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Ajụjụ 1 Ripọtì
You are the main speaker in a school debate, the topic of which is: Bribery and corruption are worse enemies of our country than armed robbery. Write your speech for or against the topic.
Speech in Support of the Motion: Bribery and corruption are worse enemies of our country than armed robbery.
Mr. Chairman, accurate timekeeper, panel of judges, co-debaters, ladies and gentlemen. I stand before you this morning to speak in support of the motion which states that bribery and corruption are worse enemies of our country than armed robbery.
Before I proceed, permit me to define my terms. Bribery is the giving or taking of money or favours to influence a person in a position of trust, while corruption is the dishonest abuse of power for private gain. Armed robbery, on the other hand, is the forceful seizure of property with the aid of weapons.
My first point, ladies and gentlemen, is that of scale. The armed robber attacks a few victims in one night, but the corrupt official robs an entire nation for years. When funds meant for roads, hospitals and schools are diverted into private pockets, millions of citizens suffer. The armed robber steals thousands; the corrupt leader steals billions.
Secondly, corruption is more difficult to fight because it hides behind respectability. The armed robber is feared and hunted, but the corrupt person sits in a fine office, wears an agbada and is celebrated at ceremonies. He escapes justice because he can bribe his way out of every trap. Thus corruption not only commits the crime but also corrupts the very system meant to punish it.
Furthermore, corruption is actually the parent of armed robbery. When the treasury is looted, factories close, graduates roam the streets and hunger drives the desperate into crime. Remove corruption and you dry up the very swamp that breeds armed robbers.
Finally, corruption destroys the future. A stolen fortune denies children education and denies the sick their medicine. It kills silently, spreading poverty and death far beyond any gunman's reach.
Ladies and gentlemen, the armed robber wounds the body of one victim, but the corrupt person poisons the soul of the whole nation. On these grounds, I urge you all to support the motion. Thank you.
Akọwa Nkọwa
Speech in Support of the Motion: Bribery and corruption are worse enemies of our country than armed robbery.
Mr. Chairman, accurate timekeeper, panel of judges, co-debaters, ladies and gentlemen. I stand before you this morning to speak in support of the motion which states that bribery and corruption are worse enemies of our country than armed robbery.
Before I proceed, permit me to define my terms. Bribery is the giving or taking of money or favours to influence a person in a position of trust, while corruption is the dishonest abuse of power for private gain. Armed robbery, on the other hand, is the forceful seizure of property with the aid of weapons.
My first point, ladies and gentlemen, is that of scale. The armed robber attacks a few victims in one night, but the corrupt official robs an entire nation for years. When funds meant for roads, hospitals and schools are diverted into private pockets, millions of citizens suffer. The armed robber steals thousands; the corrupt leader steals billions.
Secondly, corruption is more difficult to fight because it hides behind respectability. The armed robber is feared and hunted, but the corrupt person sits in a fine office, wears an agbada and is celebrated at ceremonies. He escapes justice because he can bribe his way out of every trap. Thus corruption not only commits the crime but also corrupts the very system meant to punish it.
Furthermore, corruption is actually the parent of armed robbery. When the treasury is looted, factories close, graduates roam the streets and hunger drives the desperate into crime. Remove corruption and you dry up the very swamp that breeds armed robbers.
Finally, corruption destroys the future. A stolen fortune denies children education and denies the sick their medicine. It kills silently, spreading poverty and death far beyond any gunman's reach.
Ladies and gentlemen, the armed robber wounds the body of one victim, but the corrupt person poisons the soul of the whole nation. On these grounds, I urge you all to support the motion. Thank you.
Ajụjụ 2 Ripọtì
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Learning to speak one's language comes naturally to a human being; we learn it without formal instruction. But writing is an unnatural activity; it must be taught formally and studied deliberately. Indeed, many of the problems that arise in learning to write are simply problems of finding proper written equivalent for the various features of speech. The spelling of our words is a clumsy attempt to reproduce the sound of our voices. The punctuation of our sentences and the settings of paragraphs are designed to give some approximation of the pauses and intonation we use automatically to give shape and point to our speaking.
