WORLDPEACE:

Me and you are not talking about the same thing. When you learned oral English in secondary school, all the pronunciation you learned was based on British or American English, not Nigerian.

I think you are mixing this up with spelling. When I went to secondary school none of my teachers ever made a distinction for purposes of teaching between American or British pronunciation, they did for spelling however.

I love the accent of Nigerian women, big turn on.

I see nothing wrong in children learning to speak standard English with the accent ( RP - Received Pronunciation ). I'd pay for my kid to speak standard English too if my kids were in Nigeria, and weren't speaking standard English. I know some people here will disagree with me and it's fine if you do but truth is there are lots and lots of words we pronounce wrongly in Nigeria. This anomaly is as a result of the decay in our education sector. The likes of Prof Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and a host of other globally recognised prolific writers and speakers all spoke standard English even before venturing overseas because back in the days the standard of education was very high. It's imperative that we bring back that standard. It's also imperative that students learn to speak standard English so they can communicate effectively with their peers in the West and the world at large.

chukxie:
I see nothing wrong in children learning to speak standard English with the accent ( RP - Received Pronunciation ). I'd pay for my kid to speak standard English too if my kids were in Nigeria, and weren't speaking standard English. I know some people here will disagree with me and it's fine if you do but truth is there are lots and lots of words we pronounce wrongly in Nigeria. This anomaly is as a result of the decay in our education sector. The likes of Prof Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and a host of other globally recognised prolific writers and speakers all spoke standard English even before venturing overseas because back in the days the standard of education was very high. It's imperative that we bring back that standard. It's also imperative that students learn to speak standard English so they can communicate effectively with their peers in the West and the world at large.

I agree with you.
Nothing wrong with speaking good English at all.
It's their choices. The kids might still know how to speak Pidgin, Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa too. No need getting mad here!

Sarang:


I agree with you.
Nothing wrong with speaking good English at all.
It's their choices. The kids might still know how to speak Pidgin, Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa too. No need getting mad here!

Tell them ooo. Did you notice the e-punches being exchanged on this thread ? I tire ooo!

chukxie:
I see nothing wrong in children learning to speak standard English with the accent ( RP - Received Pronunciation ). I'd pay for my kid to speak standard English too if my kids were in Nigeria, and weren't speaking standard English. I know some people here will disagree with me and it's fine if you do but truth is there are lots and lots of words we pronounce wrongly in Nigeria. This anomaly is as a result of the decay in our education sector. The likes of Prof Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and a host of other globally recognised prolific writers and speakers all spoke standard English even before venturing overseas because back in the days the standard of education was very high. It's imperative that we bring back that standard. It's also imperative that students learn to speak standard English so they can communicate effectively with their peers in the West and the world at large.

I think people mistake cadence for accent. We Nigerians have a peculiar cadence in our speech patterns. I did decided to change my cadence when speaking and it totally changed the way I sound even though I did nothing to my accent. Parents should not be worrying about accents but about pronunciation, enunciation (cadence) and grammar.

LordReed:


I think people mistake cadence for accent. We Nigerians have a peculiar cadence in our speech patterns. I did decided to change my cadence when speaking and it totally changed the way I sound even though I did nothing to my accent. Parents should not be worrying about accents but about pronunciation, enunciation (cadence) and grammar.

Well said.

Hmmmm.... I'm honestly not too sure what to say about this... the reason I find this topic so interesting however is that it, to me, does show a bit of what you could call inferiority complex. What I believe the actions of these parents show is the lack of pride in their own culture, their own accent, their own purely Nigerian heritage. I agree with many on here that if you want to speak proper English, well, just know how to speak proper English! That doesn't mean changing your accent to fit what your perception of formal or proper may be. It just means that you simply have to master grammar and all that, no matter your accent.

jhubril:


Do you care to read?

An 'Illiterate Aboki ' wrote this:

Dear Lunkhead,
It is still a very valid point of argument that you lack a proper understanding of when and how to use the word " School'. Kindly take note of the following points :
1. The word ' school ' is not a verb . It is grammatically wrong to say : I SCHOOLED in Harvard. From whom did you learn that 'school ' is a verb in this context? SMH
2. The word 'school' applies basically as the COLLECTIVE for FISH when it is understood that they swim together. That's why you could say : A SCHOOL OF FISH. Got this?
When & How To Verbalise the word "SCHOOL".
Gerunds come to mind. When you add 'ing' to a verb it does not merely become a noun except when properly used to do what nouns do.
ING.
1. SCHOOLING the new horses is time consuming ( How does this sound? Incorrect? Hell no ! It is absolutely correct.
The word 'school ' is used as a noun by adding 'ing'. So avoid this pitfall!
2. I SCHOOLED myself to be compassionate. ( I have deliberately used the word 'school ' as a verb to mean that I taught myself the virtue of compassion)
Education is in a state of infirmity in this country.

