CHILDREN’S GAMES FOR MODERN TEACHING OF THE IGBO LANGUAGE

Abstract

Children’s games are invaluable aspects of Igbo culture. Both adults and children employ their natural linguistic prowess in formulating/establishing them for activity/games purposes, entertainment, intellectual development and imparting the Igbo language and culture. The purpose of the study is to gather, document and preserve them, especially those that have been long forgotten. Also, there is need to showcase current ways of using them as invaluable supplementary materials in the Igbo language classroom. Data were collected from different sources within three months (November-December, 2023 to January, 2024): watching/listening, teaching and videoing children playing; using researcher’s native instinct as one who participated in moonlight plays/games when young, since these games belong to the public domain. Descriptive analysis of Nwa nnụnụ! Nwa nnụnụ nta! was adopted to showcase an appropriate modern way of employing games in teaching Igbo. Findings include: games are replete with rich Igbo linguistic/stylistic repertoire: poetic devices- n’ike n’ike ‘repetition’, záḿ záḿ ‘ideophone’, anya mmiri, pịpịrọ ‘idiom’; culture- ose is food ingredient, agricultural/economic seed, source of wealth; linguistics; phonology- átụ̀ HL (and átụ́ HH) role of tone, grammar- sentence types: Ị̀ nọ̀ ébé áhụ̀ èmé gị́nị̄? (question), Ánà m̀ átụ̀rụ́ ńnē m̄ ósè (declarative). Tụ̀gódú/Tụ̀kéné kà í sì átụ̀ (imperative). This method will help promote zeal and speed in learning and use of Igbo, leading to optimal development. Eclectic teaching of Igbo, revitalizing and popularizing children’s games through cartoons and video/audio and other media is paramount, as well as internet dissemination on Facebook, Tiktok, YouTube, etc., for Igbo diasporans.