The writer of English (or any other language) loses a whole world of gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice the minute he decides to write something rather than say it aloud. He loses the immediacy of direct contact with his audience. If there were no compensation at all for all these disadvantages, then communicating with other people through the medium of squiggles on paper would be as unsatisfactory as trying to wash your feet with your socks on.
Writing takes more effort than speech, but the effort we make simply to capture our words on paper can also lead us to compose things that are worth the effort. The unusual energy that goes into achievement in any art or sport can and should function finally to help the individual increase his own powers and perfect his abilities. Three hundred and fifty years ago, a clever man pointed out that practice in speaking makes a man 'ready' or quick in his responses while practice in writing makes a man 'exact', helps him to polish and perfect his thoughts.
(a) Why did the writer say that writing is an unnatural activity?
(b) Give two specific examples of problems encountered in learning to write.
(c) Mention any two disadvantages that arise in written communication.
(d) What major advantage comes from the acquisition of good written skills
(e) ...that goes into achievement in any art or sport (i) What grammatical name is used to describe the above expression?
(ii) What is its function?
(f) For each of the following words find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it as used in the passage:
(i) deliberately; (ii) equivalent; (iii) designed; (iv) compensation (v) responses; (vi) polish.
(a) Why the writer said that writing is an unnatural activity: The writer said that writing is an unnatural activity because, unlike speech which a human being acquires without any formal instruction, writing does not come naturally and must be taught formally and studied deliberately.
(b) Two specific examples of problems encountered in learning to write:
(c) Two disadvantages that arise in written communication:
(d) Major advantage of acquiring good written skills: Good written skills help a person to be exact; that is, the effort of writing enables one to polish and perfect one's thoughts, composing things that are worth the effort.
(e) (i) Grammatical name: "that goes into achievement in any art or sport" is an adjectival (relative) clause.
(ii) Function: It qualifies (modifies) the noun phrase "the unusual energy," telling us which energy is meant.
(f) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Akọwa Nkọwa
(a) Why the writer said that writing is an unnatural activity: The writer said that writing is an unnatural activity because, unlike speech which a human being acquires without any formal instruction, writing does not come naturally and must be taught formally and studied deliberately.
(b) Two specific examples of problems encountered in learning to write:
(c) Two disadvantages that arise in written communication:
(d) Major advantage of acquiring good written skills: Good written skills help a person to be exact; that is, the effort of writing enables one to polish and perfect one's thoughts, composing things that are worth the effort.
(e) (i) Grammatical name: "that goes into achievement in any art or sport" is an adjectival (relative) clause.
(ii) Function: It qualifies (modifies) the noun phrase "the unusual energy," telling us which energy is meant.
(f) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Ajụjụ 3 Ripọtì
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Between 1921 and 1930, the population of Jos town rose from 8.000 to 11.000. These were very important years in the history of Jos town. It was in 1921 that the administrative headquarters of Jos Division was transferred from Naraguta to Jos. In 1926, Plateau Province was created with its headquarters in Jos also. The new province was carved out of the then Mubi, Nasarawa and Bauchi provinces. Jos, therefore assumed dual administrative functions as the divisional and provincial headquarters. A crop of new employees and labourers started moving into the city to serve the two administrations respectively. During the same period, the tin mining industry was experiencing a boom.
The boom was further buttressed by other developments in the area. In 1927, the Eastern Railway Extension reached its Jos terminus, via Kafanchan. A new era was in sight with promises of plenty for all, because the mining industry was passing through its greatest moment of prosperity. The said administrative change, the boom in the tin industry, the new communication network and similar developments on the Jos Plateau, created a myth of the wealth and prosperity in Jos. However, the boom was short-lived. By 1929 it receded, and then collapsed in 1931. The mine labourers were thrown out of employment and most of them trooped into Jos in search of food and shelter. During this depression, Jos was likened to a ghost city. The population of Jos shrank from 11,000 in 1930 to 9,000 in 1933.
By the mid 1930, the price of tin rose in the world market and the tin industry was about to pick up once more. A new characteristic feature of the growth of Jos came into sight. This was the influx of Indians and Levantines into Jos. This continued and increased after the Second World War in 1945. These were mainly traders, transporters and middlemen who, like their European counterparts, contributed in no small measure to the exploitation of Nigerians and the economy of the country.
The number of Europeans, up to the eve of independence in 1960, was second only to that of Lagos throughout the English-speaking West Africa. These white elements addressed themselves to the building of luxurious hotels for their exclusive use. The African elite, in their tradition as copy-cats, were not left behind. The European policy of segregation however, ensured that the Africans and the Europeans never mixed.
The European quarters were far removed from those of Africans. The provision of social amenities followed the same pattern. Thus, there were separate African and European hospitals, schools, clubs and the like. It is interesting to note that the situation has barely changed quantitatively since independence. The Nigerian elite in the civil service and the private sector have merely moved away from their own people into the positions formerly occupied by the Europeans.
(a) In four sentences, one for each, summarize the factors that were responsible for the growth of Jos as described in the passage.
(b) In two sentences, summarize the common features of the organization of social life in Jos as described in the passage.
(a) Factors responsible for the growth of Jos (one sentence each):
(b) Common features of the organization of social life in Jos (two sentences):
Akọwa Nkọwa
(a) Factors responsible for the growth of Jos (one sentence each):
(b) Common features of the organization of social life in Jos (two sentences):
Ajụjụ 4 Ripọtì
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
I am a foot taller than the tallest girl in my village and twice the weight of the fattest. On my only visit to a beautician. the woman said she found my face a challenge. Yet, despite these social disadvantages, I feel cheerful, happy, confident and secure.
Several years ago, I visited the city for the first time. and I saw something there that made me realize the stupidity of trying to conform - of trying to be like everybody else - even with particular physical disadvantages. There was a small plump woman all dressed up but looking really stuffed and funny in the fashion wear. She also carried a shooting stick. But because she was so plump, when she sat on the stick, it went deep into the ground and she couldn't pull it out. She tugged and tugged. tears of rage in her eyes. When the final tug brought it out, she crashed with it to the ground. I saw her walk away. Her day had been ruined. She had made a fool of herself in public. She had impressed nobody. In her own sad eyes, she was a failure.
But hardly anyone took any notice of her and her misery in the busy street. I remember well when I was like that in the days before I learned that nobody really cared what you did. And watching that miserable small woman as she walked away gave me renewed inspiration.
(a) Briefly describe two physical characteristics of the writer as shown in the passage.
(b) Why is the writer not bothered about her social disadvantages?
(c)(i) How did the woman with the shooting stick feel after the incident? (ii) Why was the feeling unnecessary.
(d) .... when she sat on the stick... (i) What grammatical name is used to describe the above expression? (ii) What is its function?
(e) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it in the passage:
(i) disadvantages; (ii) conform; (ii) tugged; (iv) miserable; (vi) inspiration
(a) Two physical characteristics of the writer:
(b) Why the writer is not bothered about her social disadvantages: She is not bothered because she has learned that nobody really cares what one does or looks like; she therefore feels cheerful, happy, confident and secure instead of trying to conform to others.
(c) (i) How the woman with the shooting stick felt after the incident: She felt humiliated and defeated; in her own eyes she was a failure who had made a fool of herself in public and whose day had been ruined.
(ii) Why the feeling was unnecessary: The feeling was unnecessary because hardly anyone in the busy street took any notice of her or her misery, so no one really cared about her mishap.
(d) (i) Grammatical name: "when she sat on the stick" is an adverbial clause of time.
(ii) Function: It modifies the verb "went" (it went deep into the ground), telling us when the action happened.
(e) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Akọwa Nkọwa
(a) Two physical characteristics of the writer:
(b) Why the writer is not bothered about her social disadvantages: She is not bothered because she has learned that nobody really cares what one does or looks like; she therefore feels cheerful, happy, confident and secure instead of trying to conform to others.
