Learning an African language is the future.
— by Joshua Ufedo Baba, for Ayekoo Afrique
Africa is our home, the home of humankind. It is a continent showered with beauty, crowned with splendour and decorated with diversity. But you cannot call it home without knowing her heart. Just as a child rocked by her mother to sleep, Africa holds each and everyone of us dearly. The child trusts the mother because she speaks a language he understands, how then can we call ourselves children from Mother Africa without understanding the way she connects with us, Her language?
Whether you believe the tower of Babel story or not, we all get to understand that we speak various languages across the world. With Africa not being an exception, you are sure to find a Ghanaian who speaks Ga which is quite different from the Yoruba spoken in Nigeria, the Isizulu and Shona in Southern Africa, the Swahili and Luo in East Africa and the Lingala in Central Africa. So learning an African language won’t just be a leisure activity but rather a point to dig into the diversity in Africa, and also a joint rescue programme to save African languages from extinction.
To learn an African language, you should know that the various languages sound more expressive and quick to action than it actually should. That is the reason African languages are laced with metaphors, idioms, onomatopoeia, and proverbs. To show the uniqueness of African languages, proverbs are used to communicate meaning that might sound abstract at first but totally subtle once you get to understand. Chinua Achebe confirmed this in his novel “Things fall Apart”, where he quoted,
“Proverbs are like palm oil with which words are eaten”.
So to learn, you have to open not just your heart, but your bodily expression.
Secondly, the only way to get the attention of an African man is speaking his language. It sparks a kind of uniqueness especially when it comes from someone outside his tribe or locality. Nelson Mandela understood this and gave a profound reply on it,
“If you speak to a man in a language he understands, it goes to his head. If you speak to him in his language, it goes to his heart”.
We would love to undergo this journey as we hope it works out for us all. One thing we should understand at this start is that while language repels and divides us, it has the power to unite us. Though our tongue may differ, in brotherhood (Humanity) we stand.
You may want to know how to start expressing yourself in various African languages such as Ga, Yoruba, Twi, and Ibibio when visiting the motherland, Africa, and Ayekoo Afrique is here to make that an easy task for you.
Take your first step towards learning any African language– Book a lesson now!
