Language & Culture Digest - December 2021
Identity through Language!
The LangDentity team shares their vision for the next generation of language education that has culture and identity at its core.
“I am not African because I was born in Africa but because Africa was born in me” — Dr Kwame NkrumahWe speak both chiShona and isiNdebele, and it is this privilege that motivates us to help our children, friends and expatriates get a dual experience of these local languages spoken in Zimbabwe. Our commitment is to make you love and speak these languages while learning about Shona and Ndebele cultural identity. LangDentity offers a blend of online and offline activities aimed at immersing students in culturally and age appropriate environments which make learning the language fun, convenient and effective.
In this edition, we seek to raise awareness on the importance of learning and maintaining our heritage languages, Ndebele and Shona. We refer to these languages as heritage languages instead of mother-tongue because “A heritage language is the language someone learns at home as a child which is a minority language in a society, but because of growing up with a dominant language, the speaker seems more competent in the latter and feels more comfortable communicating in that language.” (Audiopedia 2017).
Why it’s important to learn our heritage language: The perspective of a parent
By Simba Marekera
In Australia, African children are constantly bombarded with subtle and not so subtle messages that tell them that they do not belong or they are different or less than. As a parent, it is very important that my kids embrace their dual identity of being fully Zimbabwean and fully Australian and ensure that they see their duality as a strength that benefits them and brings something special and extra to their classroom, playground and the broader Australian society.
However, with regards to the knowledge of their Zimbabwean language and culture, children sometimes feel disempowered to fully embrace that part of their identity. This is understandable. How can a child proudly embrace a culture whose language they do not speak and whose history they do not know. Their Shona or Ndebele names become a constant source of identity crisis rather than a source of pride.
While empowering the children with knowledge of their Zimbabwean culture and language is the primary responsibility of the parents, it takes the whole community to reinforce and sustain the sense of pride and joy in one’s culture and heritage. It is all well and good to speak Shona or Ndebele at home but participating in community cultural activities brings the language and history alive and makes it tangible.
As a busy parent, I have come to realise that a combination of informal language training at home complemented by formal training by professionals and participation in community cultural activities work well to foster that sense of Zimbabwean identity early. For example, my kids and I attended the recent Zimbabwe Independence Day event, where they got to meet other Zimbabwean kids and their parents. I also took the opportunity to explain to my daughter the history of Shona and Ndebele people, the colonial period and how Zimbabwe got its independence. The whole day became a much richer experience that she was proud to share with her friends and teachers at school.
Learning the heritage language and culture provides direct benefits to the mental wellbeing of children and their ability to be their authentic selves in the classroom, on the playground, or at work. As a parent, I would take advantage of any opportunity to support my children's heritage language and cultural growth.
“If we can empower Zimbabwean children in Australia to speak with as much authority and pride about their Zimbabwean language and culture as they do the Australian culture, we would have done our job as a community”
Why it’s important to learn our heritage language: The perspective of a linguistics academic
By Dr Cathrine Sibanda
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language that goes to his heart” (Nelson Mandela). l totally concur with this statement as I believe Mandela was referring to one’s native language, a heritage artefact that appeals to the core of our identity. As a linguist and language acquisition specialist l have observed over time, through research, the value of possessing and using one’s native language. It is my view that we all need that experience of understanding from the heart because it will help keep our family and cultural values intact.
I have learnt that our native language is a social tool that carries unique power which enables us to socialise and express belonging in various spaces. It defines personal and cultural identity by linking each speaker to their origins. I believe this identity emerges out of a person’s understanding of themselves and their history. However in the case of Zimbabweans in the diaspora, acquisition of our native languages, Shona and Ndebele, has been affected because of minimal exposure due to the dominance of the mainstream language - English. This is why in diasporic contexts, we now refer to these native languages as heritage languages. However, in spite of being in the diaspora, we can still maintain Shona and Ndebele through language maintenance programs. These are planned language learning activities that promote the use of our languages - programs such as those offered by LangDentity. Through language maintenance programs, we can together rectify this imbalance in the language repertoire of the future generations in the diaspora.
One fascinating and tricky aspect of language is that it is not genetically transmitted but rather, a culturally transmitted artefact. This simply means that for one to acquire a certain language they are supposed to be exposed to an environment in which the language is spoken “…. and not from parental genes” (Yule, 2017:15.) In Shona we say ‘Kuziva mbuya huudzwa’ (For one to know their grandmother, someone must tell/show them the grandmother). In the case of language, it is obvious that children born and raised outside the Shona/Ndebele speaking environments will not find it easy to acquire the languages without exposure to them. It is, however, apparent from the changing dynamics in terms of global migration, that these children are most likely going to acquire the mainstream language to which they are exposed. In other words we are talking of a native language and culture loss process, something that is not favourable, of course. It is for this reason that we need to equip children in the diaspora with their heritage languages, an intangible heritage which is part of what develops the connection with family, society, culture, and identity.
As linguists, we understand the process of language acquisition and maintenance, which is why we are set to help Shona and Ndebele diasporic children learn their languages and sustain their identity and culture. I believe that the gap that has been created by migration can be narrowed through language maintenance where communities in the diaspora and their government authorities work together to equip the future generations with their native language heritage. This is what Dr Thembi Dube addresses in the next section when she talks about weekend community schools. To complement planned language classes, we can speak to our children in Shona/Ndebele as they engage in daily core activities, encourage reading of materials in these languages, watch and/or listen to Shona/Ndebele programs together and even create family whatsapp groups where we communicate in these languages - just to mention a few examples. The point I am making here is that, if we do not use our languages, we will lose them!
