30/07/2025
REVIVING OUR ROOTS THROUGH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Thomas Barna Lass
Language acquisition and language learning are distinct processes through which individuals come to use and understand a language.
Though both can lead to fluency, they differ significantly in depth, emotional connection, and cultural immersion.
Language experts, observed that language acquisition is intuitive and natural, occurring without conscious effort or formal instruction, while language learning is deliberate and structured, often happening in classrooms.
Recent studies emphasize that language development depends heavily on the quantity and quality of input in meaningful interactions.
A child born and raised in Samban, where Shamang (Hyam) is spoken daily, will acquire the language naturally.
They hear it in greetings, storytelling, market and prayers.
Likewise, a child in Fori Kagoma will acquire Gyong. In Baking Kogi, the child will absorb Ninkyob.
A child in Samaru Kataf will grow up speaking Atyap. In Kagoro, they acquire Gworok. Tuku is spoken in Atuku Gida. Ningon in Nigon. Gure in Gure. Jju in Zonkwa. Hyam in Kwoi. Adara in Kajuru.
These children do not merely learn the language. They live it. They understand idioms, metaphors, jokes, and cultural references that even fluent learners might miss.
This aligns with the perspectives that emphasize language development through social interaction in cultural settings.
In contrast, a Hyam- or Atyap-speaking family living in Abuja or Kaduna, where English and Hausa dominate, may struggle to transmit their mother tongue.
If the child hears the language only during festive visits or brief greetings, they may end up only learning fragments of the language. Without deliberate reinforcement, they may eventually lose the ability to use it altogether.
Observations shows that children raised in bilingual ( people with two languages) or minority-language (such as languages spoken in Southern Kaduna) families often lose their home language if it is not actively maintained through rich input at home or in the community.
Early immersion and rich interaction produce stronger bilingual outcomes, while classroom learning alone rarely yields native-like proficiency.
Children immersed in a language naturally develop cultural identity, emotional understanding, and communicative competence that isolated learning struggles to replicate.
COMMUNITY INTERVENTIONS
To bridge this gap, all communities should develop native language holiday camps, where children on long vacations can return to their hometowns and interact deeply with villagers to acquire the language through real-life immersion.
Special language teachers, equipped with structured and culturally responsive curricula, should be recruited by community associations and paid allowances to train children systematically during these camps.
In addition, audio storytelling in native languages, recorded in MP3 formats, should be developed and distributed widely.
These audio stories can serve as a continuous source of exposure and cultural engagement, especially for children growing up in urban environments with limited access to native speakers.
A child who acquires their language through environment grows up not only fluent but culturally grounded, understanding the soul of their people’s wisdom, values, and expressions.
Dauda Pikawi affirms that language acquisition is most effective in low-stress, high-interaction settings with rich, meaningful input.
In conclusion, acquiring a language is like breathing, it happens effortlessly when one is surrounded by it.
Learning a language, on the other hand, is like reading about breathing, it may be understood but never fully felt.
For the Shamang in Samban, Hyam in Kwoi, Gyong in Fori Kagoma, Ninkyob in Baking Kogi, Atyap in Samaru Kataf, Adara in Kajuru, Gworok in Kagoro, Tuku in Atuku Gida, Ningon in Nigon, Gure in Gure, and Jju in Zonkwa, this is not an academic distinction, it is existential.
Action must be taken. Parents, elders, and local institutions must lead the charge by creating spaces for natural acquisition, developing language curriculum, and producing digital content that anchors children in their linguistic and cultural heritage.
Special thanks to Dauda Pikawi, a digital literacy and language revitalization advocate, for his continued work in preserving indigenous languages.
