Oyibo No Sabi English
I remember some of my students who are often in the habit of mixing up their tenses; and the kind of shame that flushes their faces when you correct their grammar more than once. Who will not be ashamed; especially when the individual sets out to impress with the "sophistication" of his/her diction? But we all manage, with the hindsight that we are all compelled to learn, speak and write another man's language. Sometimes, one needs to forget that he or she is a teacher and give thumbs up to the students for really trying!
The Real Shocker
You cannot talk about this without the understanding that back home, we believe that every "oyibo" knows how to speak English. Then imagine the consternation you get when you meet so many of them who do not even understand you because they know next to nothing in English.
English? That elusive almost incomprehensible language that reduces the best of us!
The very language that reduces the most loquacious of us to mute personae.
The same that makes the intelligent appear unintelligent.
The one that changes good intentions to malicious insults!
The language that reduces the most diginified to buffonery!
If you are still in doubt, ask Shina Peters about his statement: "I wish him quick recover (sic)"
Still not believing, ask politicians about statements such as: "I will water you!" "I will electrify you!"
Not convinced, ask the moneybag about his, "I donation five million, two cows, with my wife!"
And if you are a Thomas, perhaps you should meet the students that say or once said, "I didn't came late!"
Or you ask the nation and its president about leaving the south west in the hands of "rascals".
The country would have been spared the controversy generated by the latter if the speech was conveniently made in one local language.
But it is a different kind of shock to find not one "oyibo", but many of them that cannot speak a single word of English. It comes with it a certain kind of power and improved self-worth. It liberates one! Gives you a kind of confidence that intelligence is not a function of the language one speaks.
One is reminded of one of the numerous university days arguments that one was involved in. In this particular one I remember making a stir by claiming authoritatively that my now late grand mother, is not an illiterate simply because she is not lettered in English language. It earned me the rubric "Maazi"; a name I cherish and which I miss dearly because of its short-lived existence. On a second thought, I wonder why names hardly stuck to me! I wonder what my students call me. We use to have names for all our teachers; has the trend changes?
All around, one is surrounded by highly intelligent folks. We only have to learn to appreciate them even when equipped with horrendous grammar! We all have our moments of derailment too!
A student here wanted to write, "the basics of English language" but she ended up with "the basement of English language." While we condemn the grammar, we should be careful not to denigrate the thought. If we do, we might miss out on that one "thought" that will make us better than we presently are.
When laughing someone who is equipped with bad grammar in any language, we should be careful because the mockery could really boomerang!
The Real Shocker
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| Books, Biscuits, cheap air ticket, and reading lamp! |
English? That elusive almost incomprehensible language that reduces the best of us!
The very language that reduces the most loquacious of us to mute personae.
The same that makes the intelligent appear unintelligent.
The one that changes good intentions to malicious insults!
The language that reduces the most diginified to buffonery!
If you are still in doubt, ask Shina Peters about his statement: "I wish him quick recover (sic)"
Still not believing, ask politicians about statements such as: "I will water you!" "I will electrify you!"
Not convinced, ask the moneybag about his, "I donation five million, two cows, with my wife!"
And if you are a Thomas, perhaps you should meet the students that say or once said, "I didn't came late!"
Or you ask the nation and its president about leaving the south west in the hands of "rascals".
The country would have been spared the controversy generated by the latter if the speech was conveniently made in one local language.
But it is a different kind of shock to find not one "oyibo", but many of them that cannot speak a single word of English. It comes with it a certain kind of power and improved self-worth. It liberates one! Gives you a kind of confidence that intelligence is not a function of the language one speaks.
One is reminded of one of the numerous university days arguments that one was involved in. In this particular one I remember making a stir by claiming authoritatively that my now late grand mother, is not an illiterate simply because she is not lettered in English language. It earned me the rubric "Maazi"; a name I cherish and which I miss dearly because of its short-lived existence. On a second thought, I wonder why names hardly stuck to me! I wonder what my students call me. We use to have names for all our teachers; has the trend changes?
All around, one is surrounded by highly intelligent folks. We only have to learn to appreciate them even when equipped with horrendous grammar! We all have our moments of derailment too!
A student here wanted to write, "the basics of English language" but she ended up with "the basement of English language." While we condemn the grammar, we should be careful not to denigrate the thought. If we do, we might miss out on that one "thought" that will make us better than we presently are.
When laughing someone who is equipped with bad grammar in any language, we should be careful because the mockery could really boomerang!
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