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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Education / “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” (15899 Views)
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Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by codemaniacs: 9:59am On Oct 31, 2016 |
k |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 10:07am On Oct 31, 2016 |
ibnjarir93:I now doubt it too myself And then cometh the day.......an Ab0ki is schooling me in English. We live in interesting times |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by musicwriter(m): 10:18am On Oct 31, 2016 |
adejaresalami1: But, if we were colonised by France, we would have been speaking French. What would've been your argument, then? |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by ibnjarir93(m): 10:20am On Oct 31, 2016 |
omonnakoda:"Abokis" don't understand English? |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 10:27am On Oct 31, 2016 |
ibnjarir93:They do but none at the level where they can school me. Proficiency is the most basic level of competence in language use Next to the proficient user is the Expert User and then the Master which is where I belong, without being immodest. For you to come here and claim one does not need to be proficient in English in other to be schooled in English is just bizarre. ibnjarir93: What is proficiency ![]() |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by musicwriter(m): 10:27am On Oct 31, 2016 |
CHANNELStv2020: Indeed, we are very stupid!. The very fact that we have people like the OP with this type of question, means we're extremely stupid as a people. Otherwise, how could someone with a university degree ask whether proficiency in English is a sign of intelligence? The fool asking this question have never looked into the relationship between language and education!. Sometimes, I just want to die! |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 10:30am On Oct 31, 2016 |
musicwriter:Well he did not ask if if is a sign of intelligence, in fact the word "intelligence" did not appear in the question at all, so clearly you have some comprehension challenges in addition to your innate "African" affliction that you alluded to |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by ibnjarir93(m): 10:34am On Oct 31, 2016 |
ibnjarir93:Mods why modify my "Abokis" with "Northerners"? |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by musicwriter(m): 10:35am On Oct 31, 2016 |
mickeyenglish: Noam Chomsky and other linguists even have a consensus that English is not even a good language for learning, but a language best for telling lies. |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by musicwriter(m): 10:53am On Oct 31, 2016 |
omonnakoda: African affliction? And I guess you have Euro-Aflliction. He/she asked whether a language "promote academic excellence"? What nonsense!!. Of course, "any" language in the world left to evolve on its own without imperial interference can promote academic excellence. Albert Einstein (one of the best Physisist) spoke German. Isaac Newton (the originator of laws of Physics) spoke English. Pythagoras (pioneer of mathematics and geometry) spkoke Greek. Dmitry Mendeleev (laid the foundation for Chemistry) spoke Russian. e.t.c,.e.t.c If a particular language was necessary for academic excellence; how come many scientists and scholars over the ages have excelled in their various native languages? How come Japan built technological wonders and went to the moon without speaking English? This clearly shows how mentally enslaved someone creating this thread is. Mere seeing this thread makes me annoyed. 1 Like |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 10:58am On Oct 31, 2016 |
musicwriter:Yes "African affliction" according to YOU Africans are stupid and this is clearly debilitating for you. You have put in your own interpretation into the question and for me that clearly underlines the need for people to master whatever language they communicate in, in this case English. Your ejaculations are quite interesting but totally tangential to the issue raised. Perhaps you should try and understand properly rather than project your neuroses blindly |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 11:00am On Oct 31, 2016 |
ibnjarir93:AB0KI ![]() |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by musicwriter(m): 11:02am On Oct 31, 2016 |
omonnakoda: And of course, the only reason you consider yourself educated is simply because you have few volcabularies in your arsenal you want to showcase for Nairalanders? Get behind me!! |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by ibnjarir93(m): 11:05am On Oct 31, 2016 |
omonnakoda:Proficiency "is the most basic level of competency"? Nothing more bizarre. How can a snob who claims that no Northerner "can school me" in English still lay claim to modesty? I do not need to talk about your ignorant categorization of English language speakers. |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 11:13am On Oct 31, 2016 |
