I am a Yoruba girl, I was brought up in an English speaking home, I learnt how to understand the language but I later realized when I was grown that I could not speak it. I can speak it but not fluently and I have trouble articulating my words since it doesn't come naturally.

I want to ask if it is still possible to learn how to speak the language fluently since I am in my twenties and I have found that it is very essential for day to day activities. Suggestions on improving my fluency in Yoruba language are
welcome.

Thank you.

alecx:
I am a Yoruba girl, I was brought up in an English speaking home, I learnt how to understand the language but I later realized when I was grown that I could not speak it. I can speak it but not fluently and I have trouble articulating my words since it doesn't come naturally.

I want to ask if it is still possible to learn how to speak the language fluently since I am in my twenties and I have found that it is very essential for day to day activities. Suggestions on improving my fluency in Yoruba language are
welcome.

Thank you.

Where are you based? Do you have people around you who speak Yoruba fluently?

sonofthunder:

Where are you based? Do you have people around you who speak Yoruba fluently?

I'm based in Osun state, I have someone who can but rather chooses to speak English.

alecx:


I'm based in Osun state, I have someone who can but rather chooses to speak English.

That's good, I asked because of the suggestion I had in mind. One thing you can do is tell close friends/colleagues who speak fluently to regularly speak to you in Yoruba. Also, you'll need to make it a point of duty to regularly (and mindfully) respond in Yoruba. I notice that I personally prefer to speak in English but there are people around me who regularly speak in Yoruba (you can trust our people never to disappoint in this department) and I find that after three or four interactions, I start responding in Yoruba also. You may be laughed at initially due to your lack of fluency but that that will fade away over time. You can also follow movies or programs broadcasted in Yoruba and then you try to imitated phrases you typically would find challenging. You'll begin to flow well overtime.

sonofthunder:


That's good, I asked because of the suggestion I had in mind. One thing you can do is tell close friends/colleagues who speak fluently to regularly speak to you in Yoruba. Also, you'll need to make it a point of duty to regularly (and mindfully) respond in Yoruba. I notice that I personally prefer to speak in English but there are people around me who regularly speak in Yoruba (you can trust our people never to disappoint in this department) and I find that after three or four interactions, I start responding in Yoruba also. You may be laughed at initially due to your lack of fluency but that that will fade away over time. You can also follow movies or programs broadcasted in Yoruba and then you try to imitated phrases you typically would find challenging. You'll begin to flow well overtime.

Thank you very much for this suggestion, I appreciate it.

alecx:



Thank you very much for this suggestion, I appreciate it.

You are welcome.

alecx:
I am a Yoruba girl, I was brought up in an English speaking home, I learnt how to understand the language but I later realized when I was grown that I could not speak it. I can speak it but not fluently and I have trouble articulating my words since it doesn't come naturally.

I want to ask if it is still possible to learn how to speak the language fluently since I am in my twenties and I have found that it is very essential for day to day activities. Suggestions on improving my fluency in Yoruba language are
welcome.

Thank you.

Ah! You remind me of about 9/10 years ago when I started learning to speak Igbo as a final year student at UNN. I always understood Igbo and wrote perfectly (even having A1 in WAEC) but my speaking was very minimal, also being brought up in an English speaking home. I was very determined to perfect my speaking and put in dedicated effort into it. Back in my final year days at Nsukka, I started by pricing things with sellers in Igbo instead of in English as I would do previously. Then I gradually switched to Igbo or Engligbo rather with my friends I formerly spoke English with. Initially the accent was off and you could tell I was a learner. A few people would laugh at me but I ignored them and kept at it. Watching Igbo movies helped a lot. I improved greatly in about two years. I finished my NYSC and left for the United States for my masters and perfected over the years! It took me about 4/5 years to fully perfect my Igbo (similar to any Igbo or Yoruba child learning their language from infancy, it takes until a child is about 6 to 10 years to be fluent in their native language) and now I speak Igbo fluently like I was raised with it, even laced with Igbo proverbs and idioms. I can go for minutes speaking Igbo with barely English words. You’d never know I didn’t speak it as a child. Life is really all about determination.

Put the effort into speaking it. To learn any language you need to practice speaking it. Say you were to go to a French school to learn French, the tutor will emphasize on the speaking and pronunciation aspect of it. Reading it comes secondary.

Try converse more with d language dont mind making mistakes.We learn how 2 speak more by speaking.


btw, hop our up coming parent learn frm dis, try teach ur kids ur language

bigfrancis21:


Ah! You remind me of about 9/10 years ago when I started learning to speak Igbo as a final year student at UNN. I always understood Igbo and wrote perfectly (even having A1 in WAEC) but my speaking was very minimal, also being brought up in an English speaking home. I was very determined to perfect my speaking and put in dedicated effort into it. Back in my final year days at Nsukka, I started by pricing things with sellers in Igbo instead of in English as I would do previously. Then I gradually switched to Igbo or Engligbo rather with my friends I formerly spoke English with. Initially the accent was off and you could tell I was a learner. A few people would laugh at me but I ignored them and kept at it. Watching Igbo movies helped a lot. I improved greatly in about two years. I finished my NYSC and left for the United States for my masters and perfected over the years! It took me about 4/5 years to fully perfect my Igbo (similar to any Igbo or Yoruba child learning their language from infancy, it takes until a child is about 6 to 10 years to be fluent in their native language) and now I speak Igbo fluently like I was raised with it, even laced with Igbo proverbs and idioms. I can go for minutes speaking Igbo with barely English words. You’d never know I didn’t speak it as a child. Life is really all about determination.

Put the effort into speaking it. To learn any language you need to practice speaking it. Say you were to go to a French school to learn French, the tutor will emphasize on the speaking and pronunciation aspect of it. Reading it comes secondary.

Thank you for sharing your experience, it is inspiring. It's good to know that someone has also gone through what I am facing and came out successful. I'll keep on trying till I get it.

merieam16:
Try converse more with d language dont mind making mistakes.We learn how 2 speak more by speaking.


btw, hop our up coming parent learn frm dis, try teach ur kids ur language

Thanks.

Change your social class to those speaking yorurba

How can you have A1 in a language you barely know how to speak