Reclaiming Narratives Through Language

Language is deeply interwoven with culture and identity and is often used a medium in which we reclaim narratives and articulate cultural knowledge, values, and experiences. Click here to find out more.

Spoken Languages in African Countries – thediasporacollective

The 2024 theme for Black History Month is ‘Reclaiming Narratives. Language is deeply interwoven with culture and identity and is often used a medium in which we reclaim narratives and articulate cultural knowledge, values, and experiences. Unfortunately, due to colonisation, the effect of Western bias for European languages within academia, the prevalence and language, indigenous is to the African diaspora is diminishing and for some languages is facing extinction. The extinction of any language leads to the permanent loss of the culture embedded into the language and impedes the Black community’s ability to shape their own narratives and identity.

Why Are Second Generation Children Losing Their Langue

Although many of the first-generation African and Caribbean migrants retained their fluency in their native language, for many second-generation migrants the dialect wasn’t passed down or inherited. What they did inherit, was the societal pressure to assimilate into British culture with parents prioritising mastery of the English language as opposed to languages from the mother land. Academia’s bias toward European language meant Black children growing up in Britain, often faced discrimination and racial stereotyping in schools. This prompted parents to Anglicize their children’s name and emphasized English proficiency as a protective measure for their children’s future prospects. For many Black parents, their child’s ability to assimilate into British culture was intrinsically linked to how ensuring their children were successful they would be in the future. The result of this shift has led to loss of meaning and heritage behind Afro-centric names the loss of fluency in second-generation Black British individuals.

What does this mean?

This loss of language has profound implications for cultural identity. Embedded into language is cultural knowledge and practices that cannot be fully translated into English. For instance, traditional African and Caribbean idioms, proverbs, and expressions often lose their meaning or impact when rendered in English. Without access to these linguistic codes, second-generation children may find it difficult to fully engage with their heritage, leading to a sense of cultural alienation.

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What Can We Do?

There are growing efforts within the Black British community to reclaim and revitalize diasporic languages. Second and third generation Black British migrants are seeking our language schools and cultural organisations to help them learn their mother tongue and immerse themselves into their heritage. Organizations like the Black Cultural Archives in London play a significant role in preserving and promoting African and Caribbean heritage in Britain, including the linguistic aspects of this heritage. If you would like to learn African and Caribbean languages, check out these apps

Dialogue – Africa: https://www.dialogue-africa.com/ - Dialogue – Africa are a black owned language learning platform that helps people learn African languages and cultures while building community. The app offers lessons in Twi, Yoruba, Swahili, Ga, Igbo, and more.

Nkenne [https://www.nkenne.com/] - Nkenne is a language learning app dedicated exclusively to African languages and focuses on persevering cultural heritage through language education. The app offers courses in nine African languages: Igbo, Somali, Nigerian Pidgin, Yoruba, Swahili, Twi, Hausa, Zulu, and Amharic.

Angula – [ https://angula.app/en ] - Angula is a language app that aim aims to bridge the language gap in the Southern African region. The app provides lessons in languages such as isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Khoikhoi, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga,

Memrise [ https://www.memrise.com/ ] – Memrise is a language learning that app that includes a diverse range of languages. Memrise offers interactive lessons in both Swahili and Yoruba

Learn 101 [http://learn101.org/hausa.php ]– Learn 101 is language learning app dedicated to helping people learn to speak Hausa. It offers a Hausa language tool.

Speak Yoruba Language [ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pronunciatorllc.bluebird.yoruba&hl=en_US ] – Speak Yoruba Language is a learning app dedicated to helping individuals learn Yoruba. This app provides a range of lessons tailored to various proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced. It places a strong emphasis on correct pronunciation and practical usage, ensuring that learners can communicate effectively and authentically.

Isezan [ https://izesan.com/ ] – The app offers courses in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Urhobo, Tiv, Iban, Esan, Patois, Swahili, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Twi, SeTswana, Fulfulde, Pidgin, Ibibio, Benin, Efik, Ekpeye, Igala, Ijaw, Ikwerre, Nupe, Ogoni and Kanuri.

Mondly [https://www.mondly.com/ ]– Mondly is a language learning app that offers courses in several languages including Swahili and Afrikaans.

Duo Lingo [https://www.duolingo.com/] – Duo Lingo is a popular language learning app that use gamification to teach people different languages. The app’s interactive exercises, streak reward and community driven content make learning languages engaging and accessible to a global audience. Duo Lingo offers courses in Swahili, Zulu and Haitian Creole.

Furthermore, if you would like learn how to speak Jamaican Creole, Patois or Patwa check out the following translators.

Jamaican Patwah - https://jamaicanpatwah.com/

Jamaicanize - https://jamaicanize.com/

Jamraak - https://www.jamraak.com/

Jamaican Translator - http://jamaicantranslator.com/

Additional Information

BBC World Service broadcast radio, news, speech discussion in more than 40 different languages across the Black diaspora. BBC World Service provides a platform for people across the Black diaspora to engage with news with an authentic cultural context – both in language and content.