ibnjarir93:Well that is what proficiency is whether you like it or not. Either you are proficient or you are not .If you are not proficient in a language you cannot receive meaningful instruction in that language. A 4 year old native speaker of any language with normal intelligence SHOULD BE proficient in that language An Expert is a more advanced user often with a technical proficiency in specific area(s) and then you have the Master or "Guru" i.e. a select number of folk like my humble self with an all encompassing proficiency and range of communicative power in the index language. It might be offensive but the truth is often unsavoury,my dear AB0Ki !! |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by Nobody: 11:17am On Oct 31, 2016 |
musicwriter:You do not get my point. Pls do not digress. My emphasis lay on the fact that the chinese used their languages for effectual tutoring and education. And it has helped them a long way. But even if were to use any of our local languages, which would we use? |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 11:22am On Oct 31, 2016 |
musicwriter:Honestly I have ONE vocabulary. I assume the spelling is a typo but it should be vocabulary and not vocabularies anyway. I am also a master of the Yoruba language as well. I consider myself educated not because of what I know but because of my thinking power there is a huge difference......... I do not need to know anything more than which questions to ask |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by Heavance(m): 11:28am On Oct 31, 2016 |
very funny people here are looking for excuses, and thereby mentioning China & Korea that speak one language generally. If Chinese are communicating in their language, they will all understand what they mean, same as Korea.... but when the Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Ibibio, Ijaw, Urhobo etc all type their opinions on nairaland.com, please tell me how we will understand anything? Those clamoring for mother tongue, please explain how you will communicate properly when you meet different people in your country, before you use China, Korea and others as an example, please understand why....... I realized people who just refuse to learn use this mother tongue thing as an excuse, especially those that just want to communicate in their language. Each time I speak English outside, I realize a particular tribe will just want me to communicate with them in their language even after realizing I am not from their tribe, then when I tell them to speak my language, na there Dem go dey do em em em. Is it bad if one can speak at least 3 languages in his life time? |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 11:31am On Oct 31, 2016 |
In summary the original poster is asking "should people speak English to their children at home in preference to their mother tongue as a way of enhancing their performance at school considering that English is the language of instruction at school?" That is my interpretation of his query. The way an educated mind would go about this (certainly one that passed through a university) would be to ask "what is the current knowledge on this subject? Is there any research recorded anywhere? Is there any experience from anywhere?,etc". The answer is that there is ,there is anecdotal evidence from our own experience and also from other places( or rooms). It is not an unreasonable question to ask and quite why he is being slated is a total mystery to me. A sad reflection on our young people and the quality of their thinking. Just insert this -------mother tongue vs english-- into google or any academic search engine.DO not be lazy and do not spout the first foolish opinion that jumps into your head but research the matter thoroughly Some work has been done in India,New Zealand and the Philippines |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by musicwriter(m): 11:54am On Oct 31, 2016 |
plavicc: May be I didn't read you well, but I was of the impresion you said something about China embracing English of recent. I' am not even saying we shouldn't study English, but that English shouldn't be placed above our native languages in schools. Yes, Yorubas should learn in Yoruba. Igbos should learn in Igbo. Hausas in Hausa. e.t.c,.e.t.c. They'll still use the same syllabus, but the content and the knowledge acquisition itself have to happen in our various native languages. That's what it means to be free!. In fact, Jehova's Witneses are already doing that. If you check their Awake and Watchtower publications you'll find them in our various native languages- Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Bini, Fulani, Efik, e.t.c. I have both the English and Igbo copy of their recent Awake magazine. I'll upload it here later. When we begin studying in our various native languages knowledge would simply explode and even overtake us. We will begin challenging western views and theories as we'll begin seeing things from our own perspectives!. Right now we cannot challenge western views because we think "flat" in a single English point on view imposed on us through slavery and colonialism. If we pull this string we will enter into an age of cultural and academic revolution across Africa. It happened in Britain. Remember, Britain was also partially enslaved and spoke the language of foreigners- ancient Britain spoke German, French, Latin, Greek which is the language their captors gave them. In 1616, Isaac Newton while in a meeting with fellow British scientists (who spoke Spanish, German, French) which was the language of educated people in Britain at that time, discovered science could better be discussed in their native English language. They then began translating science words from Greek, German, French, Spanish to English. That's why if you look up the etymology of most words in your various science disciplines; example, "nature" it will tell you its originally a Greek word "natura" after which it will tell you the English meaning. Intellectual laziness among African scholars, elites, and the so called educated people in Africa is the only reason we consider making the shift impossible. See below short videos- 20 minutes all. The origin of English language. Everybody should see these videos. The evolution of English language. