sonofthunder:


If I had seen this first, I doubt I would have responded to your mention.

LOL, I wanted to tell you to ignore him. I read what he wrote and shook my head.

uchefefe:
Hello!

For background, I was born to a Igbo father and a black American mother. I grew up in the U.S., and because my father didn't teach me anything about Nigeria, for the first part of my life I didn't even know I belonged to another culture. As I got a bit older I would question him about things pertaining to Nigeria; his response was "that's not important" or "don't ask such questions, focus on your book instead". At some point I asked him if he spoke another language. He confirmed that he did, but when I asked him to teach me he told me "no one speaks it, instead we just use English" and I accepted that answer.

I had a revelation one day in middle school when eating lunch with one of my friends. Like me she was born in the U.S., but had Chinese parents. We had gone to school together for nearly 10 years, so I was shocked when one day she picked up a phone call from her grandmother and spoke to her in fluent Chinese. When I questioned her on how she learned, she told me that her parents had been teaching her. That way, if she ever goes to China she won't struggle to communicate with her people, and if she chooses not to go she'll at least be able to talk with her grandparents that don't know English.

This impassioned me and that evening when my father came home from work I begged him to teach me Igbo, even though "no one speaks it". He agreed and taught me simple phrases like "kedu", "afa m bu", and "o di mma". The thing is, which it was nice to know these things I could not actually use them to communicate. I didn't understand Igbo grammar and my vocabulary was limited to basic greetings. When I began asking him the name of household items and chores he became angry with me. He told me I was focusing on Igbo and not my books (even though my grades were great), and that he'll punish me if I keep asking so I stopped.

Getting more so to the point, I'm now a graduate student in my early 20's. While I have tried my best to study Igbo, I have met many frustrations that have led me to investigate Hausa and Yoruba. At this point, it simply pains me that when I meet people from my country, I have no means of communicating with people from my country besides English. I plan on moving to Nigeria in the not-so-distant future, and when I go I want to be fluent is something.

Between the three major languages, the arguments I have for each are:

Igbo
As an Igbo person, it makes sense for me to prioritize my language. I don't want to just sit there confused and lost during family gatherings, I also want to be able to speak to my grandparents who don't understand English well. That's really the only positives of Igbo though, even excluding the past experiences mention above, I've over all become disheartened by the idea of learning the language for a variety of reasons.

Yoruba
One thing I like about Yoruba language is that Yoruba people seem to have put a lot of effort into developing it and teaching it. Most Nigerians I've met in the U.S. that speak a Nigerian language speak Yoruba, despite the fact that I've met mostly Igbo people. In addition, of Nigerians I've met also born in the U.S., only the Yoruba's are able to speak their language. Despite that, my family roots are in the South East. I may be able to speak with more Nigerians by learning Yoruba, but I'll still be disconnected from my family. Yoruba people might seem to have less of a "complex" when it comes to their language than Igbo people, but I have observed it's still there.

Hausa
I've only ever met one Hausa family in the U.S., but from what I've observed in Nigeria they seem to practice their language the most. In addition, it seems like Hausa is a lingua franca for most of the country, and many non-Hausas are fluent in the language. Hausa is one of the few sources I can find unadulterated practice of the language. It's also West Africa's most spoken indigenous languages. It still has the same problems a Yoruba though when it comes to connecting with my family. I also don't know how realistic it is to expect to live in the Northern Part of Nigeria as I have limited experience there.

Like I said, I want to move to Nigeria at some point and that's where I want to raise a family and start a career. When I have children I don't want them to grow up like me. I want them to be connected to their people and be able to communicate with them on a level no other group in the world can. I can tell my children to love and embrace African culture and languages when I know none myself.

I decided to come here for insight from other Nigerians as I have no one to talk to about this in real life. Given everything I've said what do you think I should do? At the end of the day I just want a sense connectivity and belonging among my people. I want to put my efforts into learning a language its speakers wholly embrace so I can pass it on to my children.

Also, I don't intend for this to be tribalistic at all. I would also appreciate if responses avoided tribalistic sentiments.

you don't need to move back to Nigeria to learn Igbo language or any language. you can make friends from Nigeria that can help you. if you don't mind send me a DM via this platform, so i can send you my Whatsapp number. I can teach you general igbo, you know igbo has different dialects. Anticipating your message. take care

fx45:
My friend you stated it clearly you're Yoruba. Stop trying to be clever by half

Lol..... Ignorant and dodgy.

Opiletool:


LOL, I wanted to tell you to ignore him. I read what he wrote and shook my head.

I blame myself, some fellows are simply looking for who would bare the weights of their frustrations on their behalf. Learnt my lesson.

Kennydoc:


Your wife may not feel comfortable if you're speaking Igbo to your sons and she's left out of whatever is being said. Apart from that, since you won't always be with the kids, how much can you really teach them when they will spend most of the growing time with their mum (talking about the commonest situation seen in most homes)?

I think this is African inferiority. Would the same wife be uncomfortable if the man spoke to his children in french?

Olu20090:


Smells like an Afonja unity beggar aka One Nigerian deceiving you. Biafrans, how could you people not sense this? My people why, SMH! I have known these people all my life, so I know when I read their post. This is a certified afonja! No sensible Igbo man believes in this country. I said none if they are honest with themselves and Chukwu Okike Abiama (God of Abraham)

I am Igbo. I don't know what I can do to prove it, but I have no reason to cause problems here. I specifically stated I didn't want any tribalism in this thread.

On top of that, how can you infer my opinions on Biafra solely from what I stated? For all you know I could hold the same opinions you do. But like I said, this thread isn't about that.

Also, for people trying to point out my English. Obviously I know my audience. I'm not wholly unfamiliar with how Nigerians speak. Would it make sense for me to use AAVE or American colloquialisms when speaking to people who may not know them? If I titled the thread "Spill the tea on Nigerian languages" or "Can Nigerians red-pill me on their three major languages" or "Y'all, which Nigerian languages are really poppin like that" I'd probably loose a few people.

