African parents living in Britain are guilty of speaking to thier children in English, yet when they are older they start complaining that they dont understand their mother-tongue. My parents did this to me and my sister, and when I challeged them my mum's excuse was because we lived with foster parents whilst we were young we were raised in an English speaking environment. Of course I said that when we were back at home for holidays or whatever they still could've spoken Yoruba to us instead of over heads to each other and their friends, and thenshe used that "you would've been confused" excuse too.

Without meaning to disresepct my sweet mumsie, that is complete balls. Look at all those Asian kids who have never set foot in their parents country, yet can blast Punjabi with the best of them as well as achieve academic success at school here. I think it is that African mentality that their kids must speak good English as it gives them higher status, but as time has showed we just end up losing out. Even when I went to live in Nigeria, everyone spoke to me in English. It was only when I insisted that I wanted to learn Yoruba that my cousins spoke it TO me, and not just AROUND me.

I would say to anyone who still wants to learn their mother-tongue, you are NEVER too old to start learing. INSIST to your parents, aunties, uncles, whoever that they should talk to you in your language, then translate it in English later. Even now when I visit my dad I tell him offwhen I catch himspeaking to my little sister and brother in English; he should not make the same mistake he made with me and my other sister... he doesnt need to worry about them learing English, they'll pick it up from the telly and school.

As for European language, I think it is very bad, even embaressing that everyone else on the continent can speak at least two languages, but we cant. Do think it has something to do with us being isolated on an island? I did try teaching myself Italian last year with Linguaphone, but now the tape is somewhere in my room collecting dust. Must fish it out sometime...