Some parents in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, have emphasised the significance of teaching native languages to children for their social development.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, at the weekend, they acknowledged initial failures in teaching their native languages but expressed willingness to revive their indigenous languages.
They noted that many languages and cultures were gradually going out of existence, and there was an urgent need to restore culture.
Mr Femi Ogunshola, a civil servant, said speaking native languages to children helped preserve culture and understand their way of life.
He admitted to initially failing to teach his children Yoruba but had since made efforts to speak the language to them.
“For me, I speak both Yoruba and English to my children; unfortunately, they understand the language but can hardly speak it.
“I see myself as a failure in that regard. Speaking your native language helps preserve and understand culture because language is an integral part of culture.
“Once you understand your language, you will undoubtedly understand the culture, which is a way of life”, he said.
Mrs Chioma Okpara, another civil servant, said some Nigerians were dropping their languages and cultures, embracing foreign cultures instead.
She emphasised the importance of speaking native languages to children, even in public, and expressed concern about parents being ashamed to do so.
“As an Igbo woman who married a Yoruba man, I always speak my language to my children because that’s how I was brought up.
“Although they understand the language very well, they’re still finding it difficult to speak it fluently – it’s still a work in progress since they’re still young.
“I believe that with time, they’ll speak it very well. I don’t speak English to my children, whether we’re at home or outside.
“I speak not just Igbo but my own dialect to them. I’m not ashamed of speaking my language wherever I find myself”, she said.
Also, Dr Olufunke Onaadepo, a senior lecturer, warned that the next generation might struggle to communicate in their indigenous languages due to parents prioritising Western languages.
“The next generation we’re raising won’t be able to communicate in our native languages.
“This is because most parents, particularly the elite, are raising children using Western languages.
“Many of us think we’re showing sophistication by doing so. Unfortunately, we’re gradually losing our culture. Personally, I realised this too late”, she said.
Other parents, including Mrs Ruth Hassan and Mrs Rabi Suleiman, shared their experiences and emphasised the importance of teaching native languages to children. NAN
