Teacher Attitude and Student Performance in Indigenous Language Learning in Lagos

When the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1987 introduced the educational policy that required study of one of the three national languages, i.e., Hausa, Igbo and Yorùbá, at the West African School Certificate / General Certificate in Education [WASC / GCE] level, Nigerians and especially advocates for the survival of the indigenous languages embraced the idea with great enthusiasm. The primary aim was to make more Nigerians speak indigenous languages in addition to the language of their immediate environment. However, this purpose was frustrated when students opted for, and indeed registered for, their mother tongues rather than a non-familiar indigenous language. If the policy had been actually followed, the country would have generated citizens, who not only speak their own indigenous languages, but also citizens who have a practical knowledge of all of their country’s traditional languages. But this did not happen. In this paper, we look at the attitudes of private school teachers to the teaching of the indigenous languages vis-a-vis the competence and performance of students in these indigenous languages. The study is not only comparative but also correlative. The methodological instruments included a questionnaire, interview, a quasi-test and examination of junior / senior secondary school leaving certificates. Our findings revealed that students’ performances, as reflected in their results, do not demonstrate their competence in the indigenous languages in question. Similarly, we observed that both the teachers and the learners are instrumentally and not integratively motivate

Special opportunities for conserving cultural and biological diversity: The co-occurrence of Indigenous languages and UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites

Recent research indicates that speakers of Indigenous languages often live in or near United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Natural World Heritage Sites (WHSs). Because language is a key index of cultural diversity, examining global patterns of co-occurrence between languages and these sites provides a means of identifying opportunities to conserve both culture and nature, especially where languages, WHSs, or both are recognized as endangered. This paper summarizes instances when Indigenous languages share at least part of their geographic extent with Natural WHSs. We consider how this co-occurrence introduces the potential to co­ordinate conservation of nature and sociocultural systems at these localities, particularly with respect to the recently issued UNESCO policy on engaging Indigenous people and the forthcoming International Year of Indigenous Languages. The paper concludes by discussing how the presence of Indigenous people at UNESCO Natural WHSs introduces important opportunities for co-management that enable resident Indigenous people to help conserve their language and culture along with the natural settings where they occur. We discuss briefly the example of Australia as a nation exploring opportunities for employing and strengthening such coordinated conservation efforts

Indigenous languages shaping multi-lingual interfaces

This paper reports on an investigation into the indigenous language usage of two bilingual/multilingual digital libraries. Results show that the indigenous language was significantly used by clients and indicate why clients chose to use the indigenous language. Feedback from clients has suggested how the interface should be improved to assist both indigenous and non-indigenous language usage. These results serve as an example of how indigenous languages are shaping multilingual interfaces

Maria Yosephin Widarti Lestari

In Indonesia, based on the 2003 Curriculum for Junior school, there are three languages, e.g. English, Bahasa Indonesia and indigenous languages in the group of language. It means that all three languages are taught though in fact the indigenous language is not the subject examined nationally. The government policy to place indigenous languages in education system is meant to be one of the ways to avoid it from extinction. Unfortunately, many problems arose in the teaching and learning process because of the status of the language. The research was carried out in 2 junior schools in Bandung, West Jawa, Indonesia. The schools chosen are based on the location and status in which one is a private school in town (77 students) and the other school is public/state one located in outside the city (74 students). Findings suggested that the students from public school have higher attitudes toward the use of Sundanese language and the Sundanese language learning than students from private school. It is influenced by social and educational factors internally and externally

CONFORMITY TOWARDS LOCAL WISDOM AMONG THE SAME INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE SPEAKERS

Speakers of same indigenous language usually share the same values and norms among them. This phenomenon can be searched in Indonesian Chinese society, who is divided in several groups based on their indigenous languages. They try to act and adjust their beliefs and behaviors to the group’s norms and values. The need to conform occurs in order to be accepted by the group. The norms and values, as unsaid rules and attitudes which have been conformed, are considered as the way to support the local wisdom.This paper will focus on the conformity among Indonesian Chinese society, who speak in their own indigenous languages and its roles in supporting their local wisdom

African Indigenous Languages and the Advancement of African Philosophy

The contention raised in this research is to showcase that indigenous African languages are imperative tools in advancing African philosophy and thought. By extension the genuiness and originality of African philosophical thought is best advanced when it is vocalized and transliterated in the mother tongue of the philosopher. When African philosophical thought is done and articulated in language foreign to the philosopher, then that philosophical thought is weakened within the conceptual expression and foundation. It is also contended that, indigenous languages would address perennial problem of inadequacies of languages especially where there are no direct replacement of concept and terms to explain reality and other state of affairs

Custodians of the land: Indigenous peoples, human rights and the right to cultural integrity

This presentation was given as part of the Expert Seminar on Indigenous Cultures and Languages in collaboration with the UN by Dr Jeremie Gilbert from the Middlesex University. The seminar, hosted at Brunel University, took place on the 8th and 9th March 2012 and was organised by Brunel Law School's Human Rights Research Centre. The initiative, fronted by Dr Alexandra Xanthaki of Brunel Law School, represents a positive example of how academia, the civil society and the international community can come together with vulnerable groups to help the regain their rights

The future of the past: Cultural revitalization as a means of addressing the unjust dialogue with indigenous peoples in Canada (and elsewhere)

This presentation was given as part of the Expert Seminar on Indigenous Cultures and Languages in collaboration with the UN by Professor Colin Samson from the University of Essex. The seminar, hosted at Brunel University, took place on the 8th and 9th March 2012 and was organised by Brunel Law School's Human Rights Research Centre. The initiative, fronted by Dr Alexandra Xanthaki of Brunel Law School, represents a positive example of how academia, the civil society and the international community can come together with vulnerable groups to help the regain their rights

The 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage: Impact on the preservation of indigenous peoples' cultures

This presentation was given as part of the Expert Seminar on Indigenous Cultures and Languages in collaboration with the UN by Dr Marilena Alivizatou from University College London. The seminar, hosted at Brunel University, took place on the 8th and 9th March 2012 and was organised by Brunel Law School's Human Rights Research Centre. The initiative, fronted by Dr Alexandra Xanthaki of Brunel Law School, represents a positive example of how academia, the civil society and the international community can come together with vulnerable groups to help the regain their rights

"Intellectual property" and indigenous peoples in the international human rights arena

This presentation was given as part of the Expert Seminar on Indigenous Cultures and Languages in collaboration with the UN by Professor Graham Dutfield from the University of Leeds. The seminar, hosted at Brunel University, took place on the 8th and 9th March 2012 and was organised by Brunel Law School's Human Rights Research Centre. The initiative, fronted by Dr Alexandra Xanthaki of Brunel Law School, represents a positive example of how academia, the civil society and the international community can come together with vulnerable groups to help the regain their rights