Hama Bachama and Chairman Bachama Traditional Council, Homun Dr Daniel Shaga Ismaila CON, Kpawo Nomwe Gilongo Diya has described language as the very basis of the human’s identity which must not be allowed to erode because of civilization and modernization
The traditional Ruler was addressing attendants and students across post primary schools in Numan, Adamawa state during the inauguration of Bwatiye reading and writing class
The Hama Bachama noted that alot of people have embraced westernization and the culture of the white so much so that they have abandoned their cultures, with language being the paramount
According to the Monarch, the very essence of a people is their language and the respective cultures and traditions handed down to them by their fore-fathers and must not be allowed to go extinct or erode. He observed with dismay how a larger percentage of Children can neither read not write in their languages and blamed it on parents, the society and governments whose emphasis tilts towards the English language and borrowed cultures.
Homun Dr Daniel Shaga Ismaila CON, who is taking the bull by the horns to have the knowledge to read and write in Bwatiye language inculcated in learners, said efforts are being made to establish schools where the Bwatiye will form a greater part of the curriculum with the help of the government.
Dr Daniel Shaga Ismaila used the forum to enlighten the gathering that the good virtues of Bwatiye such as their peaceful disposition, humanness, receptiveness to visitors, descipline, hardwork, fear of God, love for human beings and respect for humanity among others are embedded in the language which is open all, and thereafter challenged all to attempt to use the language even when they do not know how to use it until they know it
Deliberate and constant practice, he reminded, makes perfect.
During the occasion, an author and curriculum presenter, Wama Gabriel took time to educate attendants on the respective alphabets of the Bwatiye language and how they relate to the English language
In a topic, “transition from English to Bwatiye language”, which she put in a book, Wama Gabriel explained that the Bwatiye language has all the features needed for any language to be rated as standard and went further to reveal that the language has thirty three (33) alphabets as against the twenty six of that the English language
According to the curriculum expert, people find it challenging to read or write in the Bwatiye language because of their inability to know the phonetics and phonology of the language, which have to do with speech sounds and articulation
She explained that to be successful with the language, learners or users must know the various Bwatiye speech sounds and their respective places of articulation, whether a sound is labial or bilabial, ( sounds using the lips), Dentals and fricatives ( sounds using the teeth and ridge) or whether a sound is nasal (sounds using the nose) among others.
She also talked of manner of articulation of speech sounds which deals with whether a sound is voiced or voiceless.
Chief Pwavidon Jaule who holds the Bachama title of Nzomota Hama Bachama, was the book reviewer on the occasion. He stressed that there is no better time to learning and speaking Bwatiye language than now that language usage is challenged by people’s quest for westernization
