Contest : I am proud of my language.

God created human beings in a unique way, but the languages we speak are different from each other. As humans, we are all proud of the languages we speak, no matter our races, colors, or where we come from. Language is the words we use to communicate our ideas and feelings; it may be in the form of verbal and nonverbal communication.

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Which language are you proud of and why?

I am from the Yoruba-speaking tribe in Nigeria. I am proud of my language and can communicate fluently when I see people from the same region. My language is easy to learn once you mingle with those who speak it correctly. Nigeria consists of over 200 languages, but three main languages are Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo.

Even foreigners from Brazil, Portugal, and other countries travel to Nigeria to learn our language; you can see how beautiful it is. There are Yoruba-speaking people living in Brazil who peacefully celebrate their festivals. When the festival season approaches, they invite the Oni of Ife (the supreme leader of Yoruba land) as the guest speaker. I love listening to the motivational proverbs spoken by the elders.

Can you tell the history of the language you are proud of, how it became a language and became common among the people?

Yorùbá is the language that has been in existence for a long period of time and is located in the southwestern part of Nigeria. Yorùbá language started being spoken around the 9th century, and its origin is still under debate. Some historians believe that Oduduwa, the founder of the Yorùbá language, was the first man to speak the language to his people and came from Mecca.

The language serves as a unifying language that promotes peaceful coexistence among its people. Over 40 million people speak the language in West Africa. Some states in Nigeria where the language is spoken are Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Kogi, Ekiti, Ondo, and Lagos. Some neighboring countries in west Africa like Benin and Togo also speak the language effectively, though the intonation may be different.

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How to avoid miscommunication in language and how to create effective communication?

Good communication encourages people to listen or speak with you. Without this, such communication may lead to misunderstanding. If care is not taken, it may also lead to chaos in our society.

Here are the ways to avoid miscommunication and create effective communication:

• Be an active listener, which will help you build a strong relationship between the speaker and the audience.

• Try to use non-verbal communication to involve your audience, particularly those who are deaf or dumb, who may be among the people you are delivering the message to.

• Use simple language and try to avoid jargon, which may result in miscommunication.

• Allow your audience to ask questions about things they are confused about. By doing this, it shows that they are following the information you are passing to them.

Conclusion

Languages we speak are an identity that shows where we come from. In my own tribe, we respect other people's culture because it allows us to gain more knowledge and have a full understanding of their languages. I will like to invite @ninapenda, @sana-khan01 and @bossj23 to participate in this contest.