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIzFz9T5rhI The origin of English language. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEaSxhcns7Y The history of English language. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3ZJuCbklqg How languages evolve. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWDKsHm6gTA 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by Nobody: 12:12pm On Oct 31, 2016 |
[quote author=musicwriter post=50650420] May be I didn't read you well, but I was of the impresion you said something about China embracing English of recent. I' am not even saying we shouldn't study English, but that English shouldn't be placed above our native languages in schools. Yes, Yorubas should learn in Yoruba. Igbos should learn in Igbo. Hausas in Hausa. e.t.c,.e.t.c. They'll still use the same syllabus, but the content and the knowledge acquisition itself have to happen in our various native languages. That's what it means to be free!. In fact, Jehova's Witneses are already doing that. If you check their Awake and Watchtower publications you'll find them in our various native languages- Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Bini, Fulani, Efik, e.t.c. I have both the English and Igbo copy of their recent Awake magazine. I'll upload it here later. languages knowledge would simply explode and even overtake us. We will begin challenging western views OKAY BRO. |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 12:14pm On Oct 31, 2016 |
musicwriter: It is not just intellectual laziness,in my opinion, the reasons are multiple and complex. To start with,prior to colonization we had no literary tradition and I believe it would be a completely different story if we had been literate and had some kind of literature base. The colonial experience burdened us collectively with strong feelings of inferiority whether one refers to the Arabic/Islamic colonization or the European/Christian colonization. Both have killed our gods and replaced them with theirs. Ideas like we must go to Mecca,or face Mecca when praying or bear Arabic names and pray in Arabic and the corollary in Christianity can only lead to one line of thinking both consciously and subconsciously i.e that we and our heritage are inferior and unworthy and should be deleted and replaced with a superior language,culture ,religion etc. This idea is very pervasive in our thinking and so our gods are now "idols" and our practices "fetish". If we do not refurbish our gods and worship them in OUR OWN LANGUAGE then we can start the funeral rites for our language. The power is not with intellectuals but religious leaders. I have read the Quran several times and there is no where that it requires non-Arabs to learn Arabic or worship in Arabic but there is so much vested interest tied to that idea and people will even kill you for saying it. The Quran says in 14.4 And We never sent a messenger save with the language of his folk, that he might make (the message) clear for them. Then Allah sendeth whom He will astray, and guideth whom He will. He is the Mighty, the Wise. Let us stop looking to Mecca and Jerusalem for language and civilization and start believing in our selves 1 Like |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 12:14pm On Oct 31, 2016 |
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Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by musicwriter(m): 12:35pm On Oct 31, 2016 |
omonnakoda: When you people talk about religion as our problem it shows how deep western indoctrination has sank us. Both religion and education were brought to us by the missionaries at the same time. Religion is not ours!. Education is not ours!!. The real indoctrination was happening and is still happening under the so called education, whereas religion was serving the purpose of killing the will for uprising or revenge by Africans. The worst attack on Africa by the colonialists was the destruction of our native languages, which then destroyed our original system of knowledge acquisition- Education. This is why.............................. Language is like a seed. Within a seed contains all what the seed needs to become a tree. If you plant a seed it would grow and have every other thing it needs. It would have stem, branch, leaves, roots, fruits, e.t.c. That's how language is!!. If you destroy a seed, you've also inadvertently destroyed a tree!. You've destroyed stems, branches, barks, leaves, roots, fruits, e.t.c. Therefore, if you destroy a language you've destroyed