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Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by odumchi: 8:58am On Dec 30, 2011
In my opinion, Nigerians are one of the world's potentially most-smartest people. Why? First of all brain power is developed at an early age. Studies have shown that the more we are exposed to at infanthood, the smarter we will be later on in life. The average Nigerian speaks atleast three languages (English, Pidgin, Ethnic language) if not four.

From birth, we are all exposed to the wonders of oral communication and this is our greatest advantage. Studies have also shown that children who speak more than one language are potentially 'more intelligent' than those who do not. Our diversity as a nation (both lingual and ethnic) is perhaps a great gift yet to be harvested. For example a boy born in Borno state may pick up English, Kanuri, Pidgin, and Hausa. A boy born in Akwa Ibom state may pick up English, Ibibio, Pidgin and Igbo and so on. I personally feel that our government is not doing enough to foster multilingualism in Nigeria and also failing to use this to our advantage. For example in certain areas, 'minority' languages are not being properly exposed and are thus dwarfed by the 'majority' languages.

Despite the fact that we are fractured into many culture groups and linguo-groups which can easily be an educational
advantage to us, people continue to see this as a plague and as 'division' rather than diversity'. However I believe that every negative is a plus in disguise.

What do you guys think?  cool
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by odumchi: 8:59am On Dec 30, 2011
Quote:
Second Language Brain Benefits Start in Childhood, Study Shows
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News
Oct. 13, 2004 -- People who are bilingual have an advantage over the rest of us, and not just in terms of communication skills. The bilingual brain develops more densely, giving it an advantage in various abilities and skills, according to new research.
Researchers Andrea Mechelli of London's Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience and colleagues, including experts from the Fondazione Santa Lucia in Rome, looked at brain densities of bilingual people.
First, they recruited 25 people who speak one language, 25 who learned a second European language before age 5, and 33 who became bilingual between ages 10 and 15.
All the participants spoke English as their primary language. Those who had learned a second language later in life had practiced it regularly for at least five years.
Bilingual Brains Do Better

The brain has two types of tissue visible to the Unclad eye, termed gray and white matter. Gray matter makes up the bulk of nerve cells within the brain. Studies have shown an association with gray matter density (or volume and intellect), especially in areas of language, memory, and attention.
Brain imaging showed that bilingual speakers had denser gray matter compared with monolingual participants.
The difference was especially significant in the brain's left side -- an area known to control language and communication skills. The right hemisphere of bilingual speakers also showed a similar trend.
The researchers say that although language is thought to be mediated by functional changes in the brain, they show that being bilingual structurally changes the brain. Their study shows the effect was strongest in people who had learned a second language before age 5.
In a second test, the researchers studied 22 native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between ages 2 and 34.
Those who had learned English at a young age had greater proficiency in reading, writing, talking, and understanding English speech.
As in the first test, increases in gray matter density in the brain's left region were linked to age at which a person became bilingual. The earliest second language learners had the densest gray matter in that part of the brain.
Of course, while it might seem easier to pick up a second language as a child, it's still possible to do so as an adult.
"Our findings suggest that the structure of the human brain is altered by the experience of acquiring a second language," write the researchers in the October issue of the journal Nature.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by AndreUweh(m): 1:13pm On Dec 30, 2011
It is a blessing and it has helped to enrich each others' language.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Afam4eva(m): 1:33pm On Dec 30, 2011
I think the government in addition to the NYSC scheme should make it madatory for every Nigerian to be able to speak any other Nigerian language that is not his/hers in addition to their own,
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by ChinenyeN(m): 5:23pm On Dec 30, 2011
Neither a blessing nor a curse. It just is what it is. How people choose to interpret and make use of the diversity is a different the question.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by odumchi: 6:50pm On Dec 30, 2011
Andre Uweh:

It is a blessing and it has helped to enrich each others' language.

