Sir, - Some weeks ago en-route from Nairobi to London on British Airways, the welcome aboard was announced in English, French, Kiswahili and Irish. A few weeks later on the London Nairobi leg, the same. Such a progressive approach from the flagship of the "auld enemy" (which I intend to fly whenever possible now) contrasts with the bile which seems to flow whenever the case is made for the Irish language. It would appear that the Irish brain is incapable of learning the native tongue, or if it is, "shure what use is the scutterin' Irish anyway"!
The contrast could not be greater with the situation here in Tanzania where, for nearly 20 years, I have had the privilege of teaching medical subjects to over 500 students now scattered over East and Central Africa. An average student from, say, the region of Kilimanjaro is fluent in the following languages: Kichagga, Kiswahili, English and, if Muslim, can read the Holy Quran in the original and often understand basic Arabic. Not a few have studied in Russia and can speak and read that language and in addition some have studied in Cuba and are fluent in Spanish.
Can we not regard our language as a European inheritance and treasure, or are we (together with our revisionist literati) to remain " the shrunken tit on the breast of the broad Atlantic" touchin' our forelocks, doffin' our caps and spakin' Inglish like gintlemin. - Is mise, Eugene Egan, MD
Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania.