Fri, 1 Feb 2008 05:38:20 -0800 (PST)


Several years ago, I started a journey that for various reasons has not come to an end. This is a journey on the language dilemma. It all started when I was born to Ekegusii speaking parents. At the accepted time, my parents started teaching me the Ekegusii language, a language that I speak fluently to this day.

In view of the fact that in Kenya we have more than forty dialects, the Government introduced Kishahili as the national language which would help all Kenyans to communicate. So at the fullness of time, I was made to learn this language too. But that was not enough, there was need to communicate with the outside World. This required that I learn to write and speak in English. This I did without a choice.

It wasn’t until I was in high school that I came across people who communicated mostly in English. The high school’s principal and owner was an Indian by descent and so were most teachers. I admired their way of speaking and wanted to speak like them.

The next stop in this language journey was when I joined the Adventist University of Eastern Africa to study Theology. Here, I came across people from different nationalities. Each spoke English depending on their country of origin. I loved it all and was amazed from time to time when they uttered just a word in my language. That was a job well done.

This journey however took a different turn when I came to this great nation in September 1987. I started hearing comments and remarks such as “You speak with an accent, where do you come from? I can tell from your accent that you are not from here, you speak with a beautiful accent.” At first, I did not mind so much. Why? You see, since coming to this country, I have spent nine good years in the university halls doing my graduate studies. Besides, I took pride in the sense that they were appreciating my country of birth.

But these kinds of comments have sometimes turned ugly. I do recall one day when my son became very sick and I had to call 911. In the course of our communication the dispatcher went “Sir, I don’t understand your accent.” “Don’t worry about my accent my son is dying,” I answered as I wondered of what to do next.

So is speaking with an accent a bad thing? Not as far as I am concerned. In a way every one speaks with an accent. I hear of the Minnesota accent, the accent from the south, Mexican accent, British accent and what have you.

Will this journey come to an end? I don’t think so. This is why more than ever before I need to go to heaven where the accent issue will be the thing of the past. How about you my friend?

Just a thought .

    - Pr Absalom N. Birai