The International Language Day is to be celebrated at the University of Ibadan on the 21st of February, 2007.
The Guest Lecturer is Professor Kola Owolabi. L.O. Adewole --- Don Osborn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The following item, seen on H-Swahili, is apparently > a letter to the > editor in the Daily Nation in response to Rasna > Warah's column. One > note about the mention in Warah's column of Gikuyu > being "spoken by > less than 6 million people" - Ngugi himself compared > that number to > the speakers of Danish, which no one scoffs at or > considers so > inconsequential as to not merit writing in... DZO > > > Don't let our languages die > Published: 2007/02/01 > http://www.nationmedia.com/ > > Africans and more so Kenyans are guilty of killing > their own > languages. Our leading writer, Prof Ngugi wa > Thiong'o idea of > reclaiming our history and memories by passing on > our languages to our > children is right. > > It's a terrible mistake for parents to view their > own languages as > shameful and incapable of expressing intellectual > ideas. They insist > that their children should speak English and other > foreign languages > creating what Prof Ngugi calls "Linguifam" and > describes as creating > 'little foreigners" in our homes. This practice is > thriving in most of > our families. > > Language is not only a means of communication, it's > also a way of > connecting to our roots and what makes us Africans. > We have subjected > ourselves to modern day language slavery. > > We must master our own languages before learning > foreign tongues. > > I strongly urge the Government to make compulsory > the learning of > Mother Tongue in the lower primary classes to > prevent our languages > from being archived. > > Though the teaching of Mother Tongue may be > difficult in the towns, > the Government should undertake the process in the > rural areas. > > LEMEILOI OLE NDILAI, > Kajiado. > > > > --- In AfricanLanguages@yahoogroups.com, "Don > Osborn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > FYI, this column from the Nairobi paper, Daily > Nation, was seen on > H-Swahili... DZO > > > > > > Re-Membering and recreating Africa through > language > > Published: 1/29/2007 > > http://www.nationmedia.com > > By: RASNA WARAH > > > > UNTIL I HEARD HIM speak, I always thought Kenya's > most celebrated > literary icon, Ngugi > > wa Thiong'o, was overstating the case for the > revival of African > languages in literature and > > in daily life. In a column I wrote for the > EastAfrican shortly after > his much-awaited > > homecoming in 2004 after 22 years in exile, I > wondered whether the > state of being in exile > > had contributed to Ngugi's nostalgia for his > mother tongue. Could it > be, I asked, that the > > author, feeling alone, lonely and alienated in a > foreign land, hung > on to the one thing - > > the Gikuyu language - that connected him to his > peasant roots in > Limuru? Would Ngugi be > > such a die-hard proponent of this language, which > is spoken by less > than 6 million > > people, had he remained rooted in his country? Why > did he not ... > > > Lawrence Olufemi Adewole Department of African Languages and Literatures Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria cellphone: 0803-471-4476 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Have a burning question? Go to www.Answers.yahoo.com and get answers from real people who know. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> 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/