Indeed, but to an extent.

afam4eva:

I think the government in addition to the NYSC scheme should make it madatory for every Nigerian to be able to speak any other Nigerian language that is not his/hers in addition to their own,

What do you mean by this? Although it seems like a good idea it can easily get complicated when the argument of "who speaks what" is involved. And besides, dot you think 1 year is too short to learn a language?
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by odumchi: 6:54pm On Dec 30, 2011
ChinenyeN:

Neither a blessing nor a curse. It just is what it is. How people choose to interpret and make use of the diversity is a different the question.

Yeah you're right. Everything in this world is neutral until looked at from a different perspective. However despite this, people aren't putting enough effort into language preservation and education.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Afam4eva(m): 6:55pm On Dec 30, 2011
odumchi:

What do you mean by this? Although it seems like a good idea it can easily get complicated when the argument of "who speaks what" is involved. And besides, dot you think 1 year is too short to learn a language?


I don't mean it to be as part of the NYSC scheme. It should start from secondary to the university level.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by odumchi: 7:03pm On Dec 30, 2011
afam4eva:

I don't mean it to be as part of the NYSC scheme. It should start from secondary to the university level.

Oh ok. Makes more sense that way then. Anyway, how do you think we, the populace, could ever convince government officials to implement these ideas?
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by ifyalways(f): 7:05pm On Dec 30, 2011
^You think that would change anything?I think not.

@Topic,BOTH!
plus(+) or minus(-) prejudice and ignorance.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Afam4eva(m): 7:07pm On Dec 30, 2011
ifyalways:

^You think that would change anything?I think not.

I think it will. I've studied Nigerians that are bilingual and i noticed that they tend to be more tolerant than those that speak just one language.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by ifyalways(f): 7:20pm On Dec 30, 2011
@Afam,yeah you have a point and there's where ignorance comes into play.Though some people,no matter their level of exposure,education etal are and would eternally be homophobic(used for lack of better words)hence a 'curse'(lol) to themselves not others.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Wbong: 10:25pm On Dec 30, 2011
French should be taught in secondary schools also
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Afam4eva(m): 10:30pm On Dec 30, 2011
God punish french. I think english is more than sufficient.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by odumchi: 11:29pm On Dec 30, 2011
afam4eva:

God punish french. I think english is more than sufficient.

What's wrong with French (not that I'm supporting it)?
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Relax101(m): 1:18am On Dec 31, 2011
Wbong:

French should be taught in secondary schools also

You are right.
The French people learn to speak English but the english speaking a little bit arrogant especially those from Africa.

I have studied the French speaking Africans and they seem cool and are very much willing to learn more.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by eghost247(m): 9:35am On Dec 31, 2011
ChinenyeN:

Neither a blessing nor a curse. It just is what it is. How people choose to interpret and make use of the diversity is a different the question.
spot on
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Nobody: 9:49am On Dec 31, 2011
I think that our diversity is inherently a strength, because if properly managed, we can evolve a highly tolerant, exposed and culturally colourful society.

Think of this: If as a Hausa man, for instance, I am willing to learn the culture and language of, say, an Igbo man, it will help me develop a broadness of mind and cultural openness that can hardly be obtained through other means.

I believe our diversity has only appeared a curse because we have been unable to develop the tolerance necessary for such cultural assimilation to take place. This has been borne out of our sense of being in a forced union. Methinks that if we do come out of a Sovereign National Conference as a united nation, we can develop greater tolerance for each other, and such cultural assimilation can be fully expressed.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by claremont(m): 9:50am On Dec 31, 2011
afam4eva:

I think it will. I've studied Nigerians that are bilingual and i noticed that they tend to be more tolerant than those that speak just one language.
Speaking multiple languages has not been known to have any correlation whatsoever with being tolerant.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Nobody: 9:57am On Dec 31, 2011
odumchi:

In my opinion, Nigerians are one of the world's potentially most-smartest people. Why? First of all brain power is developed at an early age. Studies have shown that the more we are exposed to at infanthood, the smarter we will be later on in life. The average Nigerian speaks atleast three languages (English, Pidgin, Ethnic language) if not four.

