CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED BY STUDENTS WHILE READING IGBO LANGUAGE

By Chidimma Ezeobi

The new lexicon Webster's dictionary of English language (1991:443) defines reading as an activity of understanding written words.
   With this simple definition, it's obvious to us that reading is basically and directly linked to understanding. And it's not about how complex the words are, or how simple they are either. Once you can understand, you have read. A student who reads without understanding cannot possibly say he is well read and therefore ready for any examination.
To bring this down to home, we are trying to ascertain the reasons why some students find it very difficult to understand texts written in Underserved languages with the Igbo language as a case study.
   A language is Underserved when it has not fully served its purpose. When a language is underutilised and does not perform all the functions it is meant to perform then we can say the language is underserved. And to me, what causes a language to become underserved is the same thing that causes the students to lack understanding when reading the texts written in the said language.
   Charity begins at home and that is why the Igbo language which is my mother tongue is the case study for this research work. In 2012, UNESCO predicted that about 700 languages including the Igbo language will become extinct by the year 2025. It's funny to me because it means in approximately 9years from now, my language will cease to exist. It may not be totally true because in 9years, I will still be fluent in both the central Igbo language and in my dialect and I am sure so many people will still be fluent speakers too but in their survey before making that prediction, they must have observed many patterns common amongst the Igbo speaking community to reach their conclusion. Those patterns that they have observed are the same reasons why the language is categorised as underserved and also why some students will find it difficult to understand texts written in the Igbo language. Let us look at some of those reasons according to their degree of importance.
1)KNOW THE LANGUAGE
   How can you read or attempt to read what you do not know? I can never attempt to pick up a book written in German. It will be a complete waste of my time. I may successfully articulate the words, but I will definitely not understand a thing. Once this happens, reading has not occurred. So, to be able to fully comprehend what an Igbo text is saying, one must know the language. Know the language in its entirety after all, you are a native speaker. Or at least you are supposed to be a native speaker. The problem we face today is that this present generation and the younger Igbo generation know little or nothing about the language. Some of them understand when spoken to but cannot confidently speak the language while others cannot even understand when spoken to. This is as a result of the excessive foreign lifestyle that most modern Igbo parents have adopted in raising their children. They speak English in school and still continue at home, they read foreign text because that is all the are surrounded with, they watch foreign programmes because that is all they see on the TV, they even eat foreign cuisine because their parents feel it's the way to go. Once a language isn't introduced to a child, the culture that follows the language also eludes that child. So it is paramount to know the language first. Teach your children the language not as a project like Chimamanda the writer would say but teach the child because it is your duty to pass on our culture through our beautiful language. Start speaking to the child as early and as frequent as possible. With time, the child will know the language.
2) LACK OF PARENTAL CONCERN
   Reading is a powerful tool. It is a skill that opens your eyes to the world and teaches you so many things you won't learn from the classroom. You learn subtly when you read and not just school books, novels and history books basically teach you everything you want to know about the world. So how does this affect the reading of indigenous texts?
   Lets assume a child knows the Igbo language properly, communicates with it fluently both at home and outside and does not have a parent who is interested in his/her reading habits, it will pose a problem. If parents knew how important reading was to a child, they will buy books everyday. A child cannot fully understand the depth of the Igbo culture just by being able to speak the language. I learnt a lot about the Igbo tradition and wonderful proverbs when I read my first Igbo novel 'isi akwu daara naala'.  That book took me to a whole new level of understanding and of course I was surrounded by novels both in the city where I grew up and in the village. My maternal grandfather who was an illiterate knew the importance of books and kept buying both school books and Igbo novels for my uncles and aunties. A lot of those books grace my shelf today. At a tender age, my father taught me the old Igbo orthography as found in a little Igbo book titled 'Azu Ndu'. Funny enough, when asked to recite the Igbo alphabets, it's the old orthography that I learnt as a child which comes to mind. I can never forget it. After that first Igbo novel I read, I was hooked! Then began my journey into the world of Igbo literature and I read works like 'Ukwa ruo oge ya o daa', 'Nwata bulie nna ya elu', 'Oka mgba', 'Chi ewere ehihie jie na be Elelia', 'okpa aku eri eri' and so many others. I was encouraged by my parents, my mother smiles at me when she sees me with a book and sometimes asks me to retell the stories when I finish, and above all, I was surrounded by Igbo texts. And when asked to buy a text by my Igbo teacher in school, my parents do all they can to make sure I get it. Parents need to be interested for the child to pick interest as well.
   Also, when a child is born to illiterate parents who are not driven by an innate force(like my grandfather) to empower their children with education, it poses a huge problem because to them, anything goes. Such parents are usually blinded to the value and extensive importance of reading and as such, they care less if their children have access to reading materials or not. And if such parents happen to be economically empowered even as illiterates, they will have the mindset that they turned out okay even without education hence, their ward or child will be fine with or without it.
   Hence, the reading background provided at home is a powerful factor in finding out how well a child will excel in school. Parents who show interest in the reading habit of their children at home, build a strong foundation in the children's educational life.
3) POOR BACKGROUND
   When a child comes from a poor home, it directly or indirectly affects that child's education. When a parent cannot afford to buy texts for a child, it will limit the child's learning process. Igbo texts for one are not cheap to acquire. They are expensive because for one, we have few indigenous writers who put in so much effort into their work and the cost of writing, editing and ultimately publishing one Igbo text is equal to the cost of producing ten English texts. This is as a result of the use of special character computers used in typing and inserting the diacritic marks found across the Igbo language and other indigenous language. The typing process alone is tedious and slow and when the work is finished, the editing takes another long process. At the end of the day, the cost of producing the text is high and most of this books are produced in little quantities because of our negative attitude towards Igbo texts the demand for them is altogether poor. With all this in mind, considering the cost of production and the poor market, the books arrive the bookshop expensive and parents who are not financially bouyant are deterred from buying such books and this intimately contributes to one of the drawbacks encountered by such student.
4) Language policy
   It seems on the whole that literacy and effective reading in the Igbo language and other indigenous languages receive attention only in theory and less in practice judging by the various provisions made for them in the National policy on education.
   Other reasons include
* lack of indigenous text libraries
* shortage of Igbo language teachers
* poor teaching methods used by teachers
* lack of indigenous television and movie 
  Industries.
     RECOMMENDATIONS
1) parents should serve as reading role models for their children. When children see adults reading always, they get inquisitive and they also want to imitate.
2) parents should know that it is their duty to instill the mother tongue into their children starting at a very tender age. It helps to broaden their knowledge.
3) parents should learn to encourage reading habits in children. Praise them and sometimes reward them with little gifts. It serves as a way to motivate them. They will want to read more.
4) parents should also try to surround children with Igbo books containing folklore and songs and beautiful artistic illustrations. They keep the children engaged.
5) the government should help encourage the few indigenous writers in the country so they can produce more books and be able to sell at a cheaper rate and still make profit off their works.
6) The government should set up libraries strictly for texts written in indigenous languages. It will help boost research and prolong the life span of such languages.
   In conclusion, reading gives rise to every aspect of literacy which is why its importance cannot be trifled with. And when you understand what you have read only then has literacy occurred. In the Igbo language therefore, we must all play our part to endeavour that deliberate steps be taken to correct the error that has occurred with this generation and to safeguard the future generations. Our stories must be told and written in our native tongue and our stories must be read and understood in our native tongues. For the sake of posterity, we must help our language thrive.