So What If I Don't Speak English Well?

I've always thought about this and have also mentioned it in passing
in previous blogs. When we speak English language better than the next
person does it make us more intelligent than that individual? Put more
succinctly, when someone "throws bomb" while trying to speak in
English language does it summarily mean that the character is
unintelligent. Do we have to judge a person's intelligence and
brilliance by his or her mastery of the English language?

The answers to these aren't far-fetched. Mastery of English language
isn't a true test of knowledge and intelligent because many a people
speak in good diction with little or no substance. Afterall, of all
the politicians and military criminals that have rules us, only a few
can lay claim to being able to speak fluent English language. But all
of them did not leave us in doubt of their intelligence in speech and
double-speak. Their brilliance is not in the sphere of creating better
life for Nigerians but to go on pilfering to the point of grabbing
things they have no need of.

Watching Olakunle Soyitan on TV being interviewed by our own dynamic
Teju Babyface yesterday, I was reminded that laughing at people who
cannot speak passable English doesn't make us any better in terms of
"strength of character, intelligence and brilliance." He also reminded
us that the Chinese, Japanese, German and other first world citizens
have no need for English language. And that because they learn in
their original language that they are better able to handle issues in
Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. He further stated that to
a Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa person that English language isn't real and
because of its artificiality to the average Nigerian it sounds hollow
and sometimes may not be able to represent his or her thoughts
adequately.

To all these, I agree!

Those who don't speak English well may harbour so much wisdom that one
cannot access if we continue to hear the bad diction and not the sense
behind it. Am not writing this for you only but for myself too. In the
past, once the preacher "fires" there's this mechanism in me that will
switch off instantly, causing me not to hear any further perhaps in
order to shield "my intellect" from damage. But I realised the
stupidity of it all when I met, in my present base, a pastor I love so
much but who speaks bad in English. It was a big problem for me at
first, but eventually I was able to overcome my inhibitions -
listening to the diction and not the message - I became liberated. Now
I can see and hear his intent not the words with which he tries so
hard to convey them.

Finally, for those of us who cannot speak it well. I beg you, speaking
English is not by force. Even when the next person doesn't speak your
own language, Pidgin English is still an option. Mr. Soyitan said and
I agree that "Pidgin is a result if a people's struggle with an
adopted language." He further remarked that it is unfortunate that in
Nigeria, speaking English makes an individual appear unlettered and
unschooled so much so that girls can reject a suitor for not speaking
English well.
I have changed. Speak English, Igbo or any other language to me, I
don't care. Just express your thoughts well and I will hear. But real
tragedy is when you can neither speak English nor you local dialect
well and you are too proud to use Pidgin! Hmmmm! I just can't help
your case! Just learn Lagbaja's song properly and use it to sign off
every sentence of yours when you speak. Here is the lyrics:

"If I fire and laugh/I don't care/Na the beginning of craze be that
(repeat as appropriate).