Vernacular: What Difference Does Any Language Make?

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I have always theorized on the importance of language. While it is an important asset to communicate, i always believe no language is superior to another.

The mastery of language is one thing, effective communication is another. Not everyone can communicate effectively, yet they can speak the language.

Like every country with tribes and communities, Nigeria is blessed with hundreds of languages.

These languages are so unique that some people from the same tribe have different dialects among them.

We have over 500 spoken languages in Nigeria with Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Fulfulde, Ibibio, Kanuri, and Tiv among the major ones.

As a nation, we aso carved our own unique language from English. This language is knowns as Nigerian Pidgin or Pidgin English. This is considered the second most spoken language by Nigerians.

Despite this richness, English was chosen as a general language to unite us and for us to communicate with the world effectively.

This language becomes the number one asset that one must have to be considered literate. It doesn't matter if you master other languages, you must be able to speak English to feel or be among and be respected.

Today, we praise this language so much that our original languages are dying little by little. Many people find it hard to even communicate in their own language.

They either don't know how to read or write it or they just choose to avoid it so as to be seen as learned and 'civilized'.

Today, we train and teach our children English language right from childhood. We tell them to avoid their unique and beautiful language.

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We shout at them when they do and just label our own language vernacular. How amazing you will say!

Going to school is one, being educated is another. If only these people know the meaning of vernacular they wont see it as taboo or something that must not be heard.

To be sure, vernacular means:

(of language) spoken as one's mother tongue; not learned or imposed as a second language. Source

If the above is true, English language is nothing but vernacular. It is native language of the English people. If we agree, then it is not a taboo to speak vernacular.

The difference between the English man and a Nigerian man is that he will never call his language vernacular or limit it against other languages.

An English man will not teach his child another language from childhood. They know, it is their heritage and their pride.

But we are who we are, always seeing ourselves as shadows and very quick to regard our own languages as taboos.

The earlier we know the importance of our own language, the better for our children not to be a mess as we are.

Stop limiting them or yourself to a foreign language. English man will not leave his language and start speaking yours. So i ask, how come you put theirs ahead of yours?

Think about the meaning of the word vernacular to see that every language is vernacular since each is mother tongue.

Thanks for your time.