everything about those who own the language!!. If you destroy the language of a people, you'll also destroy their culture, religion, ideals, heritage, history, point of view, tradition, e.t.c, e.t.c. That's exactly what the slave masters and colonialists did. They made sure they destroy our languages by banning it while putting their languages as our official language and forcing us to acquire knowledge with it. Acquiring knowledge in their language was the second worst disaster. Because, that means we can no longer challenge their views as over time we have grown to become ''educated fools''. Indeed, its because we were schooled to think like fools that's why they literally told us they're saints and we believed them!. Adolf Hitler said ''let me control the textbooks and I'll control the mind of the nation''. What we need do is uproot the brainwashing education we inherited from Britain and France and return to learning in our natural languages- Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Efik, Ibibio, Tiv, Ijaw, Zulu, Zona, Swahili, Nupe, e.t.c, e.t.c. Each African tribe should return back to studying in their native languages. Africa cannot develop until we return to speaking and writing in our native languages in school. We must be masters of our various languages by using them in schools to acquire knowledge. It would naturally lead us back to ourselves over time. Religion that you blamed for our backwardness is just like a branch of tree, not the seed, not even the root. Because, knowledge about the bible and koran was acquired via brainwashing western education!. Don't we have christian and islamic studies in our school curriculum today? Are those working in our ministry of education not educated? Of course, they've been indoctrinated by western education such that they believe religion should be a subject in school!. It is not religion that makes them teach religion in school. Its education!!. Worshiping of foreign gods is just one of the hundreds of symptoms of what's wrong with the African mind. So, why cutting the branches?. Why not uproot the brainwashing education itself?. It's such a pity we no longer remember what we have today is not true education but an indoctrination fed us by the British and French. Why even blame religion?. Is religion the principal way white people control Africa?. Of course, not!. White people control us in all areas!. White people also control YOU African Atheists or Pagans. If you studied Chemistry in school, it's white man's point of view about Chemistry. If you studied Biology, it's white man's thoughts about Biology. If you studied Economics, it's white man's knowledge of Economics. If you studied Geography, it's white man's model of Geography. e.t.c, e.t.c. So, no matter what you studied in school as an African, it's always white man's point of view about that branch of knowledge. So, stop hiding your head in sand like the Ostrich. Remove the plank in your eyes before removing the speck in your brother's eye. The intellectual superiority white people exert over us is so big that a white man boasted to me recently saying " Everything around you. Your career, weather engineering, Social Sciences, Arts, Medicine, Your Car, House, Clothes, phone. Everything, I mean everything is a product of white man's Ingenuity". As you can see above, this white man understands you cannot be a truly educated African, even if you hold a PhD. He knows there's no education going on in Africa. Its YOU that has been fully indoctrinated that consider yourself educated, but they know your educational indoctrination is exactly as strong as the religious indoctrination. Whether you are a religious person or educated person, its the same indoctrination by the same white people!. They gave you both religion and education!!. He had the audacity to say such to me because he understands we're being fooled with what they fed us as education during colonialism, but YOU don't know!. He understands that knowledge is only knowledge, if they say so. He understands they create knowledge and that all we can do in Africa is copy and paste. Yet, the saddest part is that while white people understands the damage and how western education mess up our minds, but the so called educated Africans don't!. Until African nations re-invent education and eschew from what Fela Anikulapokuti called ''follow follow'' we'll remain in this situation of looking up to white people as a standard for knowledge creation. You all African atheists must swallow your prides and drop your egos, then, come to the realization the supposed education you have is no better than the white man's religion. Your education is also a product of the white man's deceit, therefore, you're also as brainwashed as any bible or koran believing African. A reason the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Muhammad II, said ''every African is a victim of colonialism''. We all have been fooled!!. In fact, Lord Kwame Nkrumah, the father of African independence, after schooling in three US universities and earning lots of degrees, came back to Africa with all his degrees and he shed tears saying ''western education is a fraud''. He feared that education in Africa would create what Bob Marley called ''educated fools''. I've researched the problem with education in Africa and I know exactly what the problem is. In order for Africa to be COMPLETELY free, in order for Africa to develop we must create a model of education that’s grounded in African philosophy, ideals, point of view, history, culture, e.t.c. A model of education without colonial hangovers. The same model of education the Japanese have used to acquire knowledge to build technological wonders and went to the moon without western influence. I’m talking about a model of education that will work for Africa!. Join me let's re-invent education in Africa. For details see this link http://www.africason.com/2015/10/intellectual-slavery-most-dangerous.html |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 12:54pm On Oct 31, 2016 |
