Igbo language: Commonly asked questions
1. How to learn Igbo language effectively?
2. How to speak Igbo language fluently?
3. Which state is central Igbo taken from?
4. Where to learn Igbo language?
5. How to type in igbo language?
These are a few of the questions I get about the Igbo language.
I will be answering them and others in this post.
The other questions are ones I got from the website answerthepublic.com.
They include:
6. How to learn Igbo language fast?
7. Which countries speak Igbo language?
8. Is Igbo language complete?
9. Who speaks Igbo language?
10. I want to learn my Igbo dialect
11. Igbo language lessons
Let’s begin
How to learn Igbo language effectively?
1. Set specific goals eg:
In the month of August, I will learn how to talk about eating food.
Week 1: I will learn Igbo food names. Start with the food that you normally eat. Learn 3 food names per day.
Week 2: I will learn fruit, vegetable and names for various drinks.
Week 3: I will learn to conjugate the verb ‘to eat’ in the 3 common tenses: present, past and future tenses.
Week 4: I will make 10 sentences per day about eating using the food names and the verb I learnt.
2. Find a speaking partner. This can be a spouse, sibling, parent or friend. It does not matter where they are. If they are not in the same house, speak with them regularly on the phone, at least once a week. Let your speaking partner know that you are learning Igbo and that they are to speak only Igbo to you. It is best if they are a native speaker. If not, still get someone. Set your speaking seesions at regular times eg: 7 PM every Tuesday; this helps you get into a routine and keeps you accountable.
3. Get learning resources eg: courses, free YouTube videos or podcasts, group live or online lessons, one-on-one lessons. Get the resource that suits your learning style. On this website, you can purchase a course or join our live online Igbo lessons on Zoom. Learn more here.
How to speak Igbo language fluently?
Use the strategies mentioned in the answer above.
To add to that, if you are able to, visit Igbo land ie southeast of Nigeria and stay for 3 months or more, that will greatly improve your pronunciation, intonation and overall speaking of the language.
Which state is central Igbo taken from?
This was mostly taken from Ezinihitte, the region between Owerri and Umuahia. However nowadays, it is mixed with other dialects like the Onitsha dialect to form standard Igbo; the current version taught in schools. Standard Igbo came into play to make the language taught in schools and written in learning materials uniform. This is because there are many dialects in Igbo. A lot of them are similar to each other; but there are some that are noticeably different from others. Learn more: igbohistory (columbia.edu), Igbo language - Wikipedia, Please, I Need Your Help! Who Speaks Central Igbo And Can Teach Me It? - Culture (2) - Nigeria (nairaland.com).
Where to learn Igbo language?
There are a lot of good websites for learning Igbo like the one you are on right now😊. Others are learnigbonow.com and ezinaulo.com.
There are also great social media sites like the igbostudy YouTube channel, Akwukwo LLC and Ada_onyenkuzi on Instagram.
How to type in Igbo language?
On a phone, use the 'swiftkey keyboard app'.
On a computer, go to your settings, click on time and language. Firs,t add Igbo language, then restart your computer. To type in Igbo, press AltGr button together with the Igbo alphabet you want to type eg: when you hold down AltGr and ‘O’, you get ‘Ọ’.
Watch this video below to see how you type Igbo characters on a computer.
How to learn Igbo language fast?
It’s really up to you how fast or how slow you want to take your Igbo learning. To learn Igbo fast, you’ll need to put in at least 1hr a day, 6 days a week. This ought to take you from beginner to conversational in about 3 months. Continuing this routine will get you to fluency in about a year from when you started. This time frame suggested here is one I got from one of my student’s experiences. Experiences and results will differ with everyone; depending on motivation, availability of speaking partners and other life events.
In my opinion, it is better to commit to it, set a time goal; however, do not worry if it takes longer than you planned. Making progress steadily is what matters.
What is Igbo language? Which countries speak Igbo language?
