Surprising My Nigerian Family by Secretly Learning Their Language

What a special moment.
My language learning app Fluyo (get early access): fluyoapp.com
Learning a new language is always a special experience. But this was something else. Finally I felt like I embraced my heritage, my roots and was able to connect to my family by speaking their language
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👨 ABOUT
﹉
Hello, I’m an Irish-Nigerian-American language learning KZbinr hailing from New York!
I currently speak seven languages. Six of which I taught myself from scratch. By 2023, I aim to learn another five. The languages I currently speak are English, Japanese, Russian, Dutch, French, Chinese and Spanish.
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General contact ⇢ ikenna.com/contact/

[@IkennaLanguages]

My language learning app Fluyo, the one shown in video for Flashcards (LIVE on Kickstarter now): fluyoapp.com Learning a new language is always a special experience. But this was something else. Finally I felt like I embraced my heritage, my roots and was able to connect to my family by speaking their language

[@thisisDEL]

I cannot overstate how cool it is that you decided to learn... But I cannot also overlook the fact that you see it as THEIR language. It just gives off some sort of vibe you're in a way distancing yourself from the language. If I were your family, I'd much rather you appreciate that it is YOUR language as well.. and then choosing to learn it can be DISTANTLY secondary. But... I am NOT your family 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@marana.th4]

I'm a fullstack cross-platform software developer and also Igbo, if there's anyway I can help, let me know😂, I wanna see you get this done

[@OGustus]

Proud of you Ikenna

[@beautifulempatheticliberal5204]

@@marana.th4 It is the epitome of selling out and destroying one's bloodline. Are you sure you're ok?

[@marana.th4]

@@beautifulempatheticliberal5204 that's BS, if you really believe that, then sums wrong.... throughout history, people have been migrating, even you aren't where your bloodline started, besides people move for various reasons, you've obviously not travelled and seen the world, all you know is your little box of roses, every one has their own situations, and do different things for different reasons, to just sit there and suggest that because you travel means you're selling out... the Ego behind that statement, bro, allow it man

[@AdamYLM]

That smile on your Dads face after hearing you speak Igbo.

[@kjirsten7600]

It was just heartwarming or something

[@AdamYLM]

@@kjirsten7600 If you want to touch a persons soul, talk to him in his mother langauge.

[@aigeee]

lol

[@flourenceemafidon3918]

Is Priceless

[@pierrengan7331]

@@AdamYLM rip laoshu50500

[@LanguageSimp]

My native language is Igbo and I have to say you absolutely shocked my socks off.

[@milk_drinker]

My native language is African and this man speaks pretty good Hausa

[@yu-too]

@@milk_drinker my native language is African too !!

[@deutschegeschichte4972]

My native language is porpoise. I speak 32 dialects.

[@wihatmi5510]

Your native language is Igbo? Can you maybe some day make a video about the reason why? I think this story is really interesting.

[@qAngel]

@@wihatmi5510 it's cuz he was born in Igbia, thats where they speak Igbo

[@mlm85000]

You dad’s face when you told him you loved him in his native language was just beautiful. What a touching moment!

[@KimOMixedGirlModel]

kzbin.info/door/6jN_XC14lb94tIMvMK17tg

[@TheJanstyler]

How does it go again? Something along the lines of "Speak to someone in a language they understand, and you speak to their brain. Speak to someone in their own language, and you speak to their heart." I dont remember where this is from anymore. Edit: found the original (mis)quote. “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” Apparently a (mis)quote from Nelson Mandela, but still a great saying imo.

[@mattb5420]

The fact your dad is walking up and down while you are talking on FaceTime to them just shows how happy he really inside this is a great video mate SUBSCRIBED

[@Paternitycourt__]

1.4k likes and no comment ?? let me fix that

[@chrisnnaji5003]

As an Igbo, I don't think the video even shows just how much PRIDE and JOY he's brought to all those family members. Honestly one of the best things he could do for them. Class act

[@alehlete830]

how are u a language???

[@ysonewb]

@@alehlete830 lmao

[@iloveujoe]

@@alehlete830 igbo is a tribe in nigeria aswell LOL

[@alahiri2002]

@@alehlete830 The same way you can be English or Japanese.

[@hannie2122]

@@alehlete830 how can someone be this uneducated 💀😭

[@juliana__9267]

Your father looks like the type who doesn't express emotions very loudly but is always genuine about it. Very wholesome video!

[@alehlete830]

who the woman is that his mom or what

[@enyindahalexanderokwakpam737]

That's how Nigerian fathers can be. My father too

[@enyindahalexanderokwakpam737]

@@alehlete830 I don't think it is. Judