Thread by @maazi_ogbonnaya

Abụ Nwa: A Cultural and Linguistic Implications of Lullaby on Igbo Children

Olunne is an Igbo word for Mother's tongue. There are many reasons it is called Mother's tongue. The mother carries her baby in her womb. The baby stays with its mother for 9 months.

Scientists believe that a baby in the womb understands language. Ndị ọcha sing to the babies in the womb; they read to them. Some fathers would put their mouth on the pregnant woman's stomach and speak to the baby inside the womb.

Igbo mothers in the past might not have carried out the same research as foreign linguists or language scientists did, but they had such mindset that a child in the womb understands a certain behavioural pattern. In most cases, while washing,

while doing other things, Igbo pregnant women sing. Their songs are always about children. Lullaby. It is as if they are preparing in advance how to practise the songs with their babies. But truly, such a baby is already getting a cultural and linguistic ground.

Now they have put to bed. While bathing their kids, while preparing akamụ for them, while feeding them, while wearing them clothes, while doing anything, Igbo mothers sing to their babies.

Do you notice that once that song begins, the baby stops crying? Like magic.

When a child is crying:

Onye mụrụ nwa na-ebe akwa
Egbe mụrụ nwa na-ebe akwa
Wete ụzịza wete ose
Were amara tinye n'ofe
Ụmụ nnụnụ arachaa ya

And...

Nwa na-eku nwa ...awanje
Nwa na-eku nwa....awanje
Kute Ụkọnwa....... awanje
Ụkọnwa na-ebe akwa....awanje...

There are many Igbo lullabies as the aforementioned

Igbo mothers also speak to their babies. Some of us, our mothers never used English on us until we grew up to learn English. Even while communicating with them, no one uses English.

The question is, can't we speak the same English today despite our mothers not using it on us? Of course we can— very well.

Mother's tongue helps a child to think independently and in two different ways. There are things I might forget in English, Igbo will help me to remember.

The role is not for mothers alone. In child bearing, mothers spend much time with the kids than fathers. The reason a child's native language is called mother's tongue. Igbo fathers play significant roles too. They don't just allow their wives do everything.

While communicating with your wife, do you use English or Igbo? This is where fathers come in. Speak Igbo to your kids. As you are communicating with your wife, kids are picking words, developing their vocabularies.

Do not be scared that your children will find it hard to speak English because you speak Igbo in the family. Chai. They will be alright. They are going to school. They are communicating in English there. Of course you can speak English at home. Speak both. English and Igbo.

Most importantly, use Igbo. Some families speak only Igbo, when you go out, speak English; but once you reach home, keep English aside and pick Igbo. Before you know it, your children will be commanding both languages and even more.

There are differences between language acquisition and language learning. No matter how you put it...a child can learn as many languages you exposed him to, as possible.

But while as an adult, it will be hard for someone to easily learn a language because the language acquisition device inherent in every human must have been occupied with other things.

Lullaby is very important. Can you sing any? Do you know any? How many can you sing?

These things we think are not important are very much important in our children's psychology. Go and study further about a billingual child. The benefits of billingual child over a monolingual child is a gap, too wide to fill.

Won't you be happy seeing your child having a command of both Igbo and English? E ruo n'Igbo, ọ sụọ; e ruo na Bekee, ọ sụrie. Such child will be thinking in two positive cultures and will never be a lost soul.

It is never too late to amend.

I paused..