Ok, jihadist. If my grammar is incorrect, correct me now or shut up.

I wonder why you keep pleasing your slave masters to sound educated.

WORLDPEACE:

It is not inferiority complex. If a person is learning Yoruba, should they be speaking it in Tiv accent?
If you speak English, you should speak in British accent-Queens English specifically.
Everything is not inferiority complex.

You're a first class zombie

LordReed:


I think you are mixing this up with spelling. When I went to secondary school none of my teachers ever made a distinction for purposes of teaching between American or British pronunciation, they did for spelling however.

Your teachers were incompetent. I hope for their sakes that it was you who did not pay attention, though.

Example:

Schedule

Amer. |ˈskedʒuːl|




Brit. |ˈʃɛdjuːl|

As you can see, Americans pronounce the first syllable in the word as 'Ske' while Brittons pronounce it as 'She'.
There are many more words that they pronounce differently.
So you must choose between American or British because you can't be mixing them up. And you can't speak Nigerian English because there is no such thing. It has not been standardized.

WORLDPEACE:


Your teachers were incompetent. I hope for their sakes that it was you who did not pay attention, though.

Example:

Schedule

Amer. |ˈskedʒuːl|




Brit. |ˈʃɛdjuːl|

As you can see, Americans pronounce the first syllable in the word as 'Ske' while Brittons pronounce it as 'She'.
There are many more words that they pronounce differently.
So you must choose between American or British because you can't be mixing them up. And you can't speak Nigerian English because there is no such thing. It has not been standardized.

I didn't write that my teachers did not teach us to pronounce words in a particular system, British in my case since our education is based on the British system. I wrote that they did not for the purpose of teaching distinguish between the two, there is a difference. They did distinguish spelling differences though.

LordReed:


I didn't write that my teachers did not teach us to pronounce words in a particular system, British in my case since our education is based on the British system. I wrote that they did not for the purpose of teaching distinguish between the two, there is a difference. They did distinguish spelling differences though.

The purpose of teaching oral English in secondary school is to make those distinctions.Our educational system is poor. Oral English should be thought from primary school.
My point in this whole thing is that what parents in Abuja are paying extra for should be normal part of our education.

I will agree that if anyone wants to speak proper English you need to learn the right pronunciations. That aside,it doesn't have to come coated with the British accent. As Nigerians we can speak our mother tongues and English languages flawlessy without coating the other if we know the balance. Something South Africans have a problem with. Little wonder you have the likes of Chiwetel Ejiofor,David Oyelowo,Raz Adeoti,Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje to name a few of the British theatre trained Nigerians in high demand in Hollywood because they can switch accents easily as voice actors.

In rap music,dancing and entertainment we are good at mimicing what we hear or see take MI,Vector Da Viper,Jesse Jagz,Olamide(when he wants spit normal rap lines),Kaffy the list goes on.

I noticed when i was 11 after watching Dstv since age 6. I could mimic anything i hear on TV regardless of the accent or someone said or sang. It was cool i spoke well and all that but i had it at back of my mind to speak my main and local dialects as well to find balance because i felt i wouldn't have an identity. I mimic the US,UK,SA,AU,Indian,Mexican accents speaking English to catch fun,which help me for skits and vlogging.

Pidgin English is a blessing and fills my soul with joy speaking as i'm part Niger Delta and related to Edo/Delta folks who made it solid in university rolling with them. No wonder when i was in Asaba and Warri later on in life for a few months,people found it hard i was Lagos bred because my pidgin was strong as theirs. Though my mother meant well by not wanting it to spoil i and siblings' English,i spoke it when i wasn't in the house and went to play.

To think an awareness campaign for a seasoning brand in public,my mother didn't do so well because of her too polished pidgin. Chei,omo we make fun of our maale for haus no time. Instead make ask us to teach am,she go think say she oversabi...error.

I worked for a 1year 4months in a creative agency from the UK that had a training facility for interior and graphic design. The UK tutors taught via video conferencing for their first few lectures then came to Nigeria. One was even from Slovakia with that Russian like accent but she was happy with herself still getting employed in the same UK these parents are going gaga about. You see how ironic it is about this issue. Something that started out with good intentions has become another tool to oppress one another just because they are richer. Really common amongst us black folks sadly.

No matter how good you speak,they will always see us as 2nd rate citizens because we are black and after what they can gain off every individual. Trump's administration is a reminder that racism and white supremacy is alive and kicking in the US. Obama being part white helped him get in there also,had he been all black when i'm not so sure.

