Lussiana Fragoso, Tyler Graupp, Lauren Loesch, Jessica Ojukwu
When a language fades, so does the identity that comes along with it. The Igbo people currently exist as one of the largest ethnolinguistic groups in the region of West Africa, primarily in Nigeria. The Igbo language itself is a vehicle for culture and intergenerational identity, however, among the Gen Z population, this connection is starting to fade away. Our study concentrates on investigating the reasons why there is Igbo language loss among younger speakers, with a focus on how the dominance of the English language and shifts in family dynamics have contributed to the reshaping of language practices across the generations. Through semi-structured interviews with heritage speakers and cultural Igbo youth, we analyzed patterns of language use and code-switching across different social contexts. We also made it a point to extract the participants’ different perspectives on their cultural identity. Our findings demonstrate that while most participants understand Igbo better than they can speak it, their fluency is very closely tied to whether they had early childhood exposure to the language, especially through their elderly family members. We also discovered that language loss carries significant emotional weight in the participants’ lives and can contribute to feeling a loss of cultural identity.
Keywords: Igbo, Nigeria, identity, Gen Z, family dynamics, culture, language loss
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INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The focus of this project is the loss of the Igbo language, particularly among the Gen Z generation within the Igbo community. We aimed to examine how young members of the community engage with—or distance themselves from—the language, and how fluency, comprehension, and everyday usage differ from previous generations. In addition to overall language loss, the study will explore variation in language styles and dialects within Igbo, recognizing that even small differences in pronunciation, tone, and vocabulary can signal regional identity and cultural belonging. Special attention will be given to the distinction between village dialects and Central (Standard) Igbo, and how these differences affect understanding and usage among young people.
This study will investigate language use and identity among youth of Igbo descent. The Igbo constitute one of the largest ethnolinguistic groups in West Africa, with a strong historical tradition of linguistic and cultural transmission. Traditionally, the Igbo language has been a medium for socialization, culture, and intergenerational communication within families. Proficiency in Igbo has historically been associated with cultural knowledge and social belonging. In modern settings, however, language practices among Igbo youth have been reshaped by urbanization, formal education, migration, and globalization. English, as Nigeria’s official language and main medium of instruction, occupies a position of high socioeconomic prestige in comparison to Igbo. Social structures also influence language transmission. While elders traditionally function as custodians of linguistic and cultural knowledge, changing family dynamics and generational distance have weakened intergenerational transfer. Furthermore, negative attitudes about language and perceptions of limited economic value may discourage active Igbo use. Linguistically, reduced fluency among youth is often reflected in increased code-switching and simplified structures, illustrating the broader relationship between language choice, identity, and social mobility
METHODS
Our study focused on examining language use and sense of identity among Igbo youth. We examined two different participant groups: heritage Igbo youth who retained spoken fluency in the language and culturally Igbo youth who struggled with maintaining fluency. Our participants were selected using a convenience sampling method, drawing from one of our researcher’s existing social circles. Our participant target was Gen Z individuals that navigate both Igbo and more English-dominant social environments.
Our data was collected through semi-structured interviews that we conducted over the online communication platform Zoom. Our interviews were designed and scripted to prompt participants to recount personal narratives around language learning, everyday usage of the language, and how they feel about their cultural identity. The conversational format we utilized allowed our participants to speak openly about their experiences with Igbo in their home and school environment as well as within their broader communities. These interviews were audio-recorded with participant consent and later transcribed for analysis.
Our analysis focused mainly on the participants’ reported frequency of Igbo usage in different social contexts (such as their immediate family, peers, or elders). We also surveyed their comfort level with village dialects such as Ika in comparison to standard Igbo. We gave much attention to the analysis of code-switching and faltering language retention pointing towards language shift. Most importantly, our study also examined how participants described their relationship to their Igbo identity, such as whether limited fluency was associated with feelings of cultural distance or any pressure to assimilate. Our purpose for this was mainly to try to analyze whether participants’ feelings about their social belonging and intergenerational dynamics contributed to Igbo’s language shift and/or language eradication.
RESULTS
Our study identified several factors related to Igbo language use and transmission among participants. In one interview, Chikezie described learning the language from his grandmother. He stated, “my grandmother often spoke to me because that was the only way she could communicate which was how I learned igbo. However, I feel that because I had to learn the primary language, English, to be able to attend school, my proficiency in Igbo has decreased, especially in pronunciation and tone.” In contrast, another interviewee, Chifunranya, lived in Nigeria his entire life and only moved abroad for college but reported that he never learned his parents’ language. He said, “I lived in port harcourt for school but would go home often during holidays and obviously they would speak the language to me but I never spoke back but rather responded. “I didn’t have the foundation from either my parents or grandparents”.
Two of the four participants stated that Igbo is mainly used at home or when speaking with relatives, indicating that it is primarily used as a private heritage language in those contexts. Three out of four participants reported that they understand Igbo better than they can speak it. Differences in fluency among participants were associated with variations in childhood exposure and family language practices. In addition, two out of four participants said they primarily learned Igbo from their grandparents.
Participants also reported that younger speakers often use Central Igbo rather than village dialects when communicating with other Igbo speakers from different communities.
Based on the data collected, the study examined patterns of Igbo language use, differences in proficiency, and the role of family members in language transmission across participants’ experiences.
DISCUSSION
Studying specifically the Igbo language helps us understand the larger phenomenon of language loss, especially between generations in immigrant households. Our results illustrate how the older generation has been responsible for raising their children and grandchildren around Igbo, whereas the individuals feel more responsible with keeping their language and culture alive. This can help illustrate phenomena around immigrant children at large. Many do not speak their language, but their parents and grandparents do, which can cause differences in perspectives on their culture. Some of our participants expressed they felt more comfortable speaking with their peers rather than older adults. Many expressed losing aspects of Igbo such as tone and specific pronunciations. These can help show how language and culture shift over time, together. Our participants also emphasized this, how their language is intertwined with their culture. This gives us more examples of how language helps shape how we interact with the world and ourselves. Our results can show how certain ethnic communities are created and interact with the world in countries other than their native one, and how their accents are a product of their community and environment.
References
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https://doi.org/10.1215/22011919-10216239 - James, N., James, M., Aghanya, I., Ihechu, I. P., Duru, I., Chukwuma, O., Godson, N. S.,
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Limits of language in Nigeria: The hatred on Igbo language. - Hinton, L. (1999). Involuntary Language Loss among Immigrants: Asian-American
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Asian-American Linguistic Autobiographies]. ERIC Digest, ED436982.
https://permanent.fdlp.gov/websites/files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED436982.pdf - James, N., James, M., Aghanya, I., Ihechu, I. P., Duru, I., Chukwuma, O., Godson, N.
S., Ezeonwumelu, V. U., Ukaegbu, E. K., Aruah, E. K., & Onyebuchi, V. (2024, August 1).
Limits of language in Nigeria: The hatred on Igbo language.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4946190
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