ChinenyeN on: Today at 08:21:58 PM:
I would recommend that Igbo youth learn their own lects first, but that's just me.

of coz, but they don't teach. so, i just learn the central igbo from my books/CDs then ask my parents to translate phrases to their own.

for example, the book i have said good morning is "iboola chi" but when i told my mom, she didn't even know what i was saying.
my dad knew it, but said they don't use that particular phrase where he's from. but didn't bother to teach me how his pple say it

Good morning can also be ututu oma which literally translates the English meaning.
Ututu = Morning
Oma = Good

I've never used it though, we always just say "Good morning". Many Igbo words are never used by many Igbo people including my family, so I guess many Igbos especially those who did not live in their hometowns speak "Engligbo". It's all good though.

Ndewo . . .

Imelagi . . .

This where the free thinking nature of igbos shows its disadvantages.

Africhika, where's in Igboland is your family from? Many things said in central Igbo aren't said by many other groups (or at the very least, aren't said the same way). You can though get your parents to speak to you in their dialect by using some method of coercion. A lot of young people I know have done this. They kind of gave their parents an [inexplicit] ultimatum. I was one of them. I remember in my younger days, I didn't speak much Igbo, because my parents spoke more English to us than Igbo, but I spoke enough to speak certain words, phrases and sentences well (but not enough to carry on a conversation). So, as time went by, whenever my parents spoke English, I would always tell them (in my lect), "I don't understand".  Even though I did it jokingly, they overtime got the idea and now have almost entirely switched to speaking to me and all my siblings in Igbo. I can carry on lasting conversations in my lect now.

Even though "Ututu oma" is the contemporary way to say "Good morning", I still prefer the more traditional way.

asha 80:

This where the free thinking nature of igbos shows its disadvantages.

So true.

^anambra.
dad's from ogbaru local govt
mom's from awkuzu

ChinenyeN on: January 12, 2010, 06:06 AM:
So, as time went by, whenever my parents spoke English, I would always tell them (in my lect), "I don't understand".  Even though I did it jokingly, they overtime got the idea and now have almost entirely switched to speaking to me and all my siblings in Igbo. I can carry on lasting conversations in my lect now.

yes, i've tried to do the same

africhika:

^anambra.
dad's from ogbaru local govt
mom's from awkuzu

Oh wow, my mom's from there too.

[quote="africhika"]yes, I've tried to do the same[/quote]
You make it sound as if the method hasn't proved helpful in your situation. In that case then, I'd recommend consistently talking to and responding to your parents in your lect, to the best of your ability. Just, always keep responding to your parents in Igbo, as much as you know how. Also, pay attention to your parents whenever they speak to each other or to other Igbo, because a lot of what people learn to say is what they pick up, and not necessarily what their taught.

I do praise the courage and determination for all those who have expressed interest in learning Igbo language. It is never easy to learn a language as an adult but it is possible if you're very determined to do so. Like some have already mentioned here, the best way to learn is to spend time trying to communicate with fellow Igbos insisting they only speak the language to you. Before I left Nigeria about some years ago, it was a growing norm for some parents to speak only English to their children and I just find that very hard to understand. I don't think as a people we are very proud of our culture and  it is very sad because there is a lot we can be proud of. I feel sorry for the up and coming generation of Igbo young people because so many will grow up with an identity crisis. I'm doing my best to make sure my one year old son don't end up not able to speak the language because I know its value and significance.

chiogo:

Oh wow, my mom's from there too.

Won't see her/him in this thread again.

ezeagu:

Won't see her/him in this thread again.

What do you mean?

@ chiogo
cool! where in awkuzu?

africhika:

@ chiogo
cool! where in awkuzu?

Oh. The one I'm talking about is a village. It's in Idemili Local Govt.

prince_onx: You call someone's language another language? Anyway, all I know is that regardless of where you're born, you can still speak your language as long as you want to and ofcox people arround you speaking it.
I didn't mostly blame the poster but his parents, and most of we Igbos in general.
I don't know if some families do it to feel special or what but we Igbos got work to do with teaching our kids not only our language but our culture as well.

