yoruba and other african local languages going extinct, unless
TRANSCRIPT
A CASE FOR YORUBA AND OTHER INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES AKAYE EDE YORUBA
If care is not taken, the Yoruba Language and other native languages may become extinct after the next two generations…
A WARNING…
How would they go extinct and…
WHY?
There are three ways we engage with a language…
We Understand it. We Express it. We Impart it to the next generation.
UNDERSTANDING
EXPRESSION IMPARTATION
Generations far back… Back then before white men brought their language (English),both adults and youths can do justice to our indigenous languages.
Generations far back…
1. Could understand it.
2. Could express it. 3. Could impart the next
generation.
The language was all they had.
100%Both adults and youths
The Outgoing Generation… Just before the Independence and after it, things began to change as western education became accepted and Yoruba Language became second fiddle.
The Outgoing Generation...
Could express it.
70-80%
ADULTS YOUTHS
Could understand it.
Could impart it.
Could understand it.Could express it. Began to find it difficult to impart it. 80-
95%
The Current Generation… Just before and after the turn of the century to the present, adults can still understand the language but there is less impact on the youths.
The Current Generation...
Can still express it.
40-55%
ADULTS YOUTHS
Can understand it.
Find it difficult to impart it.
Can understand it.
Find it difficult to express it. Cannot impart it.
55-70%
The Incoming Generation… In another 25 to 35 years, if the current trend is not reversed, adults will be having a difficult time engaging with the language while the youths then will be almost clueless.
The Incoming Generation...
Find it difficult to express it.
15-30%
ADULTS YOUTHS
Do not understand it that much.
Cannot impart it.
Only understand it vaguely.Cannot express it. Cannot impart it.
30-40%
The Generation After… In another 25 to 35 years from the last example i.e. like 50 to 70 years from now, if the current trend continues, the Yoruba language will be almost totally lost.
The Generation After Next…
Cannot express it.
0-5%
ADULTS YOUTHS
Understand it vaguely.
Cannot impart it.
Don’t understand it.Cannot express it. Cannot impart it.
5-10%
And there goes...
Our Language
Our Culture
Our History
And there goes...
Our IDENTITY as people
It is not too late however to reverse the trend… Taking a snapshot of the current generation, certain questions arise:
IT CAN BE AVOIDED…
For the current adults…
How can adults understand the language better?
How can they express it the more?
How can they impart the next generation with their knowledge of the language?
For the current youths…
How can the youths understand the language well?
How can they express it better?
How can they begin to impart their generation and later the next generation?
Answers to these questions in a book… Coming out soon.
Akaye Ede
Yoruba M.D. Omisore
Twitter:
@mdomisore
Contact: