It's all down to colonial mentality is what I'd say. If African languages die out, do Africans think they'll be more respected in the world when they can only speak English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Arabic etc ? They'll be in for a big and unpleasant surprise in future!
ciao --- In AfricanLanguages@yahoogroups.com, "Don Osborn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I was looking for something "official" on the web re Year of African > Languages (nothing so far) but found that the blog of "Okuwori" > (Sokari Ekine) at http://okrasoup.typepad.com/black_looks/ had this > same BBC item (Dec. 31) and a comment from a reader that might be of > interest: > > When I was in Naija.. I looked for some Yoruba literature books, as I > haven't read a book written in Yoruba for a very long time. > I was told by the book store owner that, the demand for both yoruba > and Igbo is diminishing. > I can definitely attest to the fact that the Yoruba spoken in Lagos is > not real Yoruba, it's broken down and a simpler version. > > I finally found 2 books in the whole of Abuja (written in Yoruba). > > I'm still reading one of them and have been since I got back. It's a > learning journey a re-education on a beautiful language, which I fear > is dying out. > > Our terminology is changing, you have kids in Nigeria in Yoruba towns > who cannot speak the language. and the same goes for Igbo Language. > > thankfully the Hausa language is not fading out like that. > > > --- In AfricanLanguages@yahoogroups.com, "Don Osborn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > FYI, a chance to make a comment about the importance of Africa's > > maternal languages. (Fwd from Africa_Net)... DZO > > > > > > For the BBC World "Africa Have Your Say" radio programme on 4 > January 2006 > > > > 2006: Year of African Languages > > > > Comments may be made via the web at this address > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4536450.stm > > > > As the continent marks the Year of African Languages in 2006 to help > > promote the use of the mother-tongue, does it matter if Africa's > > indigenous languages are dying out? > > > > Africa is the most linguistically diverse continent in the world, > > according to the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural > > Organization (Unesco). People speak close to 2,000 different languages > > which is a third of the world's linguistic heritage. > > > > New languages such as Kenya's sheng, a mixture of English, Swahili and > > mother-tongues, are emerging. But up to 300 languages have less than > > 10,000 speakers, which puts them on the UN's endangered list, and 37 > > are in danger of completely dying out in the next few years. > > > > So, if people stop speaking the old languages, what, if anything, will > > be lost? Why do people create new languages such as sheng? How many > > languages do you speak? Do you know of a mother-tongue that no longer > > exists? > > > > Send us your comments and experiences using the form on the right, or > > text us to +44 77 86 20 20 08. If you would like to take part in the > > Africa Have Your Say radio programme on 4 January 2006 at 1600 GMT, > > please include a telephone number. It will not be published. > > > Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
