Lost in Translation
Coming to United States of America have changed my conception about English being a universal language. I was taught that English language is the same English Language anywhere in the world, but to my surprise English language is not the same all over the world. I was lost in English translation when I arrived in the United States of America from Nigeria.
I was born and raised in the Eastern part of Nigeria. Nigeria is located in the western part of Africa and it is the most populous country in Africa lined with trees to create a beautiful landscape. Nigeria has about twenty different dialects and native languages. People with different native languages have to communicate in English language to understand each other.
In 1960, Nigeria gained its independence from the British government. English became the official language of Nigeria after the colonial rule of the British government. There are different dialects of English language in Nigeria. The pigeon English (broken English) is the commonly used language. Those that were not educated were able to speak the pigeon English. Then, there is the correct English which are spoken by those who were educated. As a high school graduate, I belong to the correct English group.
I earned my high school diploma when I graduated from high school in Nigeria. For one to earn a high school diploma in Nigeria, it is like mastering all the school works from ones first year in high school to the last year in high school.
In the whole world, there are five continents. Africa is the world’s second largest continent, with 80 percent of its area in the tropics. Africa is usually portrayed as a dark continent historically and physically isolated from the rest of the world but it is not. Nigeria is one of the most important country in Africa. It is located in western Africa, bordering the gulf of Guinea between Benin and Cameroon. People living together in a community have their own tradition and customs. Nigerian people do not stay away from this reality especially the Igbo community. The Igbo community is one of the three
Nigeria is a country with abundant resources and the potential to be a very powerful nation, but it is hampered by many problems. These problems are caused by Nigerias colonization by England. Because of this intrusion on their way of life, their future was altered dramatically. The nation of Nigeria as a whole has suffered greatly as a country because of this colonization, its problem is rooted in the way it was colonized and ruled.
They are the second most populated ethnic group in southern Nigeria. The people of Igbo mostly reside in southeastern Nigeria. They have four main areas in which they are spread out; the low lying deltas, the riverbanks, the central belt, and the Udi highlands. In addition, the Igbo speak one common language. It originates from the Niger-Congo language.
The official language of Nigeria is English, as in The United States. This is the main likeness in the communication methods of these two countries. Although most Nigerians do speak English, being fluent in other languages is not rare. There are over 521 languages that have been spoken in Nigeria with at least 9 of them now being extinct (Nwodo, "MUST
Nigeria is also considered a patriarchal society where the being are dominant over their women in various areas of their lives and this translates to the men making the most decisions. Children are important and are considered a continuation of the family or community lineage. When young people are around elders they are required to respect them irrespective if they know them or not. Nigerians love to dress nicely and therefore when you go visit their country dress in a modest manner. On other occasions such as weddings, baptisms they will dress in their African
Thousands of years ago there was a tribe filled with people known as the Ibo, now known as the Igbo. The Igbo were one of the first tribes to really be able to thrive and have order in their villages. Igboland is now one of the most populated countries in Nigeria. Though Igboland is now one of the most populated countries, it has managed to keep its historical charm. Igboland is now a very well thriving country, but it is still facing many hardships regarding their political system.
Is it really necessary to have English as the official language? U.S has been trying to find the answer for this question for a long time. And they still didn’t come up with an answer. Presently, there are 23 states that actually wanted to have English as the official language. And it’s still not enough. I agree that there are some benefits for having an official language but we should also consider the disadvantages that are more than advantages.