(c) (i) How the woman with the shooting stick felt after the incident: She felt humiliated and defeated; in her own eyes she was a failure who had made a fool of herself in public and whose day had been ruined.
(ii) Why the feeling was unnecessary: The feeling was unnecessary because hardly anyone in the busy street took any notice of her or her misery, so no one really cared about her mishap.
(d) (i) Grammatical name: "when she sat on the stick" is an adverbial clause of time.
(ii) Function: It modifies the verb "went" (it went deep into the ground), telling us when the action happened.
(e) Words and their replacements as used in the passage:
Ajụjụ 5 Ripọtì
You are about to leave school after spending six years as a student. Write a letter to the principal, expressing your candid views on the strengths and weaknesses of the school and giving suggestions for improvement.
Model answer: formal letter
Boarding House 3,
Command Secondary School,
Jos.
10 July, 2025.
The Principal,
Command Secondary School,
Jos.
Dear Sir,
MY CANDID VIEWS ON THE SCHOOL AS I LEAVE
As I prepare to leave this school after six memorable years, I wish, with all respect, to share my honest views on its strengths and weaknesses and to offer a few suggestions for improvement.
The school has many strengths for which I am deeply grateful. First, the teaching staff are dedicated and hard-working, and it is largely because of them that our examination results are consistently excellent. Secondly, the school maintains high standards of discipline and moral training, so that students leave here well-behaved and responsible. Thirdly, the wide range of clubs and sports has helped to develop our talents and confidence.
All the same, there are weaknesses that deserve attention. The library is old and poorly stocked, so that we often lack current books for our research. The science laboratories, too, are short of equipment and chemicals, which limits our practical work. In addition, the water supply in the boarding house is unreliable, causing great discomfort to the students.
I therefore humbly suggest that the library be expanded and stocked with modern books, that the laboratories be properly equipped, and that a dependable water system be installed. These improvements would make an already good school even better.
I thank you and the entire staff for all that you have done for me, and I shall always be proud to be an old student of this great school.
Yours faithfully,
Daniel Yakubu.
Key features expected: formal-letter format; balanced mention of strengths and weaknesses; constructive suggestions; respectful, sincere tone; good paragraphing.
Akọwa Nkọwa
Model answer: formal letter
Boarding House 3,
Command Secondary School,
Jos.
10 July, 2025.
The Principal,
Command Secondary School,
Jos.
Dear Sir,
MY CANDID VIEWS ON THE SCHOOL AS I LEAVE
As I prepare to leave this school after six memorable years, I wish, with all respect, to share my honest views on its strengths and weaknesses and to offer a few suggestions for improvement.
The school has many strengths for which I am deeply grateful. First, the teaching staff are dedicated and hard-working, and it is largely because of them that our examination results are consistently excellent. Secondly, the school maintains high standards of discipline and moral training, so that students leave here well-behaved and responsible. Thirdly, the wide range of clubs and sports has helped to develop our talents and confidence.
All the same, there are weaknesses that deserve attention. The library is old and poorly stocked, so that we often lack current books for our research. The science laboratories, too, are short of equipment and chemicals, which limits our practical work. In addition, the water supply in the boarding house is unreliable, causing great discomfort to the students.
I therefore humbly suggest that the library be expanded and stocked with modern books, that the laboratories be properly equipped, and that a dependable water system be installed. These improvements would make an already good school even better.
I thank you and the entire staff for all that you have done for me, and I shall always be proud to be an old student of this great school.
Yours faithfully,
Daniel Yakubu.
Key features expected: formal-letter format; balanced mention of strengths and weaknesses; constructive suggestions; respectful, sincere tone; good paragraphing.
Ajụjụ 6 Ripọtì
Write a story which ends with the words:... I really agree than a patient dog eats the fattest bone.
The Long Wait
When the new computer company opened its office in our town, hundreds of us rushed to apply for the few available jobs. I was among them, a fresh graduate with an empty pocket and a hungry ambition. The manager interviewed us in batches and then gave us strange news: only those willing to work for three months without pay, as trainees, would finally be considered for permanent employment.
