Language in our education system

Language is a system involving both elements and structures. As in any system, we can define elemental and structural units at many levels, depending on purpose. At any level, however, language includes a set of symbols (vocabulary) and the meaningful methods of combining those units (syntax) (Salawu, 2004:03). Indigenous language is a language that is native to a region and spoken by indigenous people but has been reduced to the status of a minority language. This language would be from a linguistically distinct community that has been settled in the area for many generations. Indigenous languages may not be national languages, or may have fallen out of use, because of language deaths or linguicide caused by colonisation, where the original language is replaced by that of the colonists (Salawu, 2006:55).Kwesi (2006:3) states that if culture is the main determinant of our attitudes, tastes and mores, language is the corner stone of culture. It is therefore; in a language that culture is transmitted, interpreted and configured.

Language is also a register of culture. Historically, the trajectory of a culture can be read in the language and the evolution of its lexicals and morphology. Language is one of the distinctive features, which distinguishes human being from animals. Human beings are in effect talkative animals. In this respect one can also extend the logic of the argument to say that culture is the key distinguishing feature between human beings and the rest of the animal world. Therefore, human beings’ ability to create culture marks them off from other animals. Culture raises people above the rest of nature, beyond instinct and relies on nature four their enlightenment because language is the most important means of human intercourse.

Indigenous language newspapers need sustainable development

There is a conspicuous importance of having newspapers that publish in the indigenous languages for the indigenous population in a democratic dispensation. The indigenous languages are the key components of their respective cultures. If the indigenous cultures must survive, the indigenous language must be constantly used if a language must have life so as to be constant, the indigenous media must be seen to be using it. The survival of the language is, in some way, depends on the print media (newspapers) (Salawu, 2004: 8). In addition the indigenous language newspapers have cardinal roles of promoting previously marginalised languages, preserving indigenous cultures let alone upholding democracy. Nevertheless, these newspapers are struggling to sustain themselves in the print media industry. It is therefore, critically important to examine the factors that adversely affect the sustainability of these newspapers.