Igbo language is a language spoken mostly in the south east of Nigeria. Nigeria has Igbo speakers in Imo, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Edo states. The first 5 states mentioned has the most Igbo speakers in Nigeria. You can also find Igbo speakers in Cameroon and the Equatorial Guinea (Igbo language - Wikipedia). Due to the slave trade, you’ll find the influence of Igbo language on certain languages like the Patois in Jamaica. In Jamaica, they say ‘unu’ to mean ‘you all’ just like in the Igbo language.
Is Igbo language complete?
Yes. My grandparents spoke what I would term as complete Igbo. I hardly had them mix English with Igbo while speaking. The things that occurred naturally in Igboland had Igbo names and terms. Recently because of the invention of things like computers, phones etc., we are having to form new words or use the English terms for such things. Sometimes, when we’ve forgotten an Igbo term/name for something, asking someone with another dialect can help provide a name for the thing in question. Igbo is a rich language with many dialects and expressions.
I want to learn my dialect
That’s great and totally possible. If you can get one of your family members to teach you, that’s awesome. You may also be able to find an Igbo teacher who knows your dialect and is willing and able to teach it. I teach the standard version usually, however, on special arrangements, I can teach the general Anambra and Mbaise dialects. Otherwise, I suggest that you learn the standard Igbo as there are more resources and teachers that can teach it. Thereafter, you can then go on to learn your dialect. A lot of native speakers understand the standard Igbo even if they do not speak it, so it is a good place to start.
How do I teach my children Igbo?
Speak Igbo to them daily. Give them chores in Igbo, call them to eat in Igbo, ask them about school in Igbo. They may reply in English at first, do not worry about this. As time goes on, and as they grow up, they will start asking you how they can reply in Igbo. Speaking Igbo to them will tell them that you value the language and let them know how important their heritage is. This enables them to take ownership of their learning as they grow older. By the way, my children are Igbo learners as well and the methods I mentioned above were suggested by one of the subscribers on my YouTube channel (if you are reading this, thanks again).
Igbo Books
Get these Igbo books to help you grow your confidence so you can start speaking Igbo with your loved ones.
CHILDREN AND BEGINNER IGBO BOOKS:
Igbo for Beginners by Ijeoma Akubue
Kwa Ụbọchị Journal (with Igbo phrases) by Ijeoma Akubue
Kọdịmnobi Journal (with Igbo Bible verses) by Ijeoma Akubue
Okowaokwu Igbo umuaka: Igbo dictionary for children
Igbo kids colouring book by Yvonne Mbanefo
A B CH D Igbo by Chimmie Gbugu
Ije The World Traveller teaches you common words in Igbo By Ijeoma Emeka and Ijeoma Okoli
Gíní ka ọsa na-eme? What is squirrel doing? By Yvonne Mbanefo
Osita osinri - Osita the chef by Yvonne Mbanefo
Adim obere – Am I small by Philipp Winterberg
Ndụ Anyị by Chimmie Gbugu
Nwa Ewu aghịrịgha – The adventurous kid by Urenna Onuegbu
My Talking Igbo Book by Ugo Arthur Ezeoke et al.
INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED IGBO LEARNERS (STORIES, NOVELS):
Igbo Conversation Course by Ijeoma Akubue
Igbo Conversation Workbook by Ijeoma Akubue
Kwa Ụbọchị Journal (with Igbo phrases) by Ijeoma Akubue
Kọdịmnobi Journal (with Igbo Bible verses) by Ijeoma Akubue
Nkeiruka by Godson Echebima
Otu nne na-amụ (an Igbo language romantic drama) by Ogbonnaya Mark Okoro
Abụ ekele dike (song book) by Godson Echebima
Ugomma by Godson Echebima
IGBO GRAMMAR:
Igbo Conversation Course by Ijeoma Akubue
A Textbook of Igbo Linguistics by Godson Echebima
Kwezuonu! A Beginner’s Guide to the Igbo language by Chinemerem I Nwanze
Igbo language lessons
Here on this site, you can choose the Igbo lessons that best suit your learning style. You can purchase the course for beginners. You can also book a free call to see if the group or one-one classes would best suit your needs. There are also Igbo lessons for children. Click on the links to proceed.