It is common knowledge that a lot of parents now encourage their children to communicate in English language, at the detriment of local languages. This has become so popular across the country that some academics now fear that Nigerian languages may be heading for extinction.

But incredible as it may sound, the English whose language Nigerians are abandoning their language for have fashioned out an arrangement whereby pupils in the primary school would not lose their mother tongue! In Newbury Park Primary School, Redbridge, North East London, every student was encouraged to learn to speak in 40 ethnic languages available in the school before proceeding to secondary school. Joe Debonoe, who runs the language programme, said it was time for every culture to be recognized. He believes that teaching in these languages would remove the feeling of alienation from children who may be refugees. In addition, students would be able to research in any language taught before going to secondary schools, where the learning of languages is compulsory for 11 to 14-year-olds. A number of African Languages are featured in the curriculum, including Yoruba, from Nigeria.

The teaching process is easy. A child is selected every month to present lessons in native language. This child conducts research on the language with the help of the parent and this would be recorded for the purpose of using it as a guide for other children.

For now, Newbury Primary School is the toast of the town. It has become a consulting firm as teachers from neighboring schools are copying the scheme for their schools.