Okuda:
you must be a badly brought up child. you are igbo but looking for a nigerian language to learn? what happened to your dads roots?

Biko, ana m eme ike m niile. I kparo m mpkali.

I've suffered in pursuit of Igbo language. I took scolding and beatings. When I found the woman willing to teach me I drove 2 hours to and from her house every Saturday night for academic school year. I even spend the only three weeks of my summer break between undergrad and grad school and over $1000 of my own money to go to Nigeria for the sake of immersion. And yet other Igbo people still won't hesitate to insult me for not being proficient. If I could press a button that would swap my English ability for Igbo, I would do it. Don't insult my upbringing when your knowledge of me is limited to a few posts on the internet. That goes for anyone else who wants to insult me.

Before I die I will speak Igbo fluently, that isn't the question. As I stated, what I want is a create a family where my children are fluent in an indigenous African language. I'd prefer Igbo all things being equal, but I'd still rather my children know Hausa, Yoruba, or even Lingala before they end up only knowing colonial languages. I only have so much time do gain a deep proficiency before I reach that point, and that's why I'm asking for guidance for people who have been living in the country. In addition, I'm half African-American. I have roots all over west and central Africa; my mother has even taken DNA tests to figure out the specifics. I'm sure the half of my ancestors that had their languages stripped from them will forgive me I'm I became fluent in something else before Igbo.

Evangkatsoulis:

You don't have to learn any nigerian language.
The standard language in Nigeria is English(British english) and pidgin english.
You weren't born or bred in Nigeria, you likely know no body here. So forget about your Nigerian roots and move on.
Unless you want to stay in underdeveloped erosion-ridden south yeastern area of Nigeria you do not need Igbo.
Abuja, Lagos and Ph are the active places in Nigeria and you don't need any local language to go through.

I've been told this a lot and I refuse. It may be difficult for someone who hasn't spent their entire life in a country filled with people unlike them, but a person isn't just born in Africa, Africa is also born in them. Even before I was cognizant of everything going on around me the impact of my ancestry was evident. I'm also incredibly fortunate as a black person to be able to trace my roots to a specifics regions of Africa, let alone have citizenship in one of her countries.

I know life is harder in Nigeria but there are some things worth making sacrifices for. It's a complicated subject, and I can make another thread about it if anyone is interested. I don't feel like this is the place to start writing paragraphs about it.

My heart lies in Africa it's as simple as that.



Also for everyone who is sending helpful replies I want to thank you in advance. I'll start looking through them as soon as I'm free. Also for those sending me email for some reason I can't look at them so I'll also try to get that sorted out as soon as possible. Thanks you all so much!

SmallSimba:


I think this is African inferiority. Would the same wife be uncomfortable if the man spoke to his children in french?

Lol.
There are international languages and African local languages. A language that cannot open doors for you in the international scene is truly inferior.
Imagine me now wanting to learn another language and I decide to learn a second Nigerian language. E no make sense na. I can however learn French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese etc.

Kennydoc:


Lol.
There are international languages and African local languages. A language that cannot open doors for you in the international scene is truly inferior.
Imagine me now wanting to learn another language and I decide to learn a second Nigerian language. E no make sense na. I can however learn French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese etc.

It is inferiority complex. There are plenty of African languages close in status to the ones you've mentioned. Swahili is spoken across multiple countries and has millions of speakers. People in America, Europe, and China wishing to do business in East Africa learn the language the same way people struggle to learn French or Portuguese.

The thing is, other African languages will never reach that status if Africans themselves want to throw them away for "important" languages.

sonofthunder:

Lol..... Ignorant and dodgy.

Diabolic conehead ritualist. Get thee behind me

uchefefe:


It is inferiority complex. There are plenty of African languages close in status to the ones you've mentioned. Swahili is spoken across multiple countries and has millions of speakers. People in America, Europe, and China wishing to do business in East Africa learn the language the same way people struggle to learn French or Portuguese.

The thing is, other African languages will never reach that status if Africans themselves want to throw them away for "important" languages.

Well, my emphasis is actually on Nigerian languages. If any of the major languages in Nigeria was the country's lingua franca, they would have had a greater worth.
If Nigeria breaks up and Northern Nigeria becomes a a Republic (Arewa), I can bet you that Hausa Language will gain more prominence. Same can be said about Yoruba and Igbo languages.
Apart from Swahili, Afrikaans is another African language that has some international recognition cos it's used very frequently in South Africa alongside English language.

adecz:


You are Ibo, if you want to learn
a Nigerian language, you should start
from your own.

You don't know the sociopolitical dynamics
of language & ethnicity in Africa or
Nigeria, that's why you are even contemplating
Hausa or Yoruba.

Your dad is doing you a great disservice.

Please, can you or anyone else explain this to me in more detail?

fx45:
Diabolic conehead ritualist. Get thee behind me

Cc: Seun, lalasticlala, Fulaman198 , odumchi , bigfrancis21.

fx45:
Diabolic conehead ritualist. Get thee behind me

Cc: Fulaman198, odumchi, bigfrancis21, Seun, lalasticlala.

[s]

Olu20090:


Smells like an Afonja unity beggar aka One Nigerian deceiving you. Biafrans, how could you people not sense this? My people why, SMH! I have known these people all my life, so I know when I read their post. This is a certified afonja! No sensible Igbo man believes in this country. I said none if they are honest with themselves and Chukwu Okike Abiama (God of Abraham)

[/s]



You see how silly you sound young man. Just look at yourself! I maro ife cha cha! Our brother came here to look for help and direction on learning our language but you fools have already stormed this page! We cannot even assist our people here again because of stupid directionless trolls like you! Ndi iberibe! Tufia unu! I spit on your mechanic faces. Tueh!


cc

oilpussy, advocate666, DawatNama, Turantula, whiteangel1234, Herdsmen, Nwanyionitsha et al ndi iberibe.

uchefefe:


I am Igbo. I don't know what I can do to prove it, but I have no reason to cause problems here. I specifically stated I didn't want any tribalism in this thread.

