We were brought up speaking Yoruba at home though my mom was against it. According to her, my dad couldn't imagine raising a child that can't speak the native language. We learnt English in school and none of us has issues with accents etc more than a literate Yoruba has.

Now I have a 16 month old, I speak to her in Yoruba and her dad speaks to her in English (he's Yoruba but prefers she speaks English!) but like my dad, I can't imagine Yoruba language going into extinction. She seems to understand both and says words from both; her favourite Yoruba word being "kilode" meaning "What is it?" especially when you are trying to distract her. My take is, she will learn English in school, she has no choice.

My kids must learn both, but its my priority that they know how to speak my language, I can't forget the embarrassment I went through when I visited benin city about 8 years ago, I was speaking "bini" to my cousins, all they could do is to laugh and asked me repeat myself all over again, I couldn't take it anymore, we had to convert to pidgin (the fastest way of communicating in edo state) because I kept mixing bini, yoruba and english together and they got confused 100% and accused my mom of robbing us our heritage. I love bini language but still can't read or write bini lol

I am an AA female and the same discussions go on here in the US regarding use of slang and regional black venacular. During slavery, blacks were prohibited from speaking native languages and playing drums. No doubt the prohibition on language contributed greatly to the demise of African culture in America. My parents and grandparents were very well educated and spoke perfect English around us ask kids, but with friends in social settings, they spoke slang and southern black vernacular. I learned the bulk of these dialects from other kids @ school. My boyfriend is Yoruba and I told him I would only want him to speak Yoruba to me @ home. If we have kids, I would like us to speak Yoruba and English to them from birth. The mind is at it's optimum point for development and comprehension of languages during the early years.

Both are purely needed.

Kiswahili and english for me.

Concentrated IGBO with proverbs in between. English ko English ni, my name na Smith?

presido1:

Concentrated IGBO with proverbs in between. English ko English ni, my name na Smith?

Na only english we dey talk for house!!

@post

both. cos i would really want my children 2know their mother tongue

I dont remember anyone ever telling Nelson Mandela he has an accent.

Speak your native language to them

Speaks Mother tongue all the time.

English when those that cannot understand are present

father tongue at home/ cultural social gatherings

English outside

presido1:

Concentrated IGBO with proverbs in between. English ko English ni, my name na Smith?

Gbam !

both

Mixture.

Yoruba all the way,Infact i would want them to have Yoruba ascent.

I tend to prefer English as igbo seems to be an incomplete language eg:
chair ,sofa,cushion,deck chair,side stool,wheel chair,bench are all  OCHE  in igbo

I grew up in a a purely Yoruba state, my parents couldn't risk speaking Yoruba to me at home
She couldn't bear watching me pick up the Egbado-accent
I had to learn Yoruba after I'd already started thinking in Anglais . . . my Yoruba still sounds weird though

I never even learnt Ishan, her native language too . . . but nah, I don't regret it, I'm even planning to go on a Spanish intensive . . .
I speak the world's most important language without the h-factor . . .

Besides, we're not the only ones 'losing our culture' . . . where I come from, it's called globalisation.

eldee:

I grew up in a a purely Yoruba state, my parents couldn't risk speaking Yoruba to me at home
She couldn't bear watching me pick up the Egbado-accent
I had to learn Yoruba after I'd already started thinking in Anglais . . . my Yoruba still sounds weird though

I never even learnt Ishan, her native language too . . . but nah, I don't regret it, I'm even planning to go on a Spanish intensive . . .
I speak the world's most important language without the h-factor . . .

Besides, we're not the only ones 'losing our culture' . . . where I come from, it's called globalisation.

Typical black african response.

Both here. . .

asha 80:

[/b]

Typical black african response.