I went to see Black Panther the movie yesterday and it was awesome. A reminder to always remember where you are from. I'm proudly African anytime anyday. Black women helped NASA astronauts land on the moon. Go watch Hidden Figures if you can. Most of the inventions i thought were created by white folks were actually done by black people all this while even mailboxes. The cradle of life and knowledge is from Africa that's part of why even with our meagre resources we have survived though it could have been better if our ancestors didn't sell us out for rum,gin and mirrors whereas in most cases,violently overtaken by colonizers from Europe. The white people used their missionary incursions to Africa to study,colonize and eventually take over the land up until independence.

Some folks feel inferior because they are black. I don't blame them it has been the systematic agenda of the powers that be that white is good and black is bad even to clothing.

Africa is a phenomenon to the western world even as they have plundered her,taken her resources to build their civilizations for centuries till now and wonder how we haven't still not blown ourselves off to bits with wars they help to start to distract and plunder some countries like Congo. Some of the things in Tarzan were true events about the diamond trade by Belgium or so.

African-Americans are reconnecting with their roots while we over here are trying to ditch ours. We grew up knowing our identities yet we scoff at it and ignore it as old school. Our brothers and sisters in diaspora have to use DNA to trace their ancestry to know where they are really from.

A person with no identity other than a copied one is of no use on both sides of the divide. I will have that kind of money but my kids will know the truth like i have and be comfortable speaking as themselves...#QED

DerrickM:
I will agree that if anyone wants to speak proper English you need to learn the right pronunciations. That aside,it doesn't have to come coated with the British accent. As Nigerians we can speak our mother tongues and English languages flawlessy without coating the other if we know the balance. Something South Africans have a problem with. Little wonder you have the likes of Chiwetel Ejiofor,David Oyelowo,Raz Adeoti,Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje to name a few of the British theatre trained Nigerians in high demand in Hollywood because they can switch accents easily as voice actors.

In rap music,dancing and entertainment we are good at mimicing what we hear or see take MI,Vector Da Viper,Jesse Jagz,Olamide(when he wants spit normal rap lines),Kaffy the list goes on.

I noticed when i was 11 after watching Dstv since age 6. I could mimic anything i hear on TV regardless of the accent or someone said or sang. It was cool i spoke well and all that but i had it at back of my mind to speak my main and local dialects as well to find balance because i felt i wouldn't have an identity. I mimic the US,UK,SA,AU,Indian,Mexican accents speaking English to catch fun,which help me for skits and vlogging.

Pidgin English is a blessing and fills my soul with joy speaking as i'm part Niger Delta and related to Edo/Delta folks who made it solid in university rolling with them. No wonder when i was in Asaba and Warri later on in life for a few months,people found it hard i was Lagos bred because my pidgin was strong as theirs. Though my mother meant well by not wanting it to spoil i and siblings' English,i spoke it when i wasn't in the house and went to play.

To think an awareness campaign for a seasoning brand in public,my mother didn't do so well because of her too polished pidgin. Chei,omo we make fun of our maale for haus no time. Instead make ask us to teach am,she go think say she oversabi...error.

I worked for a 1year 4months in a creative agency from the UK that had a training facility for interior and graphic design. The UK tutors taught via video conferencing for their first few lectures then came to Nigeria. One was even from Slovakia with that Russian like accent but she was happy with herself still getting employed in the same UK these parents are going gaga about. You see how ironic it is about this issue. Something that started out with good intentions has become another tool to oppress one another just because they are richer. Really common amongst us black folks sadly.

No matter how good you speak,they will always see us as 2nd rate citizens because we are black and after what they can gain off every individual. Trump's administration is a reminder that racism and white supremacy is alive and kicking in the US. Obama being part white helped him get in there also,had he been all black when i'm not so sure.

I went to see Black Panther the movie yesterday and it was awesome. A reminder to always remember where you are from. I'm proudly African anytime anyday. Black women helped NASA astronauts land on the moon. Go watch Hidden Figures if you can. Most of the inventions i thought were created by white folks were actually done by black people all this while even mailboxes. The cradle of life and knowledge is from Africa that's part of why even with our meagre resources we have survived though it could have been better if our ancestors didn't sell us out for rum,gin and mirrors whereas in most cases,violently overtaken by colonizers from Europe. The white people used their missionary incursions to Africa to study,colonize and eventually take over the land up until independence.

Some folks feel inferior because they are black. I don't blame them it has been the systematic agenda of the powers that be that white is good and black is bad even to clothing.

