As the world inches closer to International Mother Language Day, it is imperative to note that we communicate the way we do because we are raised in a particular cultural setting of languages, rules, norms, values, history and beliefs.
There is a need to promote native language in our education system to tap into the inter-generational cultural heritage. The preservation of one’s first language is aimed at achieving inclusivity in education.
Ngugi wa Thiong’o, one of Africa’s writers who have championed for native language speaking and writing, says that if you know not your first language but are well versed in foreign languages, then that is modern enslavement of the mind. But when you know your mother tongue as well as foreign dialects, it is empowerment.
His Nigerian counterpart, Chinua Achebe, opines in his famous masterpiece: Things Fall Apart, that the art of conversation is regarded very highly among his people – the Igbo.
Further, native language allows one to interact freely with different people from different ethnicities, thus fostering cultural diversity. You get to experience dynamic cuisine, clothing, rituals and traditions. This can surely change your perception of other cultures.
Travelling to experience such traditions has less to do with just seeing things. You get to meet people and learn not only to appreciate their way of life but also to enjoy it like a local – following whatever impulses strike you.
You will enjoy their dishes because you understand the history of their food and the motivation behind how and why it is prepared.
Language and culture are inseparable. Language, over the years, has shaped culture in the way culture was shaped by language as well.
Therefore, a language is not just words. It is a culture, a tradition, a unification of a community, a whole history that creates what a society is.
By Judith Moraa
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