Some Somali children are ashamed to speak their mother tongue

[MARAQ DIGAAG]

I work in a capacity which essentially means that I run into many young Somalis @ schools , charities ,youth services and other government-funded orgs.sometimes I have to remind the Iraqis, Romanians and others to stop speaking their own languages because others present will not understand .recently ,I asked three young Somalis (13-15) were their families were from and if they spoke any other languages .the responses I got were very defensive and almost delusional . I don't think it is possible to not speak even a word of your mother tongue .this girl was trying to tell me she didn't even know what magaca means . There is an element of self -hatred involved here and it is alarmingly high In the Somali community .

 

[Apollo]

The Somali language will die off with the 3rd generation in the West.

Already I know many 2nd generation ones who can't speak it. 3rd generation will be even worse.

 

[MARAQ DIGAAG]

The Somali language will die off with the 3rd generation in the West.

Already I know many 2nd generation ones who can't speak it. 3rd generation will be even worse.

Aber das is zer course of nature.sprechen zie af Somalian).

 

[Apollo]

Aber das is zer course of nature.sprechen zie af Somalian).

It's the same in every Western country. I have 2nd gen Canadian cousins who can't speak Somali.

 

[Lord Flacko]

I work in a capacity which essentially means that I run into many young Somalis @ schools , charities ,youth services and other government-funded orgs.sometimes I have to remind the Iraqis, Romanians and others to stop speaking their own languages because others present will not understand .recently ,I asked three young Somalis (13-15) were their families were from and if they spoke any other languages .the responses I got were very defensive and almost delusional . I don't think it is possible to not speak even a word of your mother tongue .this girl was trying to tell me she didn't even know what magaca means . There is an element of self -hatred involved here and it is alarmingly high In the Somali community .

Even most Somalis who can't speak the language atleast comprehend it enough to answer in basics in Somali and rest in another language.

 

[ebyaaney]

Why is it that second generation kids struggle so much with Somali? I've always wondered this. Most can only understand and reply using simple phrases. This isn't apparent in urdu, arabic etc. speaking families. Is the somali language more difficult to retain? Or is it that waalidkeena ma dadaalaan? That doesn't seem right as I know families whereby the mother barely speaks english and the kids barely speak somali, laba luuqadood bey isku fahmaan. Yaaaaaab

 

[Apollo]

Why is it that second get kids struggle so much with Somali? I've always wondered this. Most can only understand and reply using simple phrases. This isn't apparent in urdu, arabic etc. speaking families. Is the somali language more difficult to retain? Or is it that waalidkeena ma dadaalaan? That doesn't seem right as I know families whereby the mother barely speaks english and the kids barely speak somali, laba luuqadood bey isku fahmaan. Yaaaaaab

Arabic media is pretty good. A lot of good entertainment in those languages.

Somali language media is utter shit, nobody views it.

 

[MARAQ DIGAAG]

Even most Somalis who can't speak the language atleast comprehend it enough to answer in basics in Somali and rest in another language.

When you consider that most Somali mothers are not fluent in European languages and most Somalis leave isolated from other communities ,it is impossible to not speak one word of Somali and not comprehend the basics like magaca.

 

[ItzDoctorZ]

I only know the basics of the Somali language. My siblings speak English at home so they don't know Somali at all

 

[Lucifer]

The extinction of the Zoomale ethnicity

 

[Mohamud]

The extinction of the Zoomale ethnicity

One of the oldest and proudest I proclaim we will never die you heretic!

 

[ChickenOriental]

Why is it that second generation kids struggle so much with Somali? I've always wondered this. Most can only understand and reply using simple phrases. This isn't apparent in urdu, arabic etc. speaking families. Is the somali language more difficult to retain? Or is it that waalidkeena ma dadaalaan? That doesn't seem right as I know families whereby the mother barely speaks english and the kids barely speak somali, laba luuqadood bey isku fahmaan. Yaaaaaab

But that's the problem. How many of these parents actually talk to their kids? It seems like their relationship is basically hooyo and aabo working to raise them all the time and then the rest of the time Aabo is holding a meeting in a makhaayad and hooyo is chatting on the phone. They are exposed to the language but htey are not forced to interact with it.

Often the kids who have the best control of the language have been going to and from wadanka all through their lives and they have a family that forces them to get involved in daqanka even if it's just listening to Somali music.

 

[Bielsa]

We got 2nd and 3rd generation Polish and Italian immigrants here and none of them can speak a word of Polish and Italian.

It's natural.

 

[maestro]

It's the natural process of integration. Language loses first then culture then finally genetics

 

[Apollo]

It's the natural process of integration. Language loses first then culture then finally genetics

Jews and Gypsies managed to stay majority Semitic and Desi despite living among Europeans for 1000 years.

 

[dhegdheer]

I don't understand actively avoiding speaking it. Like I go out of my way to speak to older ppl in somali because I want to improve and not forget

 

[maestro]

Jews and Gypsies managed to stay majority Semitic and Desi despite living among Europeans for 1000 years.

Maybe in a Europe Somalis will survive but in North America they are as good as extinct. Most 2nd generation don't know anything about Somali culture and even consider themselves to be African Americans

 

[Apollo]

Maybe in a Europe Somalis will survive but in North America they are as good as extinct. Most 2nd generation don't know anything about Somali culture and consider themselves to be African Americans

Somalis in Europe have a high percentage of marrying women directly from Somalia. This will probably continue for some time.

Slowing down dilution.

 

[maestro]

Somalis in Europe have a high percentage of marrying women directly from Somalia. This will probably continue for some time.

Slowing down dilution.

Maybe in 2030 when the 4th Reich comes we will see an exodus of Somalis to America culturally unriching these lost Somalis

 

[dhegdheer]

I blame the parents ngl they don't put as much stock in the language. I've known ppl who's parents spoke limited somali to them when they were children because they thought it would be difficult for them to learn english if they spoke another language.

Lol I didn't know a word of danish when i started kindergarden, ny parents were big on speaking somali only at home. I eventually picked it up from there