I also strongly believe that the knowledge of one’s native language is a matter of pride. It enhances one’s confidence and creates awareness in the individual’s mind while also helping them connect with their cultural identity in a better manner. Thus, the best way to fully recognise a culture is to know the language. Learning heritage languages benefits us to stay connected and associated with our culture and our roots. Dr Oliver Mtukudzi wraps it all in the song ‘Dada nerudzi rwako!’ (Be proud of who you are). LangDentity is here to inculcate the pride of identity and culture because we understand the close link between language and culture and that language is one of the greatest significant ways of keeping our culture alive. We know that our Shona and Ndebele languages are fossils that carry ethnic and regional culture. That is why we are determined to equip the diasporic Zimbabwe generations with a sense of belonging through the use of Shona and Ndebele. I therefore call on you to embrace this priceless, lifetime heritage and take action to learn and maintain our chiShona and isiNdebele. Dadai nerudzi rwenyu!
“A native language is a priceless heritage that equips us to socialise in various spaces,it is part of what develops the connection with family, society, culture, and identity. It is a true source of pride-Dada nerudzi rwako!”
Why it’s important to learn our heritage language: The commercial perspective
Dr Sithembinkosi (Thembi) Dube
I have heard some parents say they see no economic gain in teaching their children Ndebele/Shona languages. They say, ‘inovabatsira sei Shona yacho muno mu Australia’ or ‘kuyabanceda ngani ukukhuluma isiNdebele khonapha e Australia?”, suggesting there is no economic value in learning our heritage languages in the diaspora. However, my express response has always been “Of course there IS economic value in learning and maintaining our heritage languages, especially for us out here in the diaspora where we often need to stand out to be recognised”. I believe that as diasporic Zimbabweans, when we value our heritage languages, we unlock hidden cultural treasures and resources that can help secure individual and community successes now and for generations to come.
Let’s consider individual success. As Catherine and Simba have illustrated above, maintaining our heritage languages gives us internal balance, also referred to as our identity. This is that warm feeling you get when you engage in hearty conversations with your family members in a language that says, “this is who we are, this is how we do things together in this household, this is how we love and show respect for each other in our family”. Speaking our heritage languages, especially in the diaspora, provides a strong sense of belonging. Colleagues from the Juvenile Justice Department in Sydney have told me that some young Africans in prison cite lack of belonging as one of their major challenges. The fact that the Australian Government supports Community Language Schools attests to the value they place in individuals being rooted in their language and culture. This value comes with a strong sense of belonging which in turn would lead to confident contributors to community and national development. Knowing and speaking one’s heritage language, thus has wide spread linkages to building belonging and success in life.
Now, you may be asking: how exactly is speaking our heritage languages linked to commercial gain? The concept of “productive diversity” by Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis (1997) talks about the link between community languages and economic gain. I’ll illustrate this concept using one hot area of technological development – Artificial Intelligence (AI). I’ve chosen AI because one of the richest men in the world, Elon Musk, acknowledges that “the future is AI”. However, AI does not work by itself! Those computers need human input, in the form of language. So, this raises the question whose language, and whose gain? We have a huge population of Zimbabweans, who I believe would love to have an option to speak to a Ndebele or Shona version of Siri, Alexa and Sophia the Robot. It is my view that students who are already in the diaspora and are interested in IT or Computer Science would have the opportunity to stand out and use Ndebele/Shona and contribute to the global economic future.
If AI does not appeal to you, let’s consider another great example of productive diversity from the success stories of one group of pre- and post-war immigrants in Australia - the Greek speaking community. According to the 2016 Census, Greeks have continued to use their heritage language for community and national development. For example, compared to other immigrants, they have the highest percentage of their population speaking Greek at home (i.e., 42 per cent of the 280, 000 born in Australia). Now, think of the Greek businesses you know or have heard about, (including nursing homes and schools). How do you think they achieved such success? I believe that success could be explained by the links between their culture, embedded in the Greek Orthodox Church, and usage of their language in everyday life.
Finally, let’s come closer to home and reflect on the 34,787 Zimbabweans living in Australia. According to the 2016 Census, the main languages spoken at home by Zimbabwean-born people were: English (21, 895), Shona (9,626) and Ndebele (1,223). Of interest are the young people (0-25 years), our hope for the future, who constitute 19.1 percent of the total population. While these figures reflect the Zim-Australian story, I know they mirror what is happening in other Zimbabwean diaspora communities. Given the above statistics, it worries me to think about what languages these young people are speaking in their homes. What worries me even more, is the thought of what will happen 30-50 years from now when they take their parents into nursing homes? Will these elderly parents have access to carers or children who speak Ndebele/Shona? I know the Greek, for instance, do not worry about such problems because they have equipped their young generations for the future.
So, if the young Zimbabwean population under our care do not speak Ndebele or Shona, what kind of future are we planning for them, their children, and our older selves? Papfungisisei ipapo, likucabangisise lokho (think about this carefully)! The legacy for our language heritage hangs in our hands.
“When we value our heritage languages, we unlock hidden cultural treasures and resources that can help secure individual and community success now and for generations to come.”