On top of that, how can you infer my opinions on Biafra solely from what I stated? For all you know I could hold the same opinions you do. But like I said, this thread isn't about that.

Also, for people trying to point out my English. Obviously I know my audience. I'm not wholly unfamiliar with how Nigerians speak. Would it make sense for me to use AAVE or American colloquialisms when speaking to people who may not know them? If I titled the thread "Spill the tea on Nigerian languages" or "Can Nigerians red-pill me on their three major languages" or "Y'all, which Nigerian languages are really poppin like that" I'd probably loose a few people.



Biko, ana m eme ike m niile. I kparo m mpkali.

I've suffered in pursuit of Igbo language. I took scolding and beatings. When I found the woman willing to teach me I drove 2 hours to and from her house every Saturday night for academic school year. I even spend the only three weeks of my summer break between undergrad and grad school and over $1000 of my own money to go to Nigeria for the sake of immersion. And yet other Igbo people still won't hesitate to insult me for not being proficient. If I could press a button that would swap my English ability for Igbo, I would do it. Don't insult my upbringing when your knowledge of me is limited to a few posts on the internet. That goes for anyone else who wants to insult me.

Before I die I will speak Igbo fluently, that isn't the question. As I stated, what I want is a create a family where my children are fluent in an indigenous African language. I'd prefer Igbo all things being equal, but I'd still rather my children know Hausa, Yoruba, or even Lingala before they end up only knowing colonial languages. I only have so much time do gain a deep proficiency before I reach that point, and that's why I'm asking for guidance for people who have been living in the country. In addition, I'm half African-American. I have roots all over west and central Africa; my mother has even taken DNA tests to figure out the specifics. I'm sure the half of my ancestors that had their languages stripped from them will forgive me I'm I became fluent in something else before Igbo.



I've been told this a lot and I refuse. It may be difficult for someone who hasn't spent their entire life in a country filled with people unlike them, but a person isn't just born in Africa, Africa is also born in them. Even before I was cognizant of everything going on around me the impact of my ancestry was evident. I'm also incredibly fortunate as a black person to be able to trace my roots to a specifics regions of Africa, let alone have citizenship in one of her countries.

I know life is harder in Nigeria but there are some things worth making sacrifices for. It's a complicated subject, and I can make another thread about it if anyone is interested. I don't feel like this is the place to start writing paragraphs about it.

My heart lies in Africa it's as simple as that.



Also for everyone who is sending helpful replies I want to thank you in advance. I'll start looking through them as soon as I'm free. Also for those sending me email for some reason I can't look at them so I'll also try to get that sorted out as soon as possible. Thanks you all so much!

The first person you replied with the moniker Olu2009 is a big fool in these parts. He has fellow fools he colludes with here on Nairaland. They are quick to label you an Afonja when your opinions are different. Don't be dissuaded by his caustic comments you are Igbo like I am and we're many who identify with you.

Ignore the attacks on your background too. They can grasp your situation.

There are many steps you can take in learning our language but I'll suggest you take this move if you can (and it's quite drastic) : Come back to your hometown in Nigeria and stay for a year. You'll pick up the language!

uchefefe:


Please, can you or anyone else explain this to me in more detail?

He means you have no idea what is happening in this country to even consider Yoruba or Hausa. I don't blame you though. you're hardly in touch with your background.

uchefefe:
Hello!

For background, I was born to a Igbo father and a black American mother. I grew up in the U.S., and because my father didn't teach me anything about Nigeria, for the first part of my life I didn't even know I belonged to another culture. As I got a bit older I would question him about things pertaining to Nigeria; his response was "that's not important" or "don't ask such questions, focus on your book instead". At some point I asked him if he spoke another language. He confirmed that he did, but when I asked him to teach me he told me "no one speaks it, instead we just use English" and I accepted that answer.

I had a revelation one day in middle school when eating lunch with one of my friends. Like me she was born in the U.S., but had Chinese parents. We had gone to school together for nearly 10 years, so I was shocked when one day she picked up a phone call from her grandmother and spoke to her in fluent Chinese. When I questioned her on how she learned, she told me that her parents had been teaching her. That way, if she ever goes to China she won't struggle to communicate with her people, and if she chooses not to go she'll at least be able to talk with her grandparents that don't know English.

This impassioned me and that evening when my father came home from work I begged him to teach me Igbo, even though "no one speaks it". He agreed and taught me simple phrases like "kedu", "afa m bu", and "o di mma". The thing is, which it was nice to know these things I could not actually use them to communicate. I didn't understand Igbo grammar and my vocabulary was limited to basic greetings. When I began asking him the name of household items and chores he became angry with me. He told me I was focusing on Igbo and not my books (even though my grades were great), and that he'll punish me if I keep asking so I stopped.

Getting more so to the point, I'm now a graduate student in my early 20's. While I have tried my best to study Igbo, I have met many frustrations that have led me to investigate Hausa and Yoruba. At this point, it simply pains me that when I meet people from my country, I have no means of communicating with people from my country besides English. I plan on moving to Nigeria in the not-so-distant future, and when I go I want to be fluent is something.

Between the three major languages, the arguments I have for each are:

Igbo
As an Igbo person, it makes sense for me to prioritize my language. I don't want to just sit there confused and lost during family gatherings, I also want to be able to speak to my grandparents who don't understand English well. That's really the only positives of Igbo though, even excluding the past experiences mention above, I've over all become disheartened by the idea of learning the language for a variety of reasons.

Yoruba
One thing I like about Yoruba language is that Yoruba people seem to have put a lot of effort into developing it and teaching it. Most Nigerians I've met in the U.S. that speak a Nigerian language speak Yoruba, despite the fact that I've met mostly Igbo people. In addition, of Nigerians I've met also born in the U.S., only the Yoruba's are able to speak their language. Despite that, my family roots are in the South East. I may be able to speak with more Nigerians by learning Yoruba, but I'll still be disconnected from my family. Yoruba people might seem to have less of a "complex" when it comes to their language than Igbo people, but I have observed it's still there.

