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Education Being You is to know your language “Our language is like a pearl inside a shell. The shell is like the people that carry the language. If our language is taken away, then that would be like a pearl that is gone. We would be like an empty oyster shell”. What I understand about the above quote, is that every person has a responsibility to protect his or her indigenous language and preserve its future so that future generations may learn from it. Being able to communicate clearly and confidently is a key function for all. Knowing how to speak your home language fluently connects a person to their ethnic group and in that way identity is shaped. Knowing where you come from as a person is vital. 30 >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL
Education I remember talking to my friends one day and one of them asked me if I am Zulu since I speak Zulu so fluently. My reply was that I am not a Zulu. I am an Ndebele. I was so embarrassed as I could not even utter one Ndebele word or even write one down. I went back home a thought about it deeply. I personally think it is embarrassing to say you are an Ndebeld only by surname. I don’t want to play the blame game but I think parents need to step up and teach their kids about their roots. It is no use enriching and promoting another language while rejecting and looking down on your own. Here in South Africa we have eleven official languages. There is a reason why all those languages are recognized as being official rather than one language such as English or Afrikaans. It is important to emphasize that South Africa is not a monolingual society. Many black people think that speaking English is being intelligent or it is something that has to be highly praised especially in young black people. Why don’t we take pride in your own culture and heritage? Why don’t we greet in IsiNdebele, Zulu or Tsonga for example? You find most young people talking to each other in English whereas they can speak with one another in their own African languages. It doesn’t help mastering a language that is not your own while neglecting your own mother tongue. It is like throwing your own identity away. Some young black people even go to extremes of changing the pronunciation of their surnames to make them sound more American. You’ll find that a person’s surname is Zwane, but when he or she pronounces it, it’s like “Zwe-yne” which is totally wrong. Slowly but surely African languages are dying in South Africa. I understand very well that English is a global language. Whereby at least every person must be able to write and understand English but, because of identity we ought to know our language as well. Some may argue that it us not important to know your indigenous language as a black youth these days. I talked to my sister about this issue and she said “everything revolves around English. When you communicate in English people understand you better, it is easy for people to listen to you and respect you. When you talk your indigenous languages it becomes as if you are not educated. People won’t even look at you.” She further made an interesting point that she writes her subject exams in English and job interviews are conducted in English. She concluded to say I should stop blaming black youth for abandoning their mother tongue; I should blame the education system. I completely disagree. If my sis continues with this mentality then her kids are in deep trouble. Because cultural heritage and knowledge is passed on throughout each generation by language and actions, language is integral in affirming and maintaining wellbeing, self esteem and a strong sense of identity in a person. Not enough is being done at schools to promote indigenous languages. We find that black people have to learn Afrikaans because some instructions will be carried out in Afrikaans. In black schools learning English is compulsory for all learners. Children should be taught their mother tongues. Speaking indigenous languages at home will go a long way. There is a time and place where it is necessary to speak English such as in job interviews. The media promotes America as the “wow” country. Youth envy that. Young minds <strong>get</strong> influenced easily. The importance of learning English and speaking English competently for all South Africans is not disputed. However, it is equally important for all South Africans to recognize the languages that were spoken in South Africa years ago. It is in my heart that everyone will take pride in his or her language as I am also learning IsiNdebele. One’s language is ownership, it is what we know as people, it is how people identify themselves, it is our community bond. Language recognizes and identifies you, who you are and what your are all about. Know your language first before learning others. Know it, understand it and relate to it. And most of all, be proud of it! I am Mbalenhle Augustine Sikosana-Jali lika Thamane, a pround Ndebele and I love my language. >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL 31
Page 1: Your Life Magazine FREE VOLUME 4 Is
Page 5 and 6: CONTENTS 28 Genetically Modified Fo
Page 7 and 8: Suid Afrika, Luister Poem My provin
Page 9 and 10: Is it important? YES it is. Look he
Page 11 and 12: Editor Sybil Otterstrom sybil@romel
Page 13: Xenophobia What is happening in our
Page 17 and 18: Open Day Nelson Mandela Metropolita
Page 19 and 20: Open Day universities in South Afri
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Page 24 and 25: Fashion Dear Winter... We Are Ready
Page 26: Meet the Team Lushian Fuerte It see
Page 29 and 30: HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL 27
Page 31: Science According to Wikipedia, 90%
Page 35 and 36: Quotes Games Quotes John Adams was
Page 38 and 39: Education ALPHABETS The first thing
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Page 43 and 44: E-mail info@romele.co.za with your
Page 45 and 46: Foreign Affairs educating its peopl

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