There is nothing better than being able to hear another language and understand it. There are so many benefits attached to it. It can save one from trouble. It can help one make new friends and it also teaches one about other people’s culture.
If anyone had asked me early last year what other language I would love to learn, my answer would have been "none, because I’m still struggling to be good in my native language".
I’m a native of Yoruba but I grew up among the Hausas in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Although the majority of the people that reside in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria are natives of Yoruba. I was born and raised where the natives of Hausa reside in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
It always surprises people whenever I say I don’t understand Hausa. When people asked why I didn't understand or speak Hausa, I always said, "Learning to speak Hausa is not among the things I want to learn." Furthermore, I never pictured myself moving to the Northern State, so there is no need to learn the language.
However, the story changed last year when I had to travel to Kano State, Nigeria for the National Youth Service Corps program, which is for one year.
I have no choice but to learn the Hausa language because it is the general language in Kano state, Nigeria, and one would find it difficult to navigate around if you don’t understand the language.
So here is why I’ve learned the language. My first day in Kano State was really rough, and I spent lots of money on transportation within the state, feeling in my mind that the transport was cheap, not knowing that I paid more than what I was supposed to pay.
When I arrived at my uncle’s place, I told my cousin about the money I paid to the tricycle driver I boarded from the motor park and how cheap I thought it was.
He laughed at me and called me JJC (Journey Just Come). "You were charged excessively because you are new here and do not understand Hausa," he explained.
After hearing this, I felt used, and I thought to myself that if only I had learned this language, I wouldn’t have spent that kind of money. And since then, I have decided to learn the language.
However, learning the language was not hard for me. Although I am not really fluent in it, the little I have learnt has helped me a lot ever since I’ve been in Kano State.
In conclusion, it is always good to learn and understand another language apart from one’s native language because one doesn’t know when it’ll come in handy.