Hausa
I've only ever met one Hausa family in the U.S., but from what I've observed in Nigeria they seem to practice their language the most. In addition, it seems like Hausa is a lingua franca for most of the country, and many non-Hausas are fluent in the language. Hausa is one of the few sources I can find unadulterated practice of the language. It's also West Africa's most spoken indigenous languages. It still has the same problems a Yoruba though when it comes to connecting with my family. I also don't know how realistic it is to expect to live in the Northern Part of Nigeria as I have limited experience there.

Like I said, I want to move to Nigeria at some point and that's where I want to raise a family and start a career. When I have children I don't want them to grow up like me. I want them to be connected to their people and be able to communicate with them on a level no other group in the world can. I can tell my children to love and embrace African culture and languages when I know none myself.

I decided to come here for insight from other Nigerians as I have no one to talk to about this in real life. Given everything I've said what do you think I should do? At the end of the day I just want a sense connectivity and belonging among my people. I want to put my efforts into learning a language its speakers wholly embrace so I can pass it on to my children.

Also, I don't intend for this to be tribalistic at all. I would also appreciate if responses avoided tribalistic sentiments.

That wouldn't be easy to be honest, especially when it comes to learning Igbo. In the absence of anyone to teach you through constant communication, the best advice i'll give you is to get the Igbo hymn book 'Ekpere na abu' and another English hymn book, sing any number you love in English, then find it in Igbo and try and sing it too. It'll help you learn words and phrases in Igbo faster. It has helped someone i know. Goodluck.

uchefefe:
Hello!

For background, I was born to a Igbo father and a black American mother. I grew up in the U.S., and because my father didn't teach me anything about Nigeria, for the first part of my life I didn't even know I belonged to another culture. As I got a bit older I would question him about things pertaining to Nigeria; his response was "that's not important" or "don't ask such questions, focus on your book instead". At some point I asked him if he spoke another language. He confirmed that he did, but when I asked him to teach me he told me "no one speaks it, instead we just use English" and I accepted that answer.

I had a revelation one day in middle school when eating lunch with one of my friends. Like me she was born in the U.S., but had Chinese parents. We had gone to school together for nearly 10 years, so I was shocked when one day she picked up a phone call from her grandmother and spoke to her in fluent Chinese. When I questioned her on how she learned, she told me that her parents had been teaching her. That way, if she ever goes to China she won't struggle to communicate with her people, and if she chooses not to go she'll at least be able to talk with her grandparents that don't know English.

This impassioned me and that evening when my father came home from work I begged him to teach me Igbo, even though "no one speaks it". He agreed and taught me simple phrases like "kedu", "afa m bu", and "o di mma". The thing is, which it was nice to know these things I could not actually use them to communicate. I didn't understand Igbo grammar and my vocabulary was limited to basic greetings. When I began asking him the name of household items and chores he became angry with me. He told me I was focusing on Igbo and not my books (even though my grades were great), and that he'll punish me if I keep asking so I stopped.

Getting more so to the point, I'm now a graduate student in my early 20's. While I have tried my best to study Igbo, I have met many frustrations that have led me to investigate Hausa and Yoruba. At this point, it simply pains me that when I meet people from my country, I have no means of communicating with people from my country besides English. I plan on moving to Nigeria in the not-so-distant future, and when I go I want to be fluent is something.

Between the three major languages, the arguments I have for each are:

Igbo
As an Igbo person, it makes sense for me to prioritize my language. I don't want to just sit there confused and lost during family gatherings, I also want to be able to speak to my grandparents who don't understand English well. That's really the only positives of Igbo though, even excluding the past experiences mention above, I've over all become disheartened by the idea of learning the language for a variety of reasons.

Yoruba
One thing I like about Yoruba language is that Yoruba people seem to have put a lot of effort into developing it and teaching it. Most Nigerians I've met in the U.S. that speak a Nigerian language speak Yoruba, despite the fact that I've met mostly Igbo people. In addition, of Nigerians I've met also born in the U.S., only the Yoruba's are able to speak their language. Despite that, my family roots are in the South East. I may be able to speak with more Nigerians by learning Yoruba, but I'll still be disconnected from my family. Yoruba people might seem to have less of a "complex" when it comes to their language than Igbo people, but I have observed it's still there.

Hausa
I've only ever met one Hausa family in the U.S., but from what I've observed in Nigeria they seem to practice their language the most. In addition, it seems like Hausa is a lingua franca for most of the country, and many non-Hausas are fluent in the language. Hausa is one of the few sources I can find unadulterated practice of the language. It's also West Africa's most spoken indigenous languages. It still has the same problems a Yoruba though when it comes to connecting with my family. I also don't know how realistic it is to expect to live in the Northern Part of Nigeria as I have limited experience there.

Like I said, I want to move to Nigeria at some point and that's where I want to raise a family and start a career. When I have children I don't want them to grow up like me. I want them to be connected to their people and be able to communicate with them on a level no other group in the world can. I can tell my children to love and embrace African culture and languages when I know none myself.

I decided to come here for insight from other Nigerians as I have no one to talk to about this in real life. Given everything I've said what do you think I should do? At the end of the day I just want a sense connectivity and belonging among my people. I want to put my efforts into learning a language its speakers wholly embrace so I can pass it on to my children.

Also, I don't intend for this to be tribalistic at all. I would also appreciate if responses avoided tribalistic sentiments.

I can teach u Igbo. Onitsha dialect precisely. Tell me if you are interested . I like your courage jare

uchefefe:


Please, can you or anyone else explain this to me in more detail?