Yeah . . . at least I'm not a armchair analyst/controversy theorist like you lot

Because I don't speak Yoruba, the Americans will invade the country . . . bla, bla, bla

eldee:

I grew up in a a purely Yoruba state, my parents couldn't risk speaking Yoruba to me at home
She couldn't bear watching me pick up the Egbado-accent
I had to learn Yoruba after I'd already started thinking in Anglais . . . my Yoruba still sounds weird though

I never even learnt Ishan, her native language too . . . but nah, I don't regret it, I'm even planning to go on a Spanish intensive . . .
I speak the world's most important language without the h-factor . . .

Besides, we're not the only ones 'losing our culture' . . . where I come from, it's called globalisation.

Are u Yoruba or ishan? I think you are product of single parent. No insult meant.

hackney:

I tend to prefer English as igbo seems to be an incomplete language eg:
chair ,sofa,cushion,deck chair,side stool,wheel chair,bench are all OCHE in igbo

Since when did wheel chair become OCHE?

I speak many languages but i will never trade my Igbo language for anything. Like Presido said with Ilu and akpa ala okwu.

My kid is 3 years old now, I started by not giving her any English name. Her name is purely Igbo even though i am in Europe, she will grow to know where she came from apart from the Igbo i am teaching her she speaks English and Spanish

We should not allow what colonization did to our parents get to us, at a age where IT softwares are extensively being translated to many languages to preserve them is not the best time in my opinion to lose our local languages.

Imagine a scenario where a GPS gadget indicates the routes and warnings in our local Lingo!! even Oshodi bus drivers will enjoy it.

Our language is all we have today, let us preserve it.

Its good to start training a child how to speak English, its a lot better educationally, Learning mothers tongue is lot easier even when the child is growing.

i think parents should speak their native language so that their children learn their own language and also know their culture and heritage they can learn english in school becos if they dont learn frm a young age they wouldnt be able to learn it again like me were my parents speaks english to me at home and wherever, i dont mind them speakin english to me at home but still i would want to know my language. wat a shame!!

The reason why I believe most people wish to speak english is to feel among.

I must state this, what made me very strong, against all forms of peer pressure is my ability to stick be ME, one way or another I loved and still love speaking Yoruba, even in formal gatherings, that uniqueness in itself, gives me a ground to distinguish myself from the lot, and most importantly believe in myself.

No matter what, They need this language to know they are different from uncle smith, that way, they might find it as a source of strength to pull out from what they believe they do not represent.

As a Lagos boy, oh boy, you cannot do without your local language, in fact you are screwed,

What's this? Mother tongue or English? U guys make it sound like our kids' brains can hold only one! Come on, they can learn at least 2. Please parents, speak BOTH to ur kids! ah-ah! In a bid to make ur kid culture conscious, dont end up making him or her a limited retard. Use this formula:

                                    Mother tongue  +  English(at least) =complete child.

chikeobi:

Are u Yoruba or ishan? I think you are product of single parent. No insult meant.

None taken . . . but I think this is what happens when English is not introduced in the formative years of childhood.

I clearly noted that I grew up in a Yoruba state . . . and then I pointed out that my mum's native language is Ishan.
I don't think there's any line from the first poster that says I have to give out personal info on my private life to put forward my point of view.
It's Mother tongue Vs Lingua Franca not 'Tell the whole of the world where your parents are from'

I speak mostly igbo at home, unless it's a word that doesn't exist in igbo, which happens a lot as igbo is complicated, then I use english.

To answer the question, it's to each his/her own. I grew up speaking igbo at home, I'm not about to change.

g

chiogo:

I speak mostly igbo at home, unless it's a word that doesn't exist in igbo, which happens a lot as igbo is complicated, then I use english.

To answer the question, it's to each his/her own. I grew up speaking igbo at home, I'm not about to change.

nwanyioma suru igbo gi gawa.

@poster

Knowledge of both.

I speak igbo wherever i can and English where I cannot blow my Igbo. Who cares?

eni to so ile nu, o ti so apo iya ko, we should respect our language and teach our children so they will know there root, teni n teni ti akisa ni ti akitan , apa la ra igupa ni iye kan , our own is our own oooo, cheers