Africa is a phenomenon to the western world even as they have plundered her,taken her resources to build their civilizations for centuries till now and wonder how we haven't still not blown ourselves off to bits with wars they help to start to distract and plunder some countries like Congo. Some of the things in Tarzan were true events about the diamond trade by Belgium or so.

African-Americans are reconnecting with their roots while we over here are trying to ditch ours. We grew up knowing our identities yet we scoff at it and ignore it as old school. Our brothers and sisters in diaspora have to use DNA to trace their ancestry to know where they are really from.

A person with no identity other than a copied one is of no use on both sides of the divide. I will have that kind of money but my kids will know the truth like i have and be comfortable speaking as themselves...#QED

Delusions destroyed clouded your reasoning

Really?!!

It's you that has had delusions destroy your thinking because you are dumbass who couldn't construct a single sentence correctly even though there's a modify button to help your life on Nairaland.

I'm not meant to think like you or see things on the same page as you yet you reply with your ignorance and unnecessary insult trying to make no point. Who the hell do you think you are?!!A freaking "know it all" on a public forum,keep your shit to yourself.

jhubril:



Delusions destroyed clouded your reasoning

WORLDPEACE:

The purpose of teaching oral English in secondary school is to make those distinctions.Our educational system is poor. Oral English should be thought from primary school.
My point in this whole thing is that what parents in Abuja are paying extra for should be normal part of our education.

You are correct, I distinctly remember being disappointed in the level of seriousness oral English was given in Secondary school. It was only when SSCE was close before we started getting more serious oral instruction sessions. Indeed oral instruction should be taken seriously from primary school.

thesicilian:
They have money to waste. What they don't understand is, even if you are born and bred in Britain the British still can never take you as one of their own as long as you have a different skin color.

Help me tell them .........
Why try so hard to learn a wicked colonists language and ditch your own.
Those facist looking British That left eu so as to reduce African migrant population

DerrickM:
Really?!!

It's you that has had delusions destroy your thinking because you are dumbass who couldn't construct a single sentence correctly even though there's a modify button to help your life on Nairaland.

I'm not meant to think like you or see things on the same page as you yet you reply with your ignorance and unnecessary insult trying to make no point. Who the hell do you think you are?!!A freaking "know it all" on a public forum,keep your shit to yourself.

Will it be an omission to ignore a mad man who keeps washing his palms to remove a dirt that is not there?

Oh very well indeed I wrote an incorrect sentence which can be reworded . But to what extent does that make me less intelligent than you? You're ignorant of your ignorance. Just read your balderdash up there!

Awww...thanks,what a compliment coming from a "lunatic" who is mannerless and lacks approach. I don't give two fingers about your intelligence because you don't matter and neither does your freaking opinion. So stuff it up your throat.

I wrote it and there's nothing you can do about it,dimwit. You are a fool who doesn't know he is foolish. Why should i read something i already did?!!Pointless crap,get a life,loser and find somewhere else to pour out your frustrations.

jhubril:


Will it be an omission to ignore a mad man who keeps washing his palms to remove a dirt that is not there?

Oh very well indeed I wrote an incorrect sentence which can be reworded . But to what extent does that make me less intelligent than you? You're ignorant of your ignorance. Just read your balderdash up there!

DerrickM:
Awww...thanks,what a compliment coming from a "lunatic" who is mannerless and lacks approach. I don't give two fingers about your intelligence because you don't matter and neither does your freaking opinion. So stuff it up your throat.

I wrote it and there's nothing you can do about it,dimwit. You are a fool who doesn't know he is foolish. Why should i read something i already did?!!Pointless crap,get a life,loser and find somewhere else to pour out your frustrations.

DerrickM:
Awww...thanks,what a compliment coming from a "lunatic" who is mannerless and lacks approach. I don't give two fingers about your intelligence because you don't matter and neither does your freaking opinion. So stuff it up your throat.

I wrote it and there's nothing you can do about it,dimwit. You are a fool who doesn't know he is foolish. Why should i read something i already did?!!Pointless crap,get a life,loser and find somewhere else to pour out your frustrations.

Stop wailing .

Really?!!Find a pillow to cry on,wuss.

jhubril:



Stop wailing .

DerrickM:
Really?!!Find a pillow to cry on,wuss.

DerrickM:
Really?!!Find a pillow to cry on,wuss.

thesicilian:
They have money to waste. What they don't understand is, even if you are born and bred in Britain the British still can never take you as one of their own as long as you have a different skin color.

between Britons and Americans, who are the worst racist?

Undoubtedly , One needs to learn the right pronunciation of words in the British way with lots of practicing which could be done by searching for Tofadefama on Instagram.