If you are from Onitsha,then you are actually from my hometown.I am actually having that struggle now ,but in a reverse way ie i want my son born here in the US to learn and know my culture and language so that he wouldn’t face the kind of situation you are seeing now when he becomes an adult.You can send me a PM if you feel like

iSlayer2:
[s][/s]



You see how silly you sound young man. Just look at yourself! I maro ife cha cha! Our brother came here to look for help and direction on learning our language but you fools have already stormed this page! We cannot even assist our people here again because of stupid directionless trolls like you! Ndi iberibe! Tufia unu! I spit on your mechanic faces. Tueh!


cc

oilpussy, advocate666, DawatNama, Turantula, whiteangel1234, Herdsmen, Nwanyionitsha et al ndi iberibe.

Why did you mention my name? Wetin concern me with efulefuism?

[s]

advocate666:


Why did you mention my name? Wetin concern me with efulefuism?

[/s]

uchefefe:


Please, can you or anyone else explain this to me in more detail?

Hello, I am very delighted to see this post of yours. This gives me a positive hope of the Nigerian diaspora.

Just like someone has told you here, you are more African than many people who live in Africa. The surprising part of it is that you are not even a full Nigerian, you are half.

I have cousins in the diaspora who are Nigerians on both parents sides, yet they show absolute no interests whatsoever in Nigerian languages and cultures.

Just as many have told you here, Igbo, your native language should be your first priority. Then the next option should depend on where you want to reside in Nigeria or what business/ work sector you wish to be immersed in when you base here.

If you wish to settle in Lagos, Ibadan or any south-western state, Yoruba comes in handy. Enugu, Onitsha, Owerri or any South-eastern state, Igbo comes in handy.
Jos, Kaduna, Kano and to an extent Abuja, Hausa comes in handy. While places in the South South region like Port harcourt, Warri, Benin, Calabar e.t.c Pidgin english should just be enough for you.

Just an example, If you want to go into Food crops business for instance, Hausa language would be a lot of help, Importation businesses and products distribution, Igbo would be a lot of help. Etc. So you just need to make your inquiries, but at the end of the day, knowing all 3 major languages is a super benefit and it makes you stand out.

Know that, the average Nigerian feels more easy with and friendlier with you and also trusts you more when you speak with him in his own language.

It's very unfortunate that you have a father who shows great disinterest in promoting his own culture. This looks like a strong inferiority mentality if you ask me. Well, many people even here in Nigeria are plagued with it.

It will be very nice if you visit Nigeria and you go to the South east region to test your language skills, don't be so moved by what you see in the diaspora. Igbo language is still very well spoken and alive in the south east region. It is the common language on the streets. When I was in the university, most Igbos in my department actually conversed in Igbo a lot. Well, perhaps because these Igbos were born and bred in the south east.

Igbos travel out of their homeland a lot and most Igbos outside the south east hardly pass down their language to their children. This is where the problem lies.

Trust me, when it comes to languages dying, Igbo is still decades better than the minority languages in Nigeria. Take for instance, the city where I live in the south south region, Warri. It is quite rare for you to find young people in their teens or twenties who can speak their native languages. Pidgin english is rapidly becoming the mother tongue of the society. Even elderly people in rural areas are very much fluent in Pidgin.

Where I come from in Central Nigeria, Plateau state to be precise, our native languages are seriously dying, but they are being replaced mostly by Hausa and not English.

Please do not get offended at the arrogant replies you received from many people here, just pass them.

And responding to your question above, as a Nigeran in diaspora, it is most likely that you are not well informed on the realities of the Nigerian society. Tribalism is a cancer in Nigeria and it is actually worse than you think it is. This is why you see some of your Igbo brothers pissed at you for even contemplating to learn Yoruba or Hausa language because they feel if it was a yoruba or Hausa in your shoes, they wouldn't even contemplate on what language to learn, and yes, they are kind of right.

Goodluck on your trip coming to Nigeria and like many have advised you, Nigeria is very very difficult compared to the US where you have lived the most of your life. My advice for you is not to come back to settle here, if you do not have enough business capital and financial ideas to afford a quality life for yourself. Take care.

You can DM me if you need more explanations on some points I have touched above and perhaps more.

I wish I can help teach you Igbo.
Keep searching, you'll find help soon,meanwhile follow nwanyiocha on Instagram,she's great inspiration

uchefefe:


I am Igbo. I don't know what I can do to prove it, but I have no reason to cause problems here. I specifically stated I didn't want any tribalism in this thread.

On top of that, how can you infer my opinions on Biafra solely from what I stated? For all you know I could hold the same opinions you do. But like I said, this thread isn't about that.

Also, for people trying to point out my English. Obviously I know my audience. I'm not wholly unfamiliar with how Nigerians speak. Would it make sense for me to use AAVE or American colloquialisms when speaking to people who may not know them? If I titled the thread "Spill the tea on Nigerian languages" or "Can Nigerians red-pill me on their three major languages" or "Y'all, which Nigerian languages are really poppin like that" I'd probably loose a few people.



Biko, ana m eme ike m niile. I kparo m mpkali.

I've suffered in pursuit of Igbo language. I took scolding and beatings. When I found the woman willing to teach me I drove 2 hours to and from her house every Saturday night for academic school year. I even spend the only three weeks of my summer break between undergrad and grad school and over $1000 of my own money to go to Nigeria for the sake of immersion. And yet other Igbo people still won't hesitate to insult me for not being proficient. If I could press a button that would swap my English ability for Igbo, I would do it. Don't insult my upbringing when your knowledge of me is limited to a few posts on the internet. That goes for anyone else who wants to insult me.

Before I die I will speak Igbo fluently, that isn't the question. As I stated, what I want is a create a family where my children are fluent in an indigenous African language. I'd prefer Igbo all things being equal, but I'd still rather my children know Hausa, Yoruba, or even Lingala before they end up only knowing colonial languages. I only have so much time do gain a deep proficiency before I reach that point, and that's why I'm asking for guidance for people who have been living in the country. In addition, I'm half African-American. I have roots all over west and central Africa; my mother has even taken DNA tests to figure out the specifics. I'm sure the half of my ancestors that had their languages stripped from them will forgive me I'm I became fluent in something else before Igbo.



