The Importance of Using Indigenous Languages

Your language is valuable,” I told the young people gathered at the conference. It was the annual youth event for a particular denomination held in Kenya in August 2016. Around one hundred youth attended. After explaining the value of their language to them, I asked them a question, in answer to which I expected them to confirm that they appreciate their own languages. A senior church leader, also in attendance at the conference, answered in their place. In short, his answer was, “We should not value our languages.”