My friends laughed the offer to scorn. "Three months of free labour?" Chidi hissed. "They want to use us and throw us away." One by one they walked out, and within a week most of them had drifted off to other things, some to okada riding, others to endless waiting at home. I too was tempted to leave, for the days were hard and my shoes wore thin from trekking to the office.
Yet something told me to stay. I reported early every morning, swept the office before others arrived, learned every machine, and asked questions until the technicians grew tired of me. The pay was nothing, but the knowledge was gold. Some evenings I went home too tired to eat, wondering whether I was wasting my time.
The three months crawled by like a wounded snail. At the end, the manager gathered the few of us who had remained. Of the dozens who started, only five were left. He looked at us with a smile and announced that the company was expanding and needed managers for its new branches. Because we had shown patience and commitment, we were to be trained and promoted ahead of new applicants who now flooded the gate.
That evening, I met Chidi at the junction. He was still searching, still complaining, still counting the money he had refused to lose. As I told him my good fortune, he shook his head in regret. Looking back at all I had endured and all I had gained, I really agree that a patient dog eats the fattest bone.
Akọwa Nkọwa
The Long Wait
When the new computer company opened its office in our town, hundreds of us rushed to apply for the few available jobs. I was among them, a fresh graduate with an empty pocket and a hungry ambition. The manager interviewed us in batches and then gave us strange news: only those willing to work for three months without pay, as trainees, would finally be considered for permanent employment.
My friends laughed the offer to scorn. "Three months of free labour?" Chidi hissed. "They want to use us and throw us away." One by one they walked out, and within a week most of them had drifted off to other things, some to okada riding, others to endless waiting at home. I too was tempted to leave, for the days were hard and my shoes wore thin from trekking to the office.
Yet something told me to stay. I reported early every morning, swept the office before others arrived, learned every machine, and asked questions until the technicians grew tired of me. The pay was nothing, but the knowledge was gold. Some evenings I went home too tired to eat, wondering whether I was wasting my time.
The three months crawled by like a wounded snail. At the end, the manager gathered the few of us who had remained. Of the dozens who started, only five were left. He looked at us with a smile and announced that the company was expanding and needed managers for its new branches. Because we had shown patience and commitment, we were to be trained and promoted ahead of new applicants who now flooded the gate.
That evening, I met Chidi at the junction. He was still searching, still complaining, still counting the money he had refused to lose. As I told him my good fortune, he shook his head in regret. Looking back at all I had endured and all I had gained, I really agree that a patient dog eats the fattest bone.
Ajụjụ 7 Ripọtì
You have been involved in an incident in which very many of your friends criticized your role. Narrate the incident to a close friend and defend the role you played.
15 Ekpiri Street,
Uyo.
10th July, 2026.
Dear Eno,
How are you and how is life in your new school? I have missed our long talks, and that is exactly why I am writing. Something happened here last week that has left many of our friends angry with me, and I need you, my closest friend, to hear my own side of the story.
You remember Bassey, the class captain? During the inter-house sports, he collected money from every student, claiming it was for refreshments. When the day came, there were no drinks, and he began to give flimsy excuses. Everyone grumbled quietly, but nobody dared to speak up. I could not keep silent. I reported the matter to our class teacher and asked that Bassey account for the money.
My friends were furious. They called me a traitor and a busybody. Some said I had disgraced a fellow student and should have settled the matter quietly. For days they refused to talk to me, and I felt very lonely.
But Eno, I do not regret what I did, and let me tell you why. First, the money belonged to all of us, and honesty demanded that it be accounted for. Second, keeping quiet would have encouraged Bassey to cheat us again. Third, a true friend is one who tells the truth even when it is unpopular. Shielding a wrong is not loyalty; it is cowardice.
In the end, the money was recovered and refreshments were provided. Slowly, some of my friends have come to admit that I was right, though a few still keep their distance. I have learned that doing the right thing is not always the easy thing, but it is always the wise thing.
Please write back soon and tell me what you would have done in my place. Greet your parents for me.
Your ever affectionate friend,
Mfon.
Akọwa Nkọwa
15 Ekpiri Street,
Uyo.
