Why are we scared of speaking our Language???

[QalQaali]

Asalmu Alaykum to you all.

 

I took my young cousin to school as she was having peroblems, just before we stepped in to her class she asked me not to speak with her somali. I was shocked as she is only 5 yrs old.... so who is to blame here as she speaks very good somali when she is at home but scared to speak somali when she is in school with her friends?????

 

 

I personaly blve we should encourge our youngsters to speak their mother tongue any where and feel confidnt with it..

 

_____________________________________________

 

CAR I SALAN.

CAR I XAMO.

CAR ILA HADAL.

CAR ILA SHEEKAYSO.

[Wiilo]

Heedhe Inantaada Afka Sameyso...

[Tuujiye]

Blame some of the people here in SOL who don't speak somali because they think is (reer baadinimo)................

 

p.s...C.K, kab dacas ah ama kab waterbroof ah

laq......Af xumaa ma xalanee ku halatay...

 

wareer badanaa!!!

[bilan]

it is not only somali kids,all immigrants' children are like that, with the exception of hisbanics maybe because they do not want to be unique, your cousin is not ashamed of speaking somali.she is just trying to fit in,she does not want to be different.

to garab, dadka qaarkiis ma yaqaaniin sida loo qoro ama loo akhriyo somaliga,so what is the point inaan somaali ku qorno hadii 5% kaliya ay na fahmayaan. give people the benefit of the doubt.

[Blessed]

Originally posted by Garab Tuujiye:

Blame some of the people here in SOL who don't speak somali because they think is (reer baadinimo)................

How is that so?

 

Qalqaali,

At that tender age kids just want to fit in, they don't want to be seen as different and won't know the value and benefits of being bilingual.

 

And who can blame the sweet darlings?

 

They're being brought up in a confusing system. Until recently, the education system (UK and the US) placed negative connotations on other less 'prestigious' languages (i.e Somali), English was the language to speak and more often than not – children got into trouble for speaking their home language at school…. Maybe you should ask your niece why she didn’t want to speak Somali at school.

 

In the class room where the kids spend most of their day this negative view of superior languages was instilled into them by teachers. I’ve seen silly, ignorant teachers who ask whether parents still speak their home language with their kids… and how are they going to learn English if they continuo to do so.. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

I always tell kids that speaking another language means that they're smarter then those who don't (which is a psycho-linguistic truth). That usually does the trick.

 

And of course...

You can kick-start the process by speaking with them in Somali, telling them Somali storeys, children’s rhymes, etc.

 

Many parents don't do that, some rather practice their ESOL material on the kids... yet they complain when their child grows up not knowing Somali. :rolleyes:

[OG_Girl]

I agree with you Lady_X. No one likes to be different , specially when you in deep inside you know you are different than others..I used to hate my dad's accent when he comes to school he had different accent than rest except teachers ..lol.

 

majority language or diolag is superior and kids hate to be different than their friends.

 

 

Salam

[SomeAlien]

well if i remember correctly, kids tend to tease and make you miserable when yr different. at 5, shes probably getting enough questions like why do you dress (or yr parents) funny? why is yre skin like that? why comes yr gums arent pink bt dark? (im flashing back to my own memories here) basically kids will ask all kinds of questions, sometimes to be mean and point out a difference other times out curiousity. either way, it puts her in an uncomfortable position and may, if not checked early on, result in her disliking the stuff that makes her different. help her gain some self confidence on the subject, go talk to her.

 

 

btw, i dont think anybody on this site thinks its reerre badiyonimo to speak and write somali. if anything, they (me included) feel left out when entire discussions are held in aff somali. i dont mind comments, bt an essay lenght reply will just make my eyes cross.

[Jacaylbaro]

Qalqaali,

 

Horta inta aanan akhriyin qoraalkaaga baan aad ugu qoslay magacaaga (QALQAALI).

 

Second, inta aynaan wax kele samayn horta gabadhaada yar ku qasab inay af soomaaliga ku hadasho ,,,,, ama ka dhaadhici si fudud.

[Passion_4_Fashion]

wiilo iyo tuujiye..... runta un baan sheegaayay, laakiin waxaan idin weydiiyay erayo aad ku qanacsan tihiin miyaa inaan ku hadlaa?

 

laakiin wixi aan qoray yaa tirtiray?

[Wiilo]

Bal Eeg This Article:

 

Why young Somalis need to learn this language

By Mohamed Mukhtar Ibrahim

 

 

Before a word is written on the following subject matter, let me put it straight right from the outset that it may seem utter irony to discuss why the Somali language is important while using another language to deliver the discussion. There is a simple explanation. The essence of this article requires the engagement of young Somalis who grow up where the Somali language is not the leading language.

 

Furthermore , the title includes ‘this language’ instead of ‘their mother tongue’. But what is the mother tongue for the Somali children who do not speak the Somali language? First language or native language is the language that a child learns from his family. Again if a child is not able to speak the language that his family speaks but able to speak the language of the country his family resides in, what is his native language?

 

Over a decade of civil war throughout Somalia led to sweeping wave of migration and like any other uprooted community, Somalis, especially those in the developed countries, are facing one big challenge, the assimilation process. This process is fraught with many challenges. Apart from anything else, parents wish for their children to adopt the host society while retaining their culture and values, and the Somalia language is the focal point of the challenge. Most of the old generation have the highest esteem and reverence for the Somali language but the young generation score it differently, as they find it difficult to maintain a foreign language which is not the main language spoken in their adopted society.

