NAN-H-94
Language
By Lydia Ngwakwe
Lagos, Feb. 21, 2018 (NAN) Some children are not performing well in schools because they do not know how to speak their mother tongue fluently, a Professor of French Language and Applied Linguistics, Oluremi Sonaiya, has said.
Sonaiya, who lectures at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife in Osun, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
She said that parents contributed to their children’s poor performances and failure in school.
Sonaiya spoke at the occasion of 2018 International Mother Language Day with theme: “Linguistic Diversity and Multilingualism: Keystones of Sustainability and Peace”.
NAN reports that the International Mother Language Day (IMLD) is a worldwide annual observance held every Feb.21 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity, peace, multilingualism and to protect all mother languages.
The day was declared by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in November 1999.
Sonaiya said: “A child who is bilingual has great advantage over others who speak only one language, such as English.
“ Knowing an extra language is an advantage, because it has been shown that language learning is functional and boosts the intellect.
“The real problem facing children in schools is that many parents are not speaking to their children in their mother tongues; so children find it difficult to catch up in school.
“The reality is that children are able to learn several languages at the same time; so, knowing one language or making them to learn English only makes them poorer.
“As a linguist, I have always encouraged bilingualism, and I see competence in various languages as an enrichment of one’s life.
“Let us make efforts to let our children grow up to be, at least bilingual, with competence to speak and write the languages very well; it will be to their advantage,’’ Sonaiya said.
She said that bilingual education done in a systematic manner was appropriate for children, right from the primary school level.
“Children should learn both English and the language of the locality right from the primary school.
“If parents are not speakers of language of the locality in which they live, they can speak their own language to them at home.
“ I appeal to parents to ensure they teach their children their mother tongue because people operate best, express themselves clearly and learn faster in their mother tongue,’’ she said.
The linguist said that the challenge with mother tongue formal education had been tied to the problem of finding equivalents for some of the concepts which were in English.
According to her, this should not be a problem as there have been efforts to develop such translations for scientific concepts. (NAN)
LED/VIV/GOK
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Edited by Vivian Ihechu/Olagoke Olatoye