Recently I was watching a kiddies program,these kids were wearing native attires depicting where they came from in Nigeria but when asked to speak the language they weren't able to.
Now I discovered that parents are the ones largely at fault in this case, though we live in times when kids in schools today learn different international languages, which to many parents they pride about it but the dialects of their tribes they aren't able to speak it,and I keep imagining how someone would call himself or herself an Igbo,Efik,Ibibio,Hausa, Fulani,Yoruba child and don't even know a pin in their language.
Parents speak English at home for their kids,they are so pleased to hear them speak French, Chinese,German but they see their own dialects as odd to speak to their kids.
What stops you from speaking it to your kids at home,and let them communicate outside in the acceptable lingua franca.
Well I think if this is not addressed most languages will become endangered in homes,we would have kids who are Igbo,Efik, Hausa,Ijaw,Yoruba in looks but not in speech.
My point;Parents speak your dialect to your kids at home.

©Dan Okonkwo

Because they feel the right education has something to do with speaking the English language and not the mother tongue.


It's bad stereotype.

For me, if you're an African, but can't speak your native language, then there's nothing African about you... You might as well call yourself a black English.

Not far from the truth...

What about parents who don't understand or can't speak their dialect? . Cuz I have a friend who was brought up by his mom and the mom can't speak her dialect.....So how do you expect her to instill the dialect into him when she can't speak it herself?

Understanding and speaking your dialect as an African is one of the reasons you're considered as a true African..