10th July, 2026.
Dear Eno,
How are you and how is life in your new school? I have missed our long talks, and that is exactly why I am writing. Something happened here last week that has left many of our friends angry with me, and I need you, my closest friend, to hear my own side of the story.
You remember Bassey, the class captain? During the inter-house sports, he collected money from every student, claiming it was for refreshments. When the day came, there were no drinks, and he began to give flimsy excuses. Everyone grumbled quietly, but nobody dared to speak up. I could not keep silent. I reported the matter to our class teacher and asked that Bassey account for the money.
My friends were furious. They called me a traitor and a busybody. Some said I had disgraced a fellow student and should have settled the matter quietly. For days they refused to talk to me, and I felt very lonely.
But Eno, I do not regret what I did, and let me tell you why. First, the money belonged to all of us, and honesty demanded that it be accounted for. Second, keeping quiet would have encouraged Bassey to cheat us again. Third, a true friend is one who tells the truth even when it is unpopular. Shielding a wrong is not loyalty; it is cowardice.
In the end, the money was recovered and refreshments were provided. Slowly, some of my friends have come to admit that I was right, though a few still keep their distance. I have learned that doing the right thing is not always the easy thing, but it is always the wise thing.
Please write back soon and tell me what you would have done in my place. Greet your parents for me.
Your ever affectionate friend,
Mfon.
Ajụjụ 8 Ripọtì
An elder sister of yours who has left school had confided in you in her last letter that she plans to elope with her lover whom your parents do not approve of. Write a letter to her advising against such action, and suggesting steps she could take to obtain your parents consent.
24 Ademola Road,
Ibadan.
10th July, 2026.
Dear Sister Bisi,
I received your last letter and I have read it again and again. I must confess that your plan to run away and marry Tunde without our parents' blessing has robbed me of sleep. Because I love you dearly, I cannot keep quiet. Please, sister, I beg you with all my heart, do not take this step.
Consider, first, the pain it will cause. Our parents have loved you and sacrificed for you since childhood. To elope is to repay that love with a wound they may never forget. A marriage that begins with tears in the home rarely ends in lasting joy.
Secondly, think of the danger to the marriage itself. When trouble comes, and trouble always comes, who will stand by you? A wife who leaves her family behind has no one to run to. The blessing of parents is a shelter you will need on many rainy days.
Thirdly, remember our name. In our community, an elopement brings shame not only on you but on all of us who bear the same surname. Do not exchange a lifetime of respect for a moment of impatience.
Now, rather than run away, let me suggest a better road. Encourage Tunde to visit our parents formally and introduce himself with respect. Let him come with a responsible elder or a family friend whom our father trusts to speak on his behalf. Show our parents, by patience and good conduct, that he is a serious and honourable man. Ask an aunt or uncle whose opinion Father respects to plead your case gently. Time and courtesy can soften even the hardest heart.
Sister, true love is patient. If Tunde is worthy of you, he will wait and win our parents properly. Please write back and tell me you have changed your mind.
Your loving sister,
Ronke.
Akọwa Nkọwa
24 Ademola Road,
Ibadan.
10th July, 2026.
Dear Sister Bisi,
I received your last letter and I have read it again and again. I must confess that your plan to run away and marry Tunde without our parents' blessing has robbed me of sleep. Because I love you dearly, I cannot keep quiet. Please, sister, I beg you with all my heart, do not take this step.
Consider, first, the pain it will cause. Our parents have loved you and sacrificed for you since childhood. To elope is to repay that love with a wound they may never forget. A marriage that begins with tears in the home rarely ends in lasting joy.
Secondly, think of the danger to the marriage itself. When trouble comes, and trouble always comes, who will stand by you? A wife who leaves her family behind has no one to run to. The blessing of parents is a shelter you will need on many rainy days.
Thirdly, remember our name. In our community, an elopement brings shame not only on you but on all of us who bear the same surname. Do not exchange a lifetime of respect for a moment of impatience.