 

For instance , the summer of 2003, my house looked as if it was the European headquarter rather than a house occupied by Somalis. We had British Somali, Swedish Somali and Dutch Somali children who could not talk to each other because there was no common denominator language, so the parents had to render all the translation services. This perceptibly indicates the old adage, Somalia is one of the most ethnically homogenous countries in Africa, is in a big contention. This leads us to examine why young people who grow up outside Somalia need to learn the Somali language.

 

Role . It is patently obvious that the Somali language is not a dominant language in Europe or America but it has a bigger role in different parts of the world. Dr Mohamed H Rabi hymned the role of the Somali language “It is one of the official languages in Djibouti Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, about 20 million speakers. Most of the education systems of these countries teach it either as a subject or use it as a medium of instruction or both. There are over 20 radio and TV stations that broadcast some of their programs in Somali around the world. Because of the refugees there, several European countries teach the language to Somali children. Few universities such SOAS, Swedish Academy in Uppsala and Rome University are active in specialized studies about the language.â€

 

Value . What makes you a true Somali is your ability to speak the Somali language as it connects you to your culture and heritage. What's more, it enables you to understand your history and identity. On the whole, Somalis are considered oral society where their history, culture, and tradition use speech facilities to pass from one generation to the next. Consequently, anyone who is unable to speak the language naturally remains excluded to log on this rich culture.

 

Bond . The language generally creates a sense of security and trust. For instance, the moment a person walks in an office and meets someone who speaks Somali, the visitor feels safe and reassured. Sometimes, it even fosters a distant relationship. A nine-year-old girl from Hammersmith, London, told her friends “I feel good when I speak to my grandma who is in Somalia . I also feel closer to her than my mum.†The close relationship between the girl and her grandmother could not have flourished if the girl was not bilingual.

 

Likewise , Somalis prefer to marry someone from the community and if you cannot communicate with your in-laws, it would be hard to form relationships. When a person who does not share physical traits with the majority of Somalis speaks the language, it automatically creates a unique aura of excitement and implants a bond between the concerned parties. Occasionally, it may even leave you dumbfounded when you realise your tittle-tattle is not a secret anymore because of the present of people who know the Somali language.

 

Advantage . Bilingualism can increase opportunities and choices. However, some argue that it is confusing for a child to be taught more than one language during early childhood. But the Linguistic Society of America says, “ There is no evidence to suggest that it's any harder for a child to acquire two languages than it is for the child to acquire one language. As long as people are regularly speaking with the child in both languages, the child will acquire them both easily. A child doesn't have to be exceptional or have any special language ability to become bilingual; as long as the child is exposed to two languages throughout early child- hood, he or she will acquire them both.â€

 

In actual fact , people who are bilingual have an advantage. According to the BBC, some of the advantages are: communication with the whole family and community, access to two cultures, security in identity, tolerance of other languages and cultures, third languages easier and employment advantages. Furthermore, t he bilingual brain develops more densely, giving it an advantage in various abilities and skills such as better at IQ tests, thinking creatively and reading.

 

After all , if you want a sharper edge your command of the Somali language can help you a great deal. The Country Studies/Area Handbook Series says “facility with language is highly valued in Somali society; the capability of a suitor, a warrior, or a political or religious leader is judged in part by his verbal adroitness. In such a society, oral poetry becomes an art, and one's ability to compose verse in one or more of its several forms enhances one's status.†Therefore, if you can start learning one or more Somali proverbs today your future mother-in-law may consider you one day that you were Somali after all and not ‘ajnabi’ a foreigner.

 

Finally , parents need to appreciate the culture and traditions that were once attuned in Somalia will have to be reworked because the forces and influences of the host society where the children are growing are much stronger.

 

Mohamed Mukhtar Ibrahim

London, UK

 

 

Wabillaahi Towfiiq:..........

[Nomen nescio]

Walaahi dad used to beat us up real good if we ever spoke arabic at home... he did anything he could to perserve our somali identity.. So proud of him walaahi.. and i am sure i will uphold the tradition and will rough my kido (when he comes insha alaah) if he ever spoke English at home, and ofcourse i will do that when the Child Services are not looking

 

I have met some guys and girls who speak english with a thick accent and yet claim they have lived in the US so long that they cant speak Somali...!!! now aint that some bullshit??

[Wiilo]

Hay don't beat up ur kodo,,,,,

 

I understand exactly what ur saying, it is important to teach ur children thier "REAl" language wherever country they are born in.....

 

 

Go figure:.......

[Nomen nescio]

Originally posted by wiiilo:

Hay don't beat up ur kodo,,,,,

 

I understand exactly what ur saying, it is important to teach ur children thier "REAl" language wherever country they are born in.....

 

 

Go figure:.......

I said i will only beat them when the Child Services are not looking.... Daaamn :mad: :mad:

[Wiilo]

Don't get mad u see iam just joking with u

 

 

Go figure:...............

[Qac Qaac]

at 5 she is ok...

 

but at 21.. and u still wanna fit in the society that, is not ok...