BY NGOZI SAMS
July 20, 2010 12:41AM
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The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chukwuemeka Wogu, has said a recent report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) that the Igbo language might become extinct in the next 50 years is worrisome and calls for prompt attention.

Mr. Wogu, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan, stated this in an address at the second International Conference on the Extinction of the Igbo language in Owerri, Imo State.

“Until the shocking revelation that Igbo language may go into extinction in the next 50 years, most of us had thought that [the] Igbo language enjoyed a high level of scholarship,” he said.

Mr. Wogu blamed parents for downplaying the language and called on stakeholders to look inwards for solutions.

“I am of the view that neither the school system nor the Diaspora factor is responsible for this problem, for if they were, other major Nigerian languages would be suffering the same fate. That this is not the case tells the Igbo to look inwards for the solution,” he said.

“[The] Igbo language may be getting extinct because the Igbo family stopped speaking to their children in their mother tongue.”

He also called on other Nigerian groups to emulate the efforts of the Igbo to preserve their language.

“I therefore call on all other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria to emulate ‘Ndi Igbo’ in demonstrating the urgent need to preserve and safeguard her language. We must not let our native languages die.”


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EzeUche, better go and find one Chinekwu chick and start saving the Igbo language

This is bull.
In the Eastern part of Nigeria, the language spoken is Igbo. You'll rarely hear English. Yeah, many Igbos living outside the East - Lagos, Abroad, etc, can't always speak it, I'm not one of those and I'm happy But last time I checked, many of these people are learning, like my cousins. I don't think the trend is getting worse.

Of course a language that is not developing will inevitably die out and be replaced by the world language english,chinese might come later.Lanaguage extinction is one of the attributes of a lost culture and surppressed intuitive mental development.

the sooner the better.

redsun:

Of course a language that is not developing will inevitably die out and be replaced by the world language english,chinese might come later.Lanaguage extinction is one of the attributes of a lost culture and surppressed intuitive mental development.

Chinese for where? Who else but Chinese ppl and Foreigners that work in China speaks Chinese?

chiogo:

This is bull.
In the Eastern part of Nigeria, the language spoken is Igbo. You'll rarely hear English. Yeah, many Igbos living outside the East - Lagos, Abroad, etc, can't always speak it, I'm not one of those and I'm happy   But last time I checked, many of these people are learning, like my cousins. I don't think the trend is getting worse.

sharrap and go create Igbo babies so you can teach them Igbo    

But on a serious note, I wonder how this research was conducted.

Ileke-IdI:

sharrap and go create Igbo babies so you can teach them Igbo    

Don't worry, I'll make sure of that.

Ileke-IdI:

But on a serious note, I wonder how this research was conducted.

Yea, I also wonder. Naija people and research, I laugh in Cantonese.

@poster, the Yoruba language is also facing extinction. Deny it to your own peril.

ode remo:

the sooner the better.

why do you say so

I am getting tired of all this

Ileke-IdI:

Chinese for where? Who else but Chinese ppl and Foreigners that work in China speaks Chinese?

Language comes with power,superiority and influences.The need to speak others language instead of yours comes with essentiality,not a matter of choice.

If chinese become the world power in the near future,definitely the rest of the especially africans who are always at the background will be forced to speak their language to be able to communicate with them in the quest for survival.

I converse in my mother tongue daily. You rarely hear English being spoken only Igbo!

Even the Ijaws and Ibibios speak Igbo so I don't understand why there is all this nonsense about the language dying.

Maybe it is those Igbos in Lagos who can't speak their language.

We must save our African languages

ode remo:

the sooner the better.

Chineke kpokwa gi oku!

See the language is still alive through me.

redsun:

Language comes with power,superiority and influences.The need to speak others language instead of yours comes with essentiality,not a matter of choice.

If chinese become the world power in the near future,definitely the rest of the especially africans who are always at the background will be forced to speak their language to be able to communicate with them in the quest for survival.

I'll say Spanish has a better chance after English.

Most people don't even know a word in Chinese besides when people make up non-existent words that sound like how the language sounds to the ear. It's really not that common, in America anyway besides among Asians.

If we are going to save our language we have to develop with,use it for scientific,social and cultural endeavours.If not it just going to die out slowly like it is doing now.

Chinese is a hard language to learn! Trust me. I thought I was good with languages until I tried learning Chinese.

A paragraph could be made out of one word!

Shi shi shi shi! Shi shi shi shi. . . Shi shi shi shi shi shi. Shi shi shi shi shi. Shi Shi Shi Shi Shi Shi Shi Shi! Off of one word! Could mean different things. Igbo is a tonal language but not that complex like Mandarin Chinese.

chiogo:

I'll say Spanish has a better chance after English.

Most people don't even know a word in Chinese besides when people make up non-existent words that sound like how the language sounds to the ear. It's really not that common, in America anyway besides among Asians.

