Decolonising the mind: What's in a language?

| Tuesday June 1, 2010 00:00

The mastery of language has intricate links to a people' identity; what they perceive about themselves and the core of who they are. What is clear about this line of thought is that the more you speak your language, the more you better understand your roots, the meaning of what you are and better articulate your individuality.

Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, a celebrated pan-African writer, notes in his 1986 publication 'Decolonising the Mind' that language is a bearer of the identity, culture and customs of any people. Language of any given people is rich in proverbs, axioms, idioms and other forms of expression that are rooted in the rich values of the people's history and heritage. In our African folklore, for example, our grandmothers recited to us through music and dance our African stories and legends. We were taught what we are in our own language.

Stories about Tshaka ka Senzangakhona, Mzilikazi wako Khumalo and Kgosi Seretse, among others, formed the backbone of our traditions. Through oral tradition, we were taught about our forefathers and their values, a good foundation for the understanding of our customs and heritage. Today, Africa - the cradle of mankind, the melting pot of resources, history and art - is home to English-speaking, Portuguese-speaking and French-speaking black Africans who hold European languages in high regard. Our primary schools disregard our mother tongue. Our children, cousins and siblings are being taught to love English. In primary school, we were taught to report anyone who used a 'vernacular' language to the teacher because English, the Queen's language, was the language we had to learn and master.

How is this affecting our children, the future and us? I have heard parents speaking to their children at home in English, a language they can never get right no matter how hard they try. Unless you are born in Britain or in an English-speaking country, you can never claim knowledge of English in its truest sense. If Africans are speaking in English on CNN, the channel uses subtitles because of the 'ascent.' So for the benefit of their viewers, your 'comments' are 'interpreted.' So much for your love of English!

I will refer back to the connection between human capacity for culture and language, which cannot be separated.Language is a vehicle that takes the individual to 'self'. You cultivate your identity and consciousness when speaking your own language. Only few recognise that. You find executives who sit in board meetings speaking in English when they can all speak fluent Setswana or Zulu or Swahili. Have you ever heard of the British trying to speak French in a meeting? Or worse still, Xhosa? A company with Zezuru executives and employees will flight a vacancy advert stating that knowledge of English is a must. How ironic! If we do not promote our own languages, who will? If Ngugi's insight is anything to go by, we are far from understanding that which we are.

The more we speak other people's languages, the more we alienate ourselves from our own identity. Africa's identity crisis begins and ends with our disregard for the treasure that carries our history, which is our language. It could be this identity crisis that makes our wives, girlfriends or sisters attach long artificial hair to their heads and use expensive skin-lightening products that have shocking side effects. Some go to the extent of getting eye contacts so as to have 'blue eyes'. I have heard a few call each other 'blondes' or use the 'b' word. This is sad but funny, considering the fact that it has been over 150 years since Africa was divided during the Berlin Conference in the 1880s but the footprint of the 'Master' lives on to this day. African languages risk a slow painful death if we do not hold them act. When our languages are lost, the same will happen to our history, customs and, above all, our identity. Can we ever be British because we speak English? I doubt it. At the end of the day, what is an AfricanWhat language does he speak? Which values does he uphold?

This is not to say English or any foreign language is bad because this article is also written in English. However, let your mother tongue be the marrow of your bones because it is more than just a language. It carries the essence of what you are. English and other languages are good because the world is bigger than your home village. Know yourself first and have your dreams in Kalanga or Ndebele, and then speak good English on your next trip to Kenya where they do not understand Setswana.