musicwriter:It may help you emotionally to type that long epistle but be assured I will not read it. Make a habit of saying less than you know and not more than you know. Too many words rarely bring wisdom |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by uzolexis(f): 1:11pm On Oct 31, 2016 |
EdoBoy90: The only official language we can have without any group feeling marginalised is Pidgin. Other countries colonised by the british are not the same as Nigeria, Ghana's official language is English and Twi, kenya, Tanzania and some other east African countries have Swahili and this is possible cos almost all of them speak these languages. There is really no particular language that majority of Nigerians speak. I think we should keep our official language as English but parents should endeavor to speak their native language to their kids. |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by musicwriter(m): 1:21pm On Oct 31, 2016 |
omonnakoda: Then, I'll advise you not to quote me again in future, if you can't engage in intellectual debates. Discusions like this require one to type long epistles. I read all of yours and remain ready to read them, if you think you can sustain your argument. |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 2:03pm On Oct 31, 2016 |
musicwriter:I will quote you when I like not necessarily for your appeasement but "for the record" and when I like I will ignore you. Breezy bombast does not an intellectual debate make so do not flatter yourself. You are not capable of debate First you say Africans are Stupid . then you say The ONLY reason we cannot make the shift to our own languages is Intellectual laziness. Well certainly those two assertions cannot go unreplied. I do NOT think Africans are stupid though I cannot speak for you. Secondly for you to assert there is ONLY ONE reason for such a complex issues shows your depth or rather lack of it. You make assertion after assertion based on nothing other than the fact that they are ideas that seem pleasing to you and you expect me to read your emetic twaddle? Don't be absurd!!! |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by Ugosample(m): 2:05pm On Oct 31, 2016 |
musicwriter: I have noticed you overtime and even tho I don't agree with all your points, I have to say that you are quite informed. That said, I have just one point to make, In my view, I think that what makes a country developed/knowledgeable goes beyond language, as there are many countries who speak their "own" languages yet are not developed. Sri Lanka, Belarus etc comes to mind here..... What do you have to say about that? |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by musicwriter(m): 2:41pm On Oct 31, 2016 |
Ugosample: Speaking your native language is one thing. Using your native as a language of knowledge acquisition is another. Sri Lankans may speak their native language, but if you go there you'll find out knowledge acquisition happens in the language of their colonizers. Sri Lanka actually suffered severly from Portuguese colonization, Dutch colonization, and then British colonization. No colonized country was allowed to use it's native language for knowledge acquisition. Native languages were deliberately destroyed by the colonists in order to deny the colonies their identity, pride, culture, and sense of nationality. No nation has ever become great speaking the language of foreigners. It was actually stated in the bible at Genesis 11:6. The basic tool for development is speaking one native language. If you destroy the power of natural syntax and word formulation, you'll eventually destroy the culture that own such language in the long run. Someone posted it earlier that Noam Chomsky (the most intelligent person alive) and his team also proved this in an independent research. Please read the link on my signature, part1 and part2. |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by EdoBoy90(m): 2:48pm On Oct 31, 2016 |
omonnakoda: Young man he is right |
Re: “Does Speaking Of English As First Language Promotes Academic Excellence?” by omonnakoda: 2:50pm On Oct 31, 2016 |
Actually many nations have become great speaking the language of colonizers. Great Britain being one Example. The original inhabitants were Angles and Saxons . A germanic people who were invaded by Normans (French) and also the Romans. There are countless other examples. A little knowledge is a very dangerous thing indeed because its possessor often think they know it all when indeed they know NOTHING |
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