Now, rather than run away, let me suggest a better road. Encourage Tunde to visit our parents formally and introduce himself with respect. Let him come with a responsible elder or a family friend whom our father trusts to speak on his behalf. Show our parents, by patience and good conduct, that he is a serious and honourable man. Ask an aunt or uncle whose opinion Father respects to plead your case gently. Time and courtesy can soften even the hardest heart.
Sister, true love is patient. If Tunde is worthy of you, he will wait and win our parents properly. Please write back and tell me you have changed your mind.
Your loving sister,
Ronke.
Ajụjụ 9 Ripọtì
Write an article for publication in a literary magazine on the need to promote the study of the indigenous languages of your country.
Our Mother Tongues Must Not Die
By Adaeze Okonkwo
Language is more than a tool for buying and selling in the market; it is the storehouse of a people's history, values and identity. Yet in our country today, the indigenous languages that our grandparents spoke with pride are steadily giving way to English. If nothing is done, we may soon raise a generation that cannot greet an elder, sing a folk song or understand a proverb in the tongue of its ancestors. For this reason, the study of our indigenous languages deserves urgent and deliberate promotion.
In the first place, our languages carry our culture. A proverb, a lullaby or a riddle loses its flavour the moment it is translated. When a child learns Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Efik or Tiv, that child inherits centuries of wisdom, moral instruction and communal memory. To abandon the language is to lock the door on this inheritance and to become strangers in our own land.
Secondly, mother-tongue education aids understanding. Research has repeatedly shown that pupils grasp concepts faster when they are first taught in the language they speak at home. A firm foundation in the indigenous language, far from being a hindrance, actually strengthens the learning of English and other subjects.
Furthermore, the promotion of indigenous languages preserves them from extinction. Linguists warn that a language dies somewhere in the world every few weeks. Once a language disappears, no dictionary can bring back the exact way its speakers saw the world. By studying and documenting our languages, we keep them alive for generations yet unborn.
How, then, can we promote their study? Schools should teach and examine indigenous languages seriously, not treat them as inferior subjects. Parents must speak the mother tongue at home instead of feeling ashamed of it. Writers, broadcasters and musicians should produce books, programmes and songs in these languages, while government should reward such efforts.
In conclusion, a nation that despises its own tongue despises itself. Let us therefore rise, in the classroom and in the home, to protect this priceless heritage. Our mother tongues must not die.
Akọwa Nkọwa
Our Mother Tongues Must Not Die
By Adaeze Okonkwo
Language is more than a tool for buying and selling in the market; it is the storehouse of a people's history, values and identity. Yet in our country today, the indigenous languages that our grandparents spoke with pride are steadily giving way to English. If nothing is done, we may soon raise a generation that cannot greet an elder, sing a folk song or understand a proverb in the tongue of its ancestors. For this reason, the study of our indigenous languages deserves urgent and deliberate promotion.
In the first place, our languages carry our culture. A proverb, a lullaby or a riddle loses its flavour the moment it is translated. When a child learns Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Efik or Tiv, that child inherits centuries of wisdom, moral instruction and communal memory. To abandon the language is to lock the door on this inheritance and to become strangers in our own land.
Secondly, mother-tongue education aids understanding. Research has repeatedly shown that pupils grasp concepts faster when they are first taught in the language they speak at home. A firm foundation in the indigenous language, far from being a hindrance, actually strengthens the learning of English and other subjects.
Furthermore, the promotion of indigenous languages preserves them from extinction. Linguists warn that a language dies somewhere in the world every few weeks. Once a language disappears, no dictionary can bring back the exact way its speakers saw the world. By studying and documenting our languages, we keep them alive for generations yet unborn.
How, then, can we promote their study? Schools should teach and examine indigenous languages seriously, not treat them as inferior subjects. Parents must speak the mother tongue at home instead of feeling ashamed of it. Writers, broadcasters and musicians should produce books, programmes and songs in these languages, while government should reward such efforts.
In conclusion, a nation that despises its own tongue despises itself. Let us therefore rise, in the classroom and in the home, to protect this priceless heritage. Our mother tongues must not die.
Ị ga-achọ ịga n'ihu na omume a?