Cross Cultural Views about Understanding your Mother Tongue and Multiple Opportunities

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I missed many opportunities because I couldn't Speak the Yoruba Language.
Do you know how to speak your native language? What's the challenge or your experience in not being able to speak your mother tongue? Are your both parents from different ethnic groups or are they usually speaking English, Spanish or French in your home? Most persons are of the opinion that in Nigeria, one will find it very difficult to speak their mother tongue because of the acceptance of English as the lingual franca of the country.

How it Started
In 1900, Nigeria officially became a British colony and the colonizers forcefully made English as the lingual Franca in Nigeria. For you to get a job, you must speak English. This wasn't prevalent in English speaking colonies, the French also imposed the French language to their colonies. If the language of the colonizers becomes the official language of their colonies, what happens to the indigenous languages of the people. Meanwhile, only Nigeria has about 250 ethnic groups and more than 200 indigenous dialects. How come English overshadowed all these indigenous languages? The answer is neocolonialism. Even after colonialism and the attainment of Independence in 1960, Nigerian leaders couldn't restore the indigenous languages as their official language. If not all at least the three major languages: Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. What about these languages being taught in schools and colleges, most especially primary schools.

My Experience in Lagos
As a young guy from Rivers State, Nigeria, I entered Lagos to shuttle, anywhere you entered the Yoruba language is being spoken. It wasn't difficult to adapt to the Yoruba language, but the question I continued to ask myself is, what about my native language. The Yoruba people have preserved their language in a way that you can't be in the Southwest without speaking the Yoruba language, except you have ear rust. The Yoruba language is very in important for residents of Lagos. Although English is the lingual franca of Lagos, but markets and streets are actually the Yoruba language is predominant both at the market and streets.

Cultural Values of Language
A people is known by their geographical location as well as their language. Language is very important, for instance, formerly Nigeria was divided into three regions based on the predominance of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. The following are observed when a language is spoken:

• the people involved feels secured
• they have the sense of brotherhood
• you'll quickly identify Where they came from
• they'll feel they've better advantage to acquire something due to language.

The power of language can't be overemphasized. It's a force of unity and a force of irredentism. Any nation that has one language are usually united and development is inevitable. Learn how to speak your mother tongue, because it's a key to greater opportunities.