I did a funny little private experiment and noticed that even here in the East, when we see little children and want to speak to them, many of us automatically switch to English like "How are you?", "Say thank you", "what class are you in", "what's your name?", and all that. I got the same result even with Igbo folks who comfortably speak Igbo with other adults and among themselves, but once it's a child, it's English. How else will the kids learn? Speak to them from tender ages. Even when they’re 1 or 2. Even baby talk. When consoling them, correcting them, playing with them… speak to them. Igbo may be hard to learn later, but it’s easy to absorb when the brain is still super super absorbent. When you keep addressing them in English, but discuss with your wife, husband or siblings in Igbo, they won’t magically just learn. They won’t. I’ve seen a very traditional man in our Umunna whom I respect so much because he knows the culture deeply and speaks in Igbo proverbs. The first day his first son came for meeting and I discovered this grown man couldn’t speak Igbo...and his father could only address him in English...I was so so ashamed on his behalf. Ndi be anyi bikonu… do do do… subaranu umu unu Igbo. Be intentional about it please.