ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND THE FADING IGBO MOTHER TONGUE : NURSERY AND PRIMARY EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE IGBO LANGUAGE AND CULTURE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The globalization of the English language has led to a significant decline in the usage and preservation of Igbo language, a major Nigerian language. Despite continuous efforts being geared towards sustaining Igbo language and culture over the years, there is however, obvious persistence of decline in Igbo literacy and mastery especially among children within the age of two to ten. This chapter therefore focuses on the critical issue of the fading Igbo mother tongue and explores the potential role of nursery and primary education in promoting sustainable Igbo language and culture development. The study specifically examines the attitudes of school administrators, teachers and parents of children within the nursery and primary school age towards teaching and learning Igbo. A survey of administrators, teachers and parents of children in selected nursery and primary schools in Awka, Anambra State shows the the poor attitudes of the nursery and primary school stakeholders towards Igbo, has adversely led to fast dwindling of Igbo language in the face of English as international language and of course the official Nigerian language. The paper recommends fortifying the language policies at all levels of education, adopting the use of e-resources in teaching nursery and primary school children, and provision of professional development opportunities for nursery and primary school educators to enhance their competencies in teaching Igbo language, and gear their minds towards being proud of the Igbo language and embracing the beauty of its cultural heritage for sustainable development.