I've been told this a lot and I refuse. It may be difficult for someone who hasn't spent their entire life in a country filled with people unlike them, but a person isn't just born in Africa, Africa is also born in them. Even before I was cognizant of everything going on around me the impact of my ancestry was evident. I'm also incredibly fortunate as a black person to be able to trace my roots to a specifics regions of Africa, let alone have citizenship in one of her countries.

I know life is harder in Nigeria but there are some things worth making sacrifices for. It's a complicated subject, and I can make another thread about it if anyone is interested. I don't feel like this is the place to start writing paragraphs about it.

My heart lies in Africa it's as simple as that.



Also for everyone who is sending helpful replies I want to thank you in advance. I'll start looking through them as soon as I'm free. Also for those sending me email for some reason I can't look at them so I'll also try to get that sorted out as soon as possible. Thanks you all so much!

I told you you would get reactions like this from Nigerians while in pursuit of your language learning but don't let their reactions deter you nor discourage you.

Just to correct a previous poster's post: I want in Onitsha would be: A choo m or some dialects of Anambra would say, A cholu m. The negative would be, A choro m. One distinct feature about the Onitsha dialect is the lack of a present continuous identity in its speech/tense. For example,

O choro ibia (he/she wants to come) in Igbo Izugbe (II) would be, O choo ibia in Onitsha.
O jere Enugu (he/she went to Enugu) in II would be, O jee Enugu or O jelu Enugu (the former being more common in spoken Onitsha)
A huru m ya (I saw him/her) in II would be, A fuu m ya in OI. Onitsha lect tends to drop the last two letters in present continuous tenses completely and draws the action verb instead.

A common sentence in like,
E jere m ahia taa, ebe m huru phone a, goro ya ozigbo, in Igbo Izugbe (I went to the market today, where I saw this phone, and bought it immediately) would be
E jee m afia taa, ebe m fuu phone a, goo nya ozigbo, in OI.

In addition to the f/h difference, again notice the verb suffix droppings that mark the Onitsha dialect.

BuddhaPalm:


While I understand the sentiment...

Languages die.

Even more distinguished languages have vanished, and are understood only by a handful of academics.

Language is utilitarian, and if something easier, more widely spoken, or more upwardly mobile comes along, the one of lesser utility gets dumped.

No way, not happening to the Igbo language.

The language problem can be corrected by having language laws set in place to ensure 100% fluency rate with new-born generations and older generations with the language defect will phase away with time. The future or survival of a language lies on new generations.

The Jews did it, so can we.

uchefefe:
Hello!

For background, I was born to a Igbo father and a black American mother. I grew up in the U.S., and because my father didn't teach me anything about Nigeria, for the first part of my life I didn't even know I belonged to another culture. As I got a bit older I would question him about things pertaining to Nigeria; his response was "that's not important" or "don't ask such questions, focus on your book instead". At some point I asked him if he spoke another language. He confirmed that he did, but when I asked him to teach me he told me "no one speaks it, instead we just use English" and I accepted that answer.

I had a revelation one day in middle school when eating lunch with one of my friends. Like me she was born in the U.S., but had Chinese parents. We had gone to school together for nearly 10 years, so I was shocked when one day she picked up a phone call from her grandmother and spoke to her in fluent Chinese. When I questioned her on how she learned, she told me that her parents had been teaching her. That way, if she ever goes to China she won't struggle to communicate with her people, and if she chooses not to go she'll at least be able to talk with her grandparents that don't know English.

This impassioned me and that evening when my father came home from work I begged him to teach me Igbo, even though "no one speaks it". He agreed and taught me simple phrases like "kedu", "afa m bu", and "o di mma". The thing is, which it was nice to know these things I could not actually use them to communicate. I didn't understand Igbo grammar and my vocabulary was limited to basic greetings. When I began asking him the name of household items and chores he became angry with me. He told me I was focusing on Igbo and not my books (even though my grades were great), and that he'll punish me if I keep asking so I stopped.

Getting more so to the point, I'm now a graduate student in my early 20's. While I have tried my best to study Igbo, I have met many frustrations that have led me to investigate Hausa and Yoruba. At this point, it simply pains me that when I meet people from my country, I have no means of communicating with people from my country besides English. I plan on moving to Nigeria in the not-so-distant future, and when I go I want to be fluent is something.

Between the three major languages, the arguments I have for each are:

Igbo
As an Igbo person, it makes sense for me to prioritize my language. I don't want to just sit there confused and lost during family gatherings, I also want to be able to speak to my grandparents who don't understand English well. That's really the only positives of Igbo though, even excluding the past experiences mention above, I've over all become disheartened by the idea of learning the language for a variety of reasons.

Yoruba
One thing I like about Yoruba language is that Yoruba people seem to have put a lot of effort into developing it and teaching it. Most Nigerians I've met in the U.S. that speak a Nigerian language speak Yoruba, despite the fact that I've met mostly Igbo people. In addition, of Nigerians I've met also born in the U.S., only the Yoruba's are able to speak their language. Despite that, my family roots are in the South East. I may be able to speak with more Nigerians by learning Yoruba, but I'll still be disconnected from my family. Yoruba people might seem to have less of a "complex" when it comes to their language than Igbo people, but I have observed it's still there.

Hausa
I've only ever met one Hausa family in the U.S., but from what I've observed in Nigeria they seem to practice their language the most. In addition, it seems like Hausa is a lingua franca for most of the country, and many non-Hausas are fluent in the language. Hausa is one of the few sources I can find unadulterated practice of the language. It's also West Africa's most spoken indigenous languages. It still has the same problems a Yoruba though when it comes to connecting with my family. I also don't know how realistic it is to expect to live in the Northern Part of Nigeria as I have limited experience there.

Like I said, I want to move to Nigeria at some point and that's where I want to raise a family and start a career. When I have children I don't want them to grow up like me. I want them to be connected to their people and be able to communicate with them on a level no other group in the world can. I can tell my children to love and embrace African culture and languages when I know none myself.