I think spanish has being,it is on it way out,just like portuguese.Chinese as bad as i may sound will soon colonize the world with way things are going.

That is why we need our own countries!

If there was a Biafra, Igbo would only be spoken except for English. Just like Twi is popular among Ghanaians besides English, we would be using Igbo.

The Yoruba could have their own Oduduwa Republic where Yoruba would be the official language. Hausa is actually easy to learn for people, and that is why they don't have a problem. It is like the Lingua Franca in Northern Nigeria, Mali, Ghana, Burkina Faso.

EzeUche:

Chinese is a hard language to learn! Trust me. I thought I was good with languages until I tried learning Chinese.

A paragraph could be made out of one word!

Shi shi s]hi shi! Shi shi shi shi. . . Shi shi shi shi shi shi. Shi shi shi shi shi. Shi Shi Shi Shi Shi Shi Shi Shi! Off of one word! Could mean different things. Igbo is a tonal language but not that complex like Mandarin Chinese.

Andre Uweh:

@poster, the Yoruba language is also facing extinction. Deny it to your own peril.

ROTFLMAO!!!! WDH does that have to do with my thread?

EzeUche:

That is why we need our own countries!

If there was a Biafra, Igbo would only be spoken except for English. Just like Twi is popular among Ghanaians besides English, we would be using Igbo.

The Yoruba could have their own Oduduwa Republic where Yoruba would be the official language. Hausa is actually easy to learn for people, and that is why they don't have a problem. It is like the Lingua Franca in Northern Nigeria, Mali, Ghana, Burkina Faso.

Very true.Language is a great unifying factor

redsun:

Very true.Language is a great unifying factor

lol how when each "countries" have their own different language? What is it unifying?

redsun:

I think spanish has being,it is on it way out,just like portuguese.Chinese as bad as i may sound will soon colonize the world with way things are going.

Hmm, highly doubt it. Maybe even French  

EzeUche:

That is why we need our own countries!

If there was a Biafra, Igbo would only be spoken except for English. Just like Twi is popular among Ghanaians besides English, we would be using Igbo.

Yea right. And what about the massive amount of Igbo people abroad? Are you going to force them to come live in Biafra and learn the language? Let's be honest here, Lagos or no Lagos, they coulda learned the language but the parents just chose not to teach them.

Ileke-IdI:

lol how when each "countries" have their own different language? What is it unifying?

We will teach our children both Yoruba and Igbo so don't worry.  

Any language that is not used as a language of taught in schools and for learning will eventually die out no matter how you romanticize about the language.

redsun:

Language comes with power,superiority and influences.The need to speak others language instead of yours comes with essentiality,not a matter of choice.

If chinese become the world power in the near future,definitely the rest of the especially africans who are always at the background will be forced to speak their language to be able to communicate with them in the quest for survival.

If. . . .even so, English would still be the global language. Chinese is not coming anywhere.

asha 80:

Any language that is not used as a language of taught in schools and for learning will eventually die out no matter how you romanticize about the language.

Did you read the article at all?

aisha2:

I am getting tired of all this

sorry, suga plums.

EzeUche:

We will teach our children both Yoruba and Igbo so don't worry.  

Yea, thatz gonna happen. lol

Hausa is not a lingua franca in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana.
Hausa is a lingua franca only in Niger Republic.

chiogo:


Yea right. And what about the massive amount of Igbo people abroad? Are you going to force them to come live in Biafra and learn the language? Let's be honest here, Lagos or no Lagos, they coulda learned the language but the parents just chose not to teach them.

I am talking about having our own nation so we can preserve our language. If we had our own country, our language would be the dominant language and the minority groups can keep their language, but also learn Igbo. Plus we have to get rid of these different Igbo dialects.

I blame the parents though. My own cousins who were raised in the States can't speak Igbo. But another one of my cousins who was raised in Britain can speak it fluently.

Andre Uweh:

Hausa is not a lingua franca in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana.
Hausa is a lingua franca only in Niger Republic.

How are you going to tell me?

Go to Northern Ghana and Hausa is spoken. Go to Northern Togo and Hausa is spoken. Go to Burkina Faso and Hausa is spoken!

Why do you think BBC, has a Hausa section in its news besides Swahili.

Ileke-IdI:

Did you read the article at all?

sorry, suga plums.

Yea, thatz gonna happen. lol

I read the article an their nothing wrong with what i wrote

Ileke-IdI:



ROTFLMAO!!!! WDH does that have to do with my thread?

It is the faith of every colonized culture that fail to find their bearing.

Ileke-IdI link=topic=482648.msg6421129#msg6421129

date=1279660024:

lol how when each "countries" have their own different language? What is it unifying?

I mean a unifying factor for a country in the sense that it can be use as a lingua franca in all spheres of life that everybody can tune into.