Most African Indigenous Languages are on the Brink of becoming Extinct by 2100
Culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original peoples are defined as indigenous. Among indigenous peoples are the Mayas, Lakota, Pygmies of Central Africa, the Maasai tribe from East Africa, the Berbers of Northern Africa, etc. Indigenous peoples can be found on every continent and, globally, account for 6% of the world’s population. In total, they are custodians and speakers of more than 4000 out of 7000 languages spoken in the world. However, indications reveal that most indigenous languages are mostly endangered and are on the brink of becoming extinct by 2100. 3,045 languages are endangered as of 2022, which is 42.5% of all living languages. The Rights of Indigenous Peoples On December 18, 2019, the General Assembly (GA) of the United Nations adopted a resolution on the “Rights of Indigenous Peoples” during its 74th session. The year 2019 was declared by the UN as the International Year of Indigenous languages, which preceded the proclamation of 2022-2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL), with UNESCO as the lead UN Agency. Despite being the embodiment of cultural diversity, indigenous peoples are mostly marginalized, facing extreme poverty, suffering human rights violations, and living in constant fear of losing their cultures and languages as a result of factors such as increased globalisation, urbanisation, and migration, among many others. UNESCO, in light of IDIL, seeks to draw the world’s attention to indigenous languages and establish the urgent need to preserve and promote these languages by building a global community that revitalises and supports indigenous languages worldwide. To achieve the goal of IDIL 2022-2032 a Global Action Plan was developed for all individuals, governments, institutions, and stakeholders. In order to contribute to your quota, join the IDIL 2022-2032 global community. The State of African Indigenous Languages Language is the ultimate embodiment of our diverse cultures and identities. History, customs, and traditions are preserved through languages. Africa is known to be the most linguistically endowed continent in the world, as it accounts for one-third of world languages. The globally accredited and most authoritative inventory of world languages, Ethnologue in its 25th edition (2022) records a total of 7,151 living languages globally, with Africa recording 2158 living languages, with detailed categorisation into Institutional: 195, Developing: 581, Vigorous:859, In trouble: 396, Dying: 127. Extinct/Dead languages are characterised by having no native speakers and no native descendants, and an endangered/in trouble language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use as a result of having few speakers. UNESCO categorises language endangerment into four. These are: Vulnerable – most children speak the language, but it may be restricted to certain domains (e.g., home) Definitely endangered – children no longer learn the language as a “mother tongue” in the home. Severely endangered – language is spoken by grandparents and older generations; while the younger generation may understand it, they do not speak it to children or among themselves. Critically endangered – the youngest speakers are grandparents and older, and they speak the language partially and infrequently. Extinct – there are no speakers left. Despite the rich linguistic diversity the continent is endowed with, it cannot vaunt much about its languages owing to the many phases of colonisation it was subdued to, where the indigenous languages were sacrificed on the altar of the coloniser’s languages, which were used and are still used as a medium of instruction when the European colonisers in Africa introduced formal education. The dismemberment of the African continent as a result of colonisation is defined by Ngugi Wa Thiongo as ‘‘an act of absolute social engineering; the continent’s dismemberment was simultaneously the foundation, fuel, and consequence of Europe’s capitalist modernity.” The colonisation of a people’s language is to colonise their minds and the knowledge and history carried in that language. Ngugi further established in an interview that it is “self- enslavement if you know all the languages of this world but not your mother tongue. On the contrary, if you excellently know your mother tongue and add the rest of the languages of this world, that is empowerment. ” As Africans, we seem to overlook certain actions and inactions that endanger our native languages. First, most Africans (especially the youth of Africa) do not feel proud speaking their mother tongue and feel more empowered and educated speaking foreign languages. Second, the speaking of African languages in African schools is prohibited. On the notion that proficiency in the colonisers is essential in becoming successful. Third, African governments conduct their operations in foreign languages other than their native languages. Lastly, I personally find it extremely sad that, amidst the myriads of African languages (2158); the continental body- the African Union, which consists of 55 member states—has only one African language as an official language. The AU has six official languages, namely; English, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, andKiswahili. This begs the following questions; What is the African Union’s effort in preserving the numerous languages of its people? Why would the continental body that oversees the wellbeing of its members have only one African language as an official language? All of the problems stated above keep us in constant self-inflicted bondage. Conclusion The path towards empowerment is first and foremost embracing our native languages as Africans; for they are a conservatory of our culture and heritage. In it lies who we are, where we come from, what defines us, and why we exist, which in turn defines where we are going and how far we go. You might also want to explore this article that talks about “4 critical reasons why every African should know their native language now and practical ways to promote African languages.”
