“Foreign language study is simply part of a very basic liberal education: to “educate” is to lead out, to lead out of confinement and narrowness and darkness.”
It is surprising that Nigeria is bordered on all sides by French speaking countries – Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin – yet less than three percent of Nigerians speak their neighbours’ language – French. This is probably a reflection of the premium that Nigeria’s education system places on foreign language study. This article is about helping you realize why foreign language study should be a part of your education.
Nigeria is bordered on all sides by French speaking countries – Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin – and arguably less than three percent of Nigerians speak their neighbours’ language.
While I was a teenager learning French in Secondary School under the tutelage of the dutiful Monsieur Ademola Batcock, I used to strangely imagine being kidnapped and abandoned in a French country (I know wild imaginations). As a way to test my grasp of the language, I would rehearse “please-rescue-me” French lines in order to be able to find my way back to Apete, Ibadan, Nigeria where my family lived. For 14 year old me, that was the advantage of learning French but over a decade worth of experience letter, I have realized that learning a language is essential for the following reasons:
Stands You Out from the Pack
With a population of over 190 million persons, there are tens of millions of highly educated, talented, and creative Nigerians in their teens and you are just one person in that mammoth crowd and, except your parents are very rich and connected, you have to find your own path. At any given point in time, you are in competition with at least hundreds of thousands of others for limited resources. A foreign language can give you that extra value that even a Masters degree may fail to deliver. Speaking a foreign language gives you an edge that a very huge percentage of the population is missing out on.
Better Positions You to Maximise International Opportunities
Besides creativity, intelligence and other qualities that easily stand one out from the pack, being able to speak more than one international language will also help you become internationally relevant. Learning a foreign language will help you easily access opportunities that may be unavailable to tons of others. Migration or International travel is made easier and more pleasant when you know the language spoken in the destination country.
Helps You Think Globally
Learning a foreign language automatically opens you up to the global dimension. It helps you realize early on that inspite of the massive size of Nigeria, the world is much more bigger than that.
Foreign language study leads to an appreciation of cultural diversity.
It was Open Day in All Saints’ Church School Jericho, Ibadan and I was in Primary Three. As Tubi’s dad walked into the class, Tolu’s mum jumped excitedly, they hugged and gave each other a series of pecks on the cheek. The giggles that ran through the class rows and the horror that was registered on some of my classmates’ faces could only mean one thing: “Tubi’s dad and Tolu’s mum are seeing each other!!!” . To the disappointment of some and to the relief of others, we would later discover that they both studied at the same University in France where “bisous” (kisses on the cheek) are a greeting ritual.
Learning a foreign language will help you appreciate cultural diversity and understand why people behave the way they do because while learning French, I learnt about the history of France, its chateaux, its greeting, it’s people and its culture.
These are just some of the many reasons why you should prioritize foreign language studies. I always recommend that Nigerians start with French because it is a language that is very relevant to the West African sub region. So, when are you starting classes? 🙂
