After
our CDS meeting on a certain Thursday, I decided to attend evening mass at St.
Theresa's Catholic Church. As soon as I came out from the church when the mass
was over, my phone rang and it was my mum who was calling. I shifted to answer
the call. After the call, a certain beautiful and curvy lady approached me.
"I
heard you speaking Igbo. Which state are you from?" she enquired
"I
am from Enugu," I answered.
After
discussing with her, I got to know that her name was Chioma, she was from Imo
State and she was born and brought up Jos. I also discovered that she was a
third-year undergraduate of the University of Jos and her father was working in
one of the federal parastatals in the state. She was excited to meet a
brilliant Igbo corps member.
Then,
my place of primary assignment was in Government Secondary School, Kabong where
I was teaching mathematics.
Motivated
by my quest to change my place of primary assignment to a better one through
her father's influence, I caved in to her green-light to be very close friends.
We exchanged phone numbers and the following day, she called and informed me
that she would be alone in one of her
mother's shops very close to the church and begged me to come over.
After
the close of business that day, I went to see her. After having a discussion
with her, I request her to introduce me to her father. We agreed that I would
visit them the following Sunday.
Chioma's
command of English language was mesmerizing. In addition to that, she possessed
oratory prowess. Her magnitude of oratory strength can make anybody who came to
the shop not to leave without buying a palpable thing.
She
successfully explained how I would get to her father's house from where I was
living. It was a very long explanation and I was certain that I wouldn't
regurgitate the names of junctions and streets she mentioned, since I was new
in the state.
For
that reason, I brought out a paper from my file and told her to help me in
writing how I would locate the place. She spent over 30 minutes in writing the
direction and when I read it, it was nonsense. I couldn't make any meaning from
it.
She
couldn't spell any word correctly. Even her sentences could be likened to those
written by primary two pupils.
By and
large, she couldn't express herself in written English language, but her
command of spoken English was gargantuan.
Some
years back, I was entangled in a police case that precipitated going to Area F
police station, Ikeja, Lagos to resolve it. At the police station, I wrote a
statement. I meet a lady who came as a witness in another case.
She
spoke good English, but when she was given a sheet of paper to write a
statement, she couldn't write.
"I
thought that I would just come and talk. I am not prepared to write
anything," she said.
A
certain policewoman was called to write a statement for her.
Why is
it so?
Why is
it that so many people, especially ladies, who speak very good English are
found wanting in written English.
Conversely,
some people can write good English, but they are very bad speakers.
What's
your take on this?
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