5 Tips to get your child to love and speak your mother tongue
Nowadays, quite a number of Ivorian parents whose children were born in capital cities are worried about their children’s inability to speak their native languages. It is quite common now to see children who cannot even have a simple conversation in their dialect, while it is a critical way of preserving their culture and identity as a people. While some African children only understand and cannot speak, a number of Ivorian children or youth neither understand nor speak their mother tongue. The only language they can understand or speak is French. This is sad as Ivory Coast’s rich culture from 78 local languages and history may get eroded when children cannot converse in their mother tongue. It also means that they are unable to transfer this heritage to their children and grandchildren. This would gradually result in a decrease in the number of local language speakers, which, in the long run, would cause some languages to go extinct. If you are one of the parents who are worried that your child cannot speak your mother tongue, then the following 5 tips might be useful to you. TIP 1: Speak frequently to your child in your dialect As parents, you must make an effort to teach and speak your native language to and around your children as much as possible at home. Speaking to your child in your native language must be introduced at an early stage of your child’s development. Research shows that children learn languages more easily and faster than grown-ups. As a matter of fact, it will be of great value to introduce your dialect to your child when he/she is a toddler, whether you reside in an urban city or not. To be effective, conversing with your children in your native language must be consistent. As they grow up, you, as a parent, should keep on encouraging them to greet and communicate in your native language and teach them the importance of their native language. When you talk to them in your native language, let them know that they can only reply in that language. This reminds me of my late maternal grandmother. When she was still alive, and we were younger, our parents used to send us – my siblings and I—on vacation to her home. I remember her telling us to talk to her only in our native language, since her French level of expression was low. Even though we initially perceived it as a ‘laboring task’, we are now reaping the benefits of that constraint, since today I can proudly speak Tagbana, my native language from the northern part of Ivory Coast. TIP 2: Take your children to the village To help your children understand their mother tongue, they need to be immersed in your culture. Hence, during the vacation period, take them to your hometown to visit grandparents and other relatives who live there. It will help them both improve their speaking skills and discover their culture. “Many of the children born and brought up in the city do not know where their hometown is. A language is easier to learn and speak when the learner visits the place where it is spoken. Total immersion for a couple of weeks can have an amazing effect”. During their stay, grandparents and other family members will tell them cultural folk tales in the local dialect. They may not understand everything now, but with time, this will not only develop their vocabulary and oral skills, but also inculcate cultural values in them. TIP 3: Encourage them to watch cartoons in your local dialect One of the most practical ways for your child to learn and speak your native language is to encourage them to watch TV shows or cartoons in your dialect. Parents can provide their children with cartoons in their native language to watch. This will help them acquire new vocabulary. You will be surprised at how much your child will learn by watching television programs and cartoons. After watching, you can ask your child to tell you what they understood from the story. This will make them practice speaking. From there, you can start introducing them gradually to music in your mother tongue. Here are a few links to cartoons in Kiswahili, Zulu, Chichewa, Hausa, Kinyarwanda, Xhosa. TIP 4: Teach them how to read in your native language Books are the most effective tool for learning a language. Get some story books with lots of illustrations in your native language and read them with your children. Providing children access to reading materials in their mother tongue is also essential for developing their reading and writing skills. However, few African local languages have been used so far in children’ books as confirmed by Christian Elongué in this piece. Thus, this tip is reserved for parents and children who are able to find books in their native languages. Examples of such languages are Amharic, Sesotho, Sisulu, Hausa, Yoruba, and Ewe, among others. Introduce your children early to reading in your native language and encourage them as they practice speaking. TIP 5: Hire a nanny that speaks your native language Last but by no means least, hiring a nanny who can speak your native language can help your children speak their mother tongue. Parents are usually far from their homes because of work and leave their children with nannies. In the case where the nanny speaks your native language, your children can continue learning the language with the nanny in your absence. Encourage your nanny to only speak your dialect to your child. Over the years, you will be amazed at how much your child has improved. In a nutshell, language learning is a continuous process that occurs during childhood. Speaking our country’s official language is good and multiplies our chances to make it in today’s business world. However, there is a need for us to take the speaking of our local languages seriously, including passing it on to our children, as it is key to
