It was my first time of having a chat with a woman of her caliber. She was such a nice but a liberated sort by all indications. It was my thirst for knowledge that exposed me to this woman known by everybody as the greatest linguist in one of Africa’s largest professional institutions, the NTA Television College Jos, Nigeria. I had the privilege of meeting with this fellow whom everyone knew to have studied many languages scientifically. Though a polyglot, yet this fellow had a special interest for the English Language.
In my closer interactions with her, she actually proved a multilingual, but I was fast enough to discover her real identity. Her names which betrayed her strange manner of speech and the gait with which she carries herself, speak louder than could be imagined. For no other reasons, this fellow is a true daughter of Igboland. Her first and last names are Igbo words that mean “God is Mindful of Me” and “The King Reigns”. When I heard the name, it was not difficult to unravel the puzzle this icon poses to her admirers. It was also not difficult for me to find the point of connection between what she does and what her name represents. God is truly mindful of this young lady who doubles as my Speech and Communication Director. I was not in the right mood that day of our meeting but I learned something that nearly erased my former understanding and belief about the womenfolk. I came to a fresh understanding that no matter how far men try, a woman’s role is very important. In fact, I learned something new about language, its peculiarity and why people speak it differently.
In one of her definitions about language, she sees it as a systematic and harmonious use of mutually understood arbitrary signs and symbols by a speech community for the expression of their thoughts, feelings and ideas. It is understandable from some of the key concepts of her definition that language is a human affair, which tells us that it is only human beings that use language as a means of communication. Though animals may have their ways of communicating or expressing their feelings like anger, hunger, desire for sex or joy, yet no animal has ever expressed itself verbally as human beings do. It is only in the Bible that we heard about a donkey that was divinely empowered to communicate to its owner (Numbers 22:22-35). Ever since, no other animal has been able to do that, no matter the level of man’s technological advancement towards that angle.
Another key concept in her definition is the use of the word “mutual”, which tells us that those who speak a particular language should be able to understand it whenever it is spoken, for the simple expression of their thought. She however uses a variety of techniques in her English and creative writing classes, but one that seemed to surface again and again is the power of a compelling story to capture attention and encourage learning.
Apart from being thrilled by her understanding of languages, her new method of instruction re-awakened my already relaxed mood. I quickly remembered that she was not alone in her new method of instructions. Jesus Christ, the greatest Teacher of all, in His own time used this method. The parables of Jesus endure because they showcase matters of the heart. Through the story of the Pharisee and the Tax collector (Luke 18), we learn about God’s grace and forgiveness. We also learned about God’s love for repentant sinners in the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15). From the inspired parables of Jesus, we learn so many things about Him and the life He wants us to live. Just as Jesus taught us, this linguist was able to capture attention and encourage learning.
However, as Christians, it is incumbent on us to use our faith-stories to point others to the ultimate Storyteller and Teacher, whose own life is the greatest story ever told. Remember that a good way of learning God’s truth begins by teaching it to others.
