Another Reason to Learn an African Language

Linguistic nativism is the hypothesis that humans are born with some knowledge of language. It is intended as an explanation for the fact that children are reliably able to accurately acquire enormously complex linguistic structures within a short period of time. With my experience at African Language Academy Australia (ALAA), in facilitating teaching and coaching young and adults to achieve their personal best in learning to speak their mother tongue, I can safely argue that whilst age may matter; what matters more is the right learning environment.

Noam Chomsky, a credible linguist and expert in language development, started his research into language in the 1960s. and suggested that children are born with an innate ability to learn language. According to Williams Harms of the University of Chicago Chronicle wrote in January 1998 that, “Children apparently have an inherent ability to form words and sentences independent of the capacity they have to imitate the language of their parents”

So, if you have children and they are interested in learning an African language, its time you enrolled them at African Language Academy Australia:  https://africanlanguage.academy/courses/

African language is rich with Proverbs. Danny Phiri, a friend of mine, recently published a book entitled:

“What is Hotter than Fire – Exploring Wisdom in Zambian Proverbs”

In his Book, Danny Phiri, reveals that there are at least four (4) reasons why proverbs are used in Zambian languages, namely:

1. To summarise a long story  2. To hide (to camouflage ) a particular actual meaning of what is being talked about  3. To provide advice or teach young people or others  4. On some occasions to let the listener make their own conclusions…

On page 10 of Danny’s book, for example, he shares that:

“When you see a rat running into the fire…then know that what it is running away from is hotter than fire…” Said differently, whatever the rat is running from, is likely to be more dangerous than fire? The answer to what is hotter than fire, may draw different ‘conclusions’ in the mind of the listener.

On page 32 Danny shares another proverb which says:

“When you are ugly?….know what?…..answer to the Proverb: ”Know the song!”

Here the proverb is not being shared for the listener to draw their own conclusion but rather giving them advice and prompting them to “know the song”..

The challenge may be that if you don’t know the proverb or have not read the book, or you have not enrolled yourself at ALAA for African Cultural Orientation Course; you will be wondering as to the meaning of “know the song!” We trust, we have given you another reason to learn an African language at ALAA: Learn an African language and its proverbs and you will soon know the meaning of “know the song!”