I decided to come here for insight from other Nigerians as I have no one to talk to about this in real life. Given everything I've said what do you think I should do? At the end of the day I just want a sense connectivity and belonging among my people. I want to put my efforts into learning a language its speakers wholly embrace so I can pass it on to my children.

Also, I don't intend for this to be tribalistic at all. I would also appreciate if responses avoided tribalistic sentiments.

Hi there,

I would suggest you learn Igbo language first, then other languages after.

Check out NTA Igbo(The Nigerian Television Authority Igbo Language Pay TV Service). There are also NTA Hausa and NTA Yoruba Services.

Here is a link to an Igbo language lesson program on youtube from NTA Igbo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7ZbiSbTaro.

Note, there are also Africa Magic Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba TV services. Africa Magic is a privately owned, South African Media Company, which operates in Nigeria.

Since Nigeria's govt Public Television program recognises Igbo, along with Hausa and Yoruba, Igbo language will not be going extinct.

If there wasn't a market for it, Africa Magic wouldn't have their own Igbo TV service, again, that demonstrates confidence in the language and its speakers.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.

This challebge is not only peculiar to people in diaspora, many children of Igbo parents who lives in Lagos, PortHarcourt even North are also being denialed of this gift of speaking their Mother tongue. Because of this challenge there are group of persons currently sensiting the public on the importance of passing down the language to their children. Infact there are YouTube channels and a new Igbo language school just started in lagos encouraging people to learn and get them selves acquainted with the culture.

As per going extinct, Igbo language is far from that, it is still widely spoken by milliions of people especially in South East eg. if you find your self inside Alaba/Trade Fair market in Lagos or streets of onitsha, Aba, Owerri, Umuahia etc you will be amazed on the difference usage of this beautiful languages.

I am from Anambra and can fluently speak/write both the general Igbo as well as my specific dialet. And for fun I also belong to a WhatsApp group that communicates only in Igbo language. I think such platform will aid you in your quest to learn and integrate into the culture with out crossing bother. If you are interested I can send you the links.

Daàlu Nwannem

@SmallSimba
Thank you for your insight! It is true about Africans not taking their languages seriously; I hope that attitude will soon change though.
I don't think Igbo has noun classes like Bantu languages, but tone and vowel harmony have definitely been huge obstacles for me.

There is also this property of Igbo called olilo uduame or vowel swallowing. For example ugbo ala which means car is pronounced "ugbaala". It makes it difficult for me to interpret words because I learn the sound ugbo as vehicle but suddenly it become ugba because of the word that follows it. I also can't figure out the pattern for when this is done. Names like Ifeoma are pronounced "Ifoma" but Chioma seems to always be pronounced as it sounds. If anyone has insight on this I would be very grateful.

@Shawncavendish
Thank you for pointing this out! No Igbo resourced I've used point out tone, so I was not aware of this fact.
Izugbe may be understood by most people fluent in an organic dialect, but a person who only knows Izugbe cannot understand any organic dialect well. There in lies my problem when watching movies and listening to people talk as most verbal sourced I've found are in an organic dialect

@memgbe
Thank you! I will look into this book and see if there is an online copy somewhere.

@grandstar
You don't have to worry too much about me when if comes to that. I've been told a lot about how things are their. When I marry it will have to be with someone with a genuine love for African who isn't just looking for a way out. I'll take the power outages and crime rate over other things I've experienced in America. Plus when I master my Igbo and pidgin, dem no go even think a be yankee pikin sef (hopefully I said that right)

@bigfrancis21
Thank you so much for clarifying this for me! I've always been confused by it. The woman who taught me told me ndi onitsha use -lu to instead of repeating the vowel after an "r". But then when I here people in my family speak they don't use that at all. Elilu m nni becomes eli m nni.
I thought adding -lu or an "r" before another vowel represented the past tense, while omitting them is like the infinitive. Am I wrong on this?

Essentially:
Elilu m nni = I ate food
Anam eli nni = I am eating food
Agam eli nni = I will eat food

Is elii m nni also I ate food in certain dialects or is it a different tense?

Also, are there language laws that exist or are being made to promote Igbo? I know in Lagos they passed that law recently that made Yoruba mandatory for schools and colleges in the state, is there something similar in Ala Igbo?

@izzychap
I would be very interested in that! I will contact you soon.


Also, for those mentioning Pidgin, are their actual resources available that teach it? I've mostly just picked up what I know from hearing people talk. If there's is anything available I wouldn't mind increasing my Pidgin skills as well.

uchefefe:
@SmallSimba

@bigfrancis21
Thank you so much for clarifying this for me! I've always been confused by it. The woman who taught me told me ndi onitsha use -lu to instead of repeating the vowel after an "r". But then when I here people in my family speak they don't use that at all. Elilu m nni becomes eli m nni.
I thought adding -lu or an "r" before another vowel represented the past tense, while omitting them is like the infinitive. Am I wrong on this?

Essentially:
Elilu m nni = I ate food
Anam eli nni = I am eating food
Agam eli nni = I will eat food

Is elii m nni also I ate food in certain dialects or is it a different tense?

Also, are there language laws that exist or are being made to promote Igbo? I know in Lagos they passed that law recently that made Yoruba mandatory for schools and colleges in the state, is there something similar in Ala Igbo?

@izzychap
I would be very interested in that! I will contact you soon.


Also, for those mentioning Pidgin, are their actual resources available that teach it? I've mostly just picked up what I know from hearing people talk. If there's is anything available I wouldn't mind increasing my Pidgin skills as well.

You're right with your observations with your family. Other Anambra dialects may use 'l+' instead of 'r+', however in spoken Onitsha, that feature is nearly absent but the verb is drawn instead to mean past tense and every other speaker understands it perfectly.

If there are any language laws, they would be in the South East, but I am not aware of any right now. We need these laws though to curb this growing effect.

