Mariama K. Diallo
09-03-2011
ESL 100
Saving My Culture
Communication is a very important part of a culture, and it needs to be practiced or it will get lost. If a language is not spoken, written, it will disappear. However, living in a foreign country where your language is not spoken tends to make you forget it and loose your culture. I am from Guinea -West Africa, which is a French speaking country near Senegal. I am from the ethnic group called Fulani and we speak Pular, which is a very popular language in Guinea. I have been living in America where English is spoken for two years, and I can see that I am forgetting my language because I am not speaking, writing or singing it.
It could be weeks and months that I don’t speak my native language Pular, and I see that it is fading away. The only time I speak my language is when I call my parents on the phone. Sometimes I try to find people from Guinea to speak the language, but everybody is busy. Sometimes, I go to Facebook to chat with some friends from my country. In this website, I meet with people from ethnic group and chat in Pular and share our experience.
I have not been writing in my native language for almost two years, and I have already forgotten the language. The alphabet is the same as English. Writing is more difficult than speaking because you need paper and pen to do so. I have not had an opportunity to write in my native language because we don’t write letters anymore. Everybody uses cell phones to call their relatives and friends. Back in Guinea, I used to write for my young brothers and sisters, and teach them the Fulani language. Every family teaches their kids how to write the Fulani language to preserve the Fulani language and culture.
Even though I am happy that I am learning English, I feel like I am forgetting a very important part of my culture because I am not using it. I think it is important that I use my culture everyday. I need to find time to write and speak more with my Fulani friends. I also need to teach my child our culture. Everybody should know and keep their culture.
Mariam, u did a nice job. i enjoyed to read your essay. i have the same problem too.i almost forgot how to write my own language. like you said we all have to keep our culture.
ReplyDeletemariama you did a great.i like your essay. your story spoke i almost forgot how to speck my language.
ReplyDelete"I have not been writing in my native language for almost two years, and I have already forgotten the language". I have the same problem with you. I have been here for one year,almost every day I use English to write,and to communicate. I remembered that yeaterday, when I wanted to write Chinese, I couldn't know how to write. I felf a little sad, but I still remembered, and just for some words that I forgot.
ReplyDeleteTank you very much for sharing my story and i am glad that we all feel like we need to do something about it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, this is a problem. You cannot forget your native language, i know is difficult to keep it in this country because we have to write English every day especially in the school, but our languages are very important. Reading in your own languages is a way to keep it. I do it sometimes!!! :)
ReplyDeletehah, I really agree with you. Sometimes I want to write some chinese words,but I found that I forget how to write it.I think we should keep laernning your native language when you are learnning a new language.
ReplyDeleteHi Mariama, I agree with you. Even though I have not been in Chicago long time,somethimes I cannot understand what my frends are talking about. Each country with their own cultures,we need to remember and study so that we can communicate well.
ReplyDelete