying that speaking english is bad. Indeed, it helps in so many ways and in so many areas of life. But tell me, "what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses is identity".

I am proud to be a Nigeria and forever i will be. My identity is important and I will preserve it the best way that I can.

Let us all not throw our identity away because we can communicate in exchange of it.

God bless Nigeria, God bless us all

Seun, in India, depending on the state, they study in various languages. some of them their local languages, not english. and you don't need to know english to be a softwarre programmer. don't you see software coming out of france and japan?

Yes, you are right. It is because a country like India has made itself relevant in the industry that they have to be always in the Picture. They started the whole I.T thing before America did. Ex: Win95 was to be officially released like 3/4 yrs earlier, but China said it wont buy it in English. So Microsoft, knowing the market it could loose had to bring in Chinese interpreters, and that was how things got off their hands a little. Now, China writes their own software, including Microsoft patches. Laptops sold in China dont come with WinXP in English. Even the mobile phone user interfaces, everything is in the different flavors of their languages. Why, they made themselves relevant. In fact, Ghana is writing its own microsoft products. The Arabic speaking countries are not left out.

With our mother tongue, what are we doing. Anyway, since computer science grads in Nigeria might still have to go for extra-mural "diplomas" in computer appreciation after graduation, tell me about Decline then.

At least we have made ourselves relevant in 419, thats why Nigeria is the prime test-center for ATM machines, because Nigerians will know a way around everything, thats an area of relevance too

Dose the language you speak change the person you are?
Are you trying to say that everything from the western world is Bad.?
Look I dont drink for example and nothing will make me start even if am sitting in a den of drinkers.
There are good and dad people every were and rude people too.
There is more to life than a "yes sir " system

The world over langauge is an identity. It is what brings the Arabs, Chinese, French, English and a whole lot more together. Even now there is a language conservation institution set up that rejuvenates the dying cultures of the world. It is an important thing to be identified as being original and not as copycats after all we're not English men or the likes.

The world over langauge is an identity. It is what brings the Arabs, Chinese, French, English and a whole lot more together. Even now there is a language conservation institution set up that rejuvenates the dying cultures of the world. It is an important thing to be identified as being original and not as copycats after all we're not English men or the likes.

The world over langauge is an identity. It is what brings the Arabs, Chinese, French, English and a whole lot more together. Even now there is a language conservation institution set up that rejuvenates the dying cultures of the world. It is an important thing to be identified as being original and not as copycats after all we're not English men or the likes.