In this paper I will discuss Nigeria, a country that was created by European imperialism. Nigeria is located on the Atlantic Coast in West Africa and is border by Benin, Chad, and Cameroon. It is the largest country in Africa. Nigeria has three main tribes which are the Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo and other tribes as well. The official language of Nigeria is English although, the Yoruba, Ibo, and Hausa tribes represent the principal native language. Dance and music are a focal point in the Nigerian livelihood. The traditional Nigerian uses dance at births and deaths, on happy and sad occasions, and in worship. Nigerian music consists of many instruments. They are the trumpets, brass, vocals, percussion frame drums, kettle drums, double bass, flutes, and the electric guitar. Drums are considered very important to the Nigerian music and dances. In the Nigerian culture, art serves as a social or religious purpose. Nigeria is a celebratory country. Many holidays and festivities are observed by the Nigerian community to preserve their cultural heritage. Two of the most common are the National Day and The New Yam Festival. Traditional Nigerians have
Nigeria’s population is 40% Christian, but it was not always this way. After a little persuading by European missionaries and British imperialism, more began to believe in Christianity. Many say Nigeria is the creation of European imperialism. Europeans also brought Christianity to Nigeria with them. As a “British invasion” started up in Africa, Nigeria was revolutionized. European colonies began to scramble for Nigeria and take control. These colonies did succeed in bringing their religion with them. Many tribes struggles to let go of their ethnic religions, but soon began to accept Christianity and it expanded throughout Africa. It all began in the 1800s when Roman Catholic missionaries returned to Nigeria after coming
Nigeria was ruled by the British for several years but gained its independence in 1960. Shortly after gaining its independence in 1966 a civil war broke out and has continued into the recent years. This year was the first time Nigeria had a successful election without any violence. The capital of Nigeria was Lagos but was moved to Abuja in 1986. What is interesting is that Abuja is similar to Washington D.C. in the United States. Like Washington D.C., Abuja is not a state but rather a federal district. There are some interesting things that are very different from our culture as well.
According to the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abu Dhabi (2013), Nigeria is a country in West Africa that it is primarily composed of three distinct ethnic groups: Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo. Of these groups, the Igbo are known for being the most professionally oriented and independent in the country. English is the primary language, although many Nigerians speak multiple languages, including one or more of the 400 native languages. There are also two major trade languages, pidgin and
Nigeria was a country of major division and diversity within itself when it came to religion, economics, ethnicity, and culture. Originally colonized by the British, the north was predominantly Muslim, while the south was predominantly Christian and animist (Nigerian Civil War, 2015). In fact, when Nigeria won its independence from the British in 1960, the country was home to nearly three hundred different ethnic and cultural groups (Nigerian Civil War, 2015). Such differences throughout the country caused great tensions. There were three main ethnic groups
Africa’s most populated nation has more than 150 million people and within this nation resides Lagos with a population of more than 20 million people. Lagos, Nigeria is the capital, nation’s biggest urban agglomeration, and is the third largest, most populated city in the world. Since early times, Lagos has grown through rural-urban migration. Lagos started off as a small farming and fishing settlement on an island close to the coast. In 1472 the Portuguese arrived on the land and gave it its name as well as its known role in the slave trade in the 17th century. Then in 1861 the British took over Lagos and claimed it as their own. In 1914 after the Protectorate of Nigeria was signed, Lagos was named the capital of Nigeria
Language is important because it's one of the main ways to communicate and interact with other people around us. It keeps us in contact with other people. English language is an example for the importance of a language because it is the international language and has become the most important language to people in many parts of the world. It is most widely used in communicating around the world, Also it is spoken as the first language in many countries. English is playing a major role in many sections like education, medicine, engineering and business. There are many reasons that makes English is the most important language in the world.
With the development of living standard in society, studying aboard has become more and more popular. Not only because of English as the world language is an agent to connect countries, but also speaking English fluently will be beneficial for the future personal development. In order to study oversea smoothly, the first step is to go through the language--English. Generally speaking, English has been divided into two different types according to the purposes which are English for Academic Purpose (EAP) and General English (GE). It is obvious that EAP teaches the knowledge which will be suitable for a higher education whereas GE is mainly focus on daily communications. Therefore, the teaching style or perhaps teacher’s role in the class is also different. In this essay, the writer will illustrate two different classifications by Harmer and Scrivener, after compare and contrast the two the teacher’s role, the writer will select one of the classification and justify it. Finally, the chosen classification will be put into practice ( justifying with the radios provided).