From birth, we are all exposed to the wonders of oral communication and this is our greatest advantage. Studies have also shown that children who speak more than one language are potentially 'more intelligent' than those who do not. Our diversity as a nation (both lingual and ethnic) is perhaps a great gift yet to be harvested. For example a boy born in Borno state may pick up English, Kanuri, Pidgin, and Hausa. A boy born in Akwa Ibom state may pick up English, Ibibio, Pidgin and Igbo and so on. I personally feel that our government is not doing enough to foster multilingualism in Nigeria and also failing to use this to our advantage. For example in certain areas, 'minority' languages are not being properly exposed and are thus dwarfed by the 'majority' languages.

Despite the fact that we are fractured into many culture groups and linguo-groups which can easily be an educational
advantage to us, people continue to see this as a plague and as 'division' rather than diversity'. However I believe that every negative is a plus in disguise.

What do you guys think?  cool
Doubt you've met an Indian teen, most I've met speak at least 3 languages apart from English.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by alienYOUTH(m): 10:14am On Dec 31, 2011
Curse ref: Tower of Babel.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Chiori(m): 10:16am On Dec 31, 2011
It doesn't have to be a curse. It is a blessing to us, as it adds many dimensions to our living as Nigerians.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by AndreUweh(m): 10:51am On Dec 31, 2011
The Idea of French is a noble idea. As Nigeria is sorrounded by french speaking countries, it is important we learn how to communicate with them.
Some years back, the ministry of education under Babs Fafunwa introduced an idea of schools in the west teach Igbo language; schools in the east teach Hausa and schools in the north teach Yoruba. But it has not been fully operational.
I know that in the west, some schools teach Igbo but it mostly Igbo kids who attend such classes. Why?.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by stagger: 11:01am On Dec 31, 2011
There is no reason why Nigerians should not be speaking at least three ethnic languages; the language of their ethnicity, one of the major languages and another of their choice.

Thankfully, I can speak at least 2 and if I complete my mastery of Hausanchi, that would make it 3.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Chiori(m): 11:07am On Dec 31, 2011
I speak Igbo and Efik fluently. Plus my impeccable English, and very good French.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by AndreUweh(m): 11:12am On Dec 31, 2011
stagger:

There is no reason why Nigerians should not be speaking at least three ethnic languages; the language of their ethnicity, one of the major languages and another of their choice.

Thankfully, I can speak at least 2 and if I complete my mastery of Hausanchi, that would make it 3.
Good.
Chiori:

I speak Igbo and Efik fluently. Plus my impeccable English, and very good French.
Good.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by emmke(m): 11:13am On Dec 31, 2011
am fluent in my dialect, hausa and english (pidgin as well). Relatively decent in igbo and yoruba.  cool cool
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Afam4eva(m): 11:52am On Dec 31, 2011
How come almost every northerner(idoma, Tiv, nupe, birom etc) speak hausa. were they taught in schools or what?
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by kizito96(m): 12:03pm On Dec 31, 2011
Nigeria is a victim of Geographical Error
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Switup: 12:58pm On Dec 31, 2011
Im screaming Wow from right. Ma gees ihope sey as u dey speak good french, u dey use mak good cash? French na moni 4 9ja, believe me, i speak french too
Chiori:

I speak Igbo and Efik fluently. Plus my impeccable English, and very good French.

kizito96:

Nigeria is a victim of Geographical Error
Haha, i jus dey laff, wetin u mean sef
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by firestar(f): 1:41pm On Dec 31, 2011
Another reason to leave our 'comfort zones'.
Proves yet again that all world languages started with ''one set of words.''
A blessing or curse? Acquire understanding first.
Re: Linguistic Diversity In Nigeria: A Blessing Or Curse? by Chiori(m): 3:45pm On Dec 31, 2011
@Swit up, I use French most of the time outside. When I am around I stay in Uyo, and so far there is nothing for us Francophones in that city.

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