You're picking up on Igbo quite very well! Keep it up! Where would you rate your understanding skills on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)?

bigfrancis21:


You're right with your observations with your family. Other Anambra dialects may use 'l+' instead of 'r+', however in spoken Onitsha, that feature is nearly absent but the verb is drawn instead to mean past tense and every other speaker understands it perfectly.

If there are any language laws, they would be in the South East, but I am not aware of any right now. We need these laws though to curb this growing effect.

You're picking up on Igbo quite very well! Keep it up! Where would you rate your understanding skills on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)?

My understanding skills really vary. If it's written text in Izugbe with accent marks and the like I can maybe understand 5/6 out of 10. I learned mostly from books in Izugbe so if someone isn't writing in it or using the standard writing conventions my comprehension goes down a lot.

Verbally a struggle much more, maybe 2/3 out of 10. I can understand simple commands and phases, but I get lost in actual conversation. I actually understand Yoruba and Hausa better verbally despite not having studied them as long. It just seems like in Igbo an entire sentence gets mushed into one long word and I can't tell where one word begins and the other ends. I think listening more to movies with subtitles may help with that though.

I can ask two more questions, my first is how can I differentiate between the present tense and present continuous tense?

For example in English I can say:
I go to school
I am going to school

In Igbo I can say:
Ana m eje n'ulo akwukwu

Is that equal to both of the above phrases? Or is it just one of them?


My second question is sometime I see "m" in front of verbs for the first person singular pronoun instead of at the end.
For example:
Aga m agwara ha = M ga-agwara ha

Is this also a dialect thing or are they used interchangeably?

Uchefefe your questions are hilarious . However, your zeal is highly highly commendable.


How do I help you now?! Okay, I'll just answer your questions the best I can. My suggestions and clarifications are based on actual use of the language from day to day and not based on any grammatical rules out there. I was hardly taught Igbo grammar in school but I'm a fluent speaker so. . .leggo.

Olilo udaume thingy. It's all about using the second vowel to swallow the first vowel when they meet in a word. In writing, ugbo(vehicle) and ala(land) coming together becomes Ugboala✔ and not Ugbaala✖. During speech you emphasize the "o" ever so softly/slightly. In Igbo grammar textbooks you'll probably be told that the first "a" in ala totally swallows the "o" in ugbo, no, not true in practice. You just touch on the "o" sound ever so slightly then pronounce every other sound as is. This is just the same thing that happens with names like Chioma as you pointed out. The "i" sound never truly gets swallowed. It is pronounced "Chi/oma". The swallowing is not consistent across every word with two vowels meeting.



On elilu m nni and eli m nni, the difference is, they're the same! You see, in spoken Igbo, I mean regular Igbo you're likely to come across on the street, a sentence is shortened at virtually every opportunity. This is like saying in English "I can not do this" and "I can't do this", they're exactly the same, one is a shorter way of passing the message. In Igbo Izugbe and any official document/setting in Igbo, you're likely not to see such shortened words, they'll be spelt out fully. Elilu m for Eli m etc.


Yes Elii m nni is also I ate as I explained earlier.


I see you guys discussing on saying I want/I don't want in Igbo. In Igbo Izugbe, achorom is I want achoghim is I don't want. However, in spoken regular Igbo achorom can mean both I want and I don't want. (I think that's one of the strong reasons Igbo Izugbe was developed. imagine reading a document in regular Igbo and you see achorom, you would not know for sure if the achorom in that instance means I want or I don't want) So how can we Igbo speakers tell? The inflection on the word (especially at the tail end) passes the message. Achorom for I want goes like Achòròm whereas I don't want goes like Achóróm (The tone goes up!). Trust me it's virtually the same word in writing but in tone the difference is as clear as day: You would know instantly if the person was speaking in the affirmative or in the negative.
If you get to understand how applying different tones to the same word changes it's meaning your confusion with many of these words will simply vanish!


Your Anam eje ulo-akwukwo question got me in tangles though.

Well, anam eje ulo-akwukwo would mean I go to school on paper while M neje n'ulo-akwukwo would mean I am going to school, also on paper. But in practice i.e during conversation. absolutely the same thing. In fact, I am dead certain many cannot tell the difference between the two sentences. That's how interchangeably both sentences are used. At the end it's a matter of preference (You should strive to use the correct sentence at each instance though).


As for the m, it can come at the start of a sentence too. Hence, Aga m agwara ha = M ga-agwara ha:
both means "I will tell them". That's also just down to preference and/or structure of the sentence in question.



Ruminate on all these. See movies too, perhaps it helps I can't say for sure. Good luck nwanne!

@uchefefe:

The truth is, you are probably wiser and more intelligent than 90% of children that are commenting on your tread. Do not allow anyone to dampen your spirit, It is the right thing to do.
You inner man is guiding you aright, there is light at the end of the Tunnel and I can bet you will never regret this.

Learn Igbo First, and if you have any love for other African Language? Learn Yoruba - as far as Nigeria South is concerned, the 2 are like conjoin twins and seemed in separable, forget all the rants on social media like Nairaland. In the real Nigeria world they inter relate and have beneficial relationships.

The Igbo in you is raving back, and hence your inability to give in even when you were younger. The knowledge of Igbo language will give you inner peace that you desire. You are not lost into the land oblivion. Most AA feels they are neither here or there. Unfortunately the Africa that should welcome them being their ancestral home is unknowingly rejecting them psychologically and emotionally.

Please note that majority of Nigerian youths have been brain washed and are suffering acute inferiority complex. Hence, the reason they hardly excel in life. Look at those doing well they definitely have different orientation.

I wish I understood Igbo, I would have thought you. But no I do not understand nor speak Igbo, however I can teach you Yoruba if you are interested. I am proud of my Yoruba heritage despite the fact that I live in foreign land and I speak Yoruba to my Children regularly. I even watch More Yoruba movies now because of them. They are Yoruba they most understand their culture and speak their Language.

@OP - You’re on the right path and you are a man of wisdom. I see you doing well in the near future.