₦airaland Forum

“We aren't here to speak English as our native language, a bank is not a school. If you want to speak English, go to a class and not a public place like this.

blazepascal:
One day, I went to a Nigerian bank to apply for an ATM card. As normal, I was on kaftan and cap (a sign of aboki or mallam) wearing a long dressing like a Northerner. There, I met a young lady I didn't know and had not seen before, she was in the bank for the same reason.


As I was sitting and waiting for my turn to be attended to, a man left his seat, came over to me and begged to help him fill a form for him. As we were together, the young lady took the man's seat while he is still busy responding to what my questions about what to fill in some blanks of the form.

After I was done filling the form for him, he went back to his seat only to meet the young lady who has taken it. He quietly told the lady he was the one who sat on the seat before but he just went to that man (pointing at me) to help me fill this form. The lady ignored him as he was speaking his native language while she understands only English, that was how an uproar occurred between them.


However, I decided to intervene, so I told the lady, “madam, him dey talk to you say na him get the seat.” She looked at me poorly and said, “he didn't bring the seat from his house, so, you can't say na him get am. Correct your English.” 

I couldn't help but grin as I was called that it is my turn to be attended to. After some minutes, I had my ATM card and went to say goodbye to her, sounding native, speaking as a white man and how a native speaker of English speaker would, I told her:

“We aren't here to speak English as our native language, a bank is not a school. If you want to speak English, go to a class and not a public place like this. You should learn how to relate to the different people you meet every day. Be careful, or else, you may end up humiliating yourself. Do you know I'm a student of English language (not Linguistics) and I'm in 400 level?”


Upon hearing this, she was dumbfounded and looking at the floor silently while I took my way with respect. She apologized for her bad approach to me in the first place and begged the man for discrediting his tongue.

Lesson: Don't underrate anyone even if they are not dressed to be addressed with respect. Everyone is entitled to be honored according to their manner.

Nwodosis:
Your dressing was in native and you are studying English language, what are you really promoting?

BabbanBura:
You do well Oyibo language professor emeritus

Nwodosis:
Your dressing was in native and you are studying English language, what are you really promoting?

Vanzcharles:
What has reading English as a language got to do with one's dressing? He is reading English language not the cultural background/tradition of English people.

Olayinka777:
Chairman, u do not expect to leave your seat for some minutes & still meet it empty in public especially like places like a bank. The guy should have at least dropped some personal effects on that seat to show that it's already being occupied.

Khd95:
what is your point exactly
mtcheeeeew

usj:
So, to prove you're an English student you had to form a fake foreign accent?

SeekerofTruth1:
The Future is Hoes

Khd95:
what is your point exactly

mtcheeeeew

blazepascal:
yes just to prove to her I'm not an illiterate

Draslo:
Upon hearing this, she was dumbfounded and looking at the floor silently while I took my way with respect. She apologized for her bad approach to me in the first place and begged the man for discrediting his tongue.

I believed your story up until this point. Nigerian women and their ego. To apologise to a partner na World War 3 talk less of a kaftan wearing stranger

TollaniHub:
Do you need fresh beef for your party or home use?

blazepascal:
One day, I went to a Nigerian bank to apply for an ATM card. As normal, I was on kaftan and cap (a sign of aboki or mallam) wearing a long dressing like a Northerner. There, I met a young lady I didn't know and had not seen before, she was in the bank for the same reason.


As I was sitting and waiting for my turn to be attended to, a man left his seat, came over to me and begged to help him fill a form for him. As we were together, the young lady took the man's seat while he is still busy responding to what my questions about what to fill in some blanks of the form.

After I was done filling the form for him, he went back to his seat only to meet the young lady who has taken it. He quietly told the lady he was the one who sat on the seat before but he just went to that man (pointing at me) to help me fill this form. The lady ignored him as he was speaking his native language while she understands only English, that was how an uproar occurred between them.


However, I decided to intervene, so I told the lady, “madam, him dey talk to you say na him get the seat.” She looked at me poorly and said, “he didn't bring the seat from his house, so, you can't say na him get am. Correct your English.” 

I couldn't help but grin as I was called that it is my turn to be attended to. After some minutes, I had my ATM card and went to say goodbye to her, sounding native, speaking as a white man and how a native speaker of English speaker would, I told her:

“We aren't here to speak English as our native language, a bank is not a school. If you want to speak English, go to a class and not a public place like this. You should learn how to relate to the different people you meet every day. Be careful, or else, you may end up humiliating yourself. Do you know I'm a student of English language (not Linguistics) and I'm in 400 level?”


Upon hearing this, she was dumbfounded and looking at the floor silently while I took my way with respect. She apologized for her bad approach to me in the first place and begged the man for discrediting his tongue.

Lesson: Don't underrate anyone even if they are not dressed to be addressed with respect. Everyone is entitled to be honored according to their manner.