We're talking of kids raised in english!, I know some people (girls especially) that I knew when they got off the plane here in US that hardly speak Igbo anymore! one told me that she's losing it because she don't really speak it everyday and she's been here only about 4yrs and about 26yrs old! how do you explain that?

Bottom line, where you're born don't matter. I can accept that the people you grew up arround didnt speak it to you but telling me its because you were born in manfee is no reason. I'm glad you pointed the Yorubas as example.

I get u but i was born in abia state but i grew up in eurrope. i understand igbo perfectly but speaking it is a bit hard

We call them "ala wu otu" in lagos; most of them are from Imo,Delta...They speak pigin and yoruba but cant speak their mothers tongues. Very shameless bunch and they think speaking pigin and yoruba makes them cool. We call them ALA WU OTU because they never go home and doesnt have the Igbo traits!

stillwater:

You must be kidding me. Language is not the only factor to determine where one comes from. A baby born of Igbo parents cannot speak the language yet, would you say he's not fit to be Igbo? It's this kind of attitude that discourages people from actually learning.

Hunn these people are either young adults or adults. They are not babies so there is no excuse. Some of these that dont want to learn think they are to cute for their culture or think that their culture is primitive but yet worship other peoples culture knowingly or unknowingly while they spit on the face of theirs.

stillwater: I can't speak Igbo.

atulu mulu ebunu gba aka nwa...tufia

adabeke12:

Hunn these people are either young adults or adults. They are not babies so there is no excuse. Some of these that dont want to learn think they are to cute for their culture or think that their culture is primitive but yet worship other peoples culture knowingly or unknowingly while they spit on the face of theirs.

Adabekee,may your days be long.Imagine somebody saying "its this attitude that discourage ppl from learning'.No amount of attitude should stop you from learning your mothers tongue. Its weakness and inferiority complex. I grew up in lagos but that doesnt stop me from speaking Igbo and with pride. I thought myself how to write in Igbo thats why i couldnt write in standard form.

chiogo:
Oh. The one I'm talking about is a village. It's in Idemili Local Govt.

Awkuzu isnt in Idenmili lga,unless if you are talking about a village in an Idenmili town named Awkuzu. smh...abeg,try and find out wheere you from.

Odenigbo Aroli:

Adabekee,may your days be long.Imagine somebody saying "its this attitude that discourage ppl from learning'.No amount of attitude should stop you from learning your mothers tongue. Its weakness and inferiority complex. I grew up in lagos but that doesnt stop me from speaking Igbo and with pride. I thought myself how to write in Igbo thats why i couldnt write in standard form.

Dede ike agwulum maka ihe gbasara topic a. Onye choro I muta asusu igbo ga muta ya. When someone is in their late teens or even middle teen years and cant speak their native language they should asking theirselves why... And take it upon themselves to learn no matter what. Yes some parents arent helpful when it comes to this issue. Mines are no different. But as nwa omenala, nwa afor, I must speak igbo come rain or sun. It is very embarrasing to not speak my language or understand my culture and yet see someone else's more superior than mine. If you dont appreciate your culture who will? First igbo youth have to show that they are proud, I mean very proud of being an nwa afor. Most of these people speak other languages because they see it.as.compulsory in the 21st century, but dem no think say their own language important pass any other. odiegwu!!!

T

if I may cut in. have you all ever thought about where your souls are going to spend eternity?

hia! how will igbo not no ow to be speaking their lingua francua! me, i na-asu igbo ofuma ofuma ooh! I will teach una for small price ok, my igbo is not as good as my fantaatic english ok but i try for someone who lived in potakot where igbo ikweree deny their igboticity!

if I may cut in. have you all ever thought about where your souls are going to spend eternity?

they will go to hell for not being able to speak their native tongue. they must rot oo.

@romeo is very correct with the points he raised. although some find it offensive with the way he goes about it but then I think he is just been passionate about the topic and wants the poster to do something about it. I'm yoruba but I feel it is the duty of everyone to keep his or her identity and heritage. I will chip in this favorite quote . "IF A LANGUAGE DIES, SO DOES THE HUMAN SPIRIT. A PERSON WITHOUT A CULTURE WILL LOSE THEIR SELF RESPECT". I don't see this as an Igbo issue alone cos it affects almost all the tribes in Nigeria. Even the Hausas' are losing theirs to Arabic. We should never throw away our culture and language regardless of where we found ourself.

Bigfellas:
@romeo is very correct with the points he raised. although some find it offensive with the way he goes about it but then I think he is just been passionate about the topic and wants the poster to do something about it. I'm yoruba but I feel it is the duty of everyone to keep his or her identity and heritage. I will chip in this favorite quote . "IF A LANGUAGE DIES, SO DOES THE HUMAN SPIRIT. A PERSON WITHOUT A CULTURE WILL LOSE THEIR SELF RESPECT". I don't see this as an Igbo issue alone cos it affects almost all the tribes in Nigeria. Even the Hausas' are losing theirs to Arabic. We should never throw away our culture and language regardless of where we found ourself.

In Igbo the word culture is odinani, omenala, omenani - the traditional religion. Igbo language was designed for practicing odinani, so if odinani isn't being practiced the language becomes useless. Asusu Igbo was birthed by Odinani (Igbo culture) just as a tree without roots dies, people adopting akata religion and culture will begin speaking English or Hebrew or German or whatever.

Blame colonialism and neo-colonial mentality for this.

Even now, many Yoruba parents living and raising their kids in Yorubaland prefer to speak English to their children!

We in Southern Nigeria over rate English language as a measure of 'Success and enlightment'

In the North, Hausa-Fulani parents, even if they attended Imperial College, Cambridge or Harvard Universities will speak Hausa to their kids.

princeonx:
@ghettochyke and naija_diva:

You two are fooling yourself and I hope you don't mislead others in the poster's position.

Like I said before and I'm glad you're hearing it from other people too including someone born in London with mix parents! it's not an excuse not to understand your language (Igbo) because you were born in Lagos. People from Asia, middle east, South America, other parts of Africa give birth and raise their kids in all part of the world yet they speak/understand their native language. But for we Nigerians especially IGBOs will always find one excuse or the other why we don't understand our language!

Like Romeo said/ask who will teach the next Igbo generation the language if all of you keep giving one stupid reason or the other for not understanding?

Do you think an American, a Briton, or an Indian/asian  born in Nigeria will learn Igbo, yoruba, or hausa and leave their own native language be it English, Chinesse, or whatever? you think they'll leave that? I don't think so!

The poster admit he understand/speak yoruba, how do you explain that? he already know deep inside him that he is Igbo and need to understand that language.

@poster: you're doing very good at 70% just dey tear the thing as you fit! trust me you go get am well after all you no learn yoruba for one day and you didn't just perfectly start speaking yoruba so move on!

@naija_diva: follow follow no good! make your point and speak your own mind stops bouncing from one angle to the other.
One minute you jumped on me the next minute you said if he's parents are Igbos! no na Hausa them be! (I wonder what the f**k we were saying all this time) if his parents are igbos my yasss.

Bottom line:
where you're born (with igbo parents) is not an excuse or a reason for not speaking igbo! ask African/Americans how they feel for not knowing anything about their Origin, their culture, or language! sure you know what that mean.  

So Igbos (parents Oh, brothers Oh, sisters Oh, friends Oh whatever we need/have to extend our culture and language to our kids and generation regardless of where we're born, raised, or live! PERIOD.

I find it funny when people say they don't understand nor speak Igbo language especially the young generation. I grew up in an Hausa dominated area in Kaduna State but my parents made it compulsory that Igbo language should be the only language allowed in the house. Am fluent in both Igbo and Hausa languages and am proud of it. Your language is your identity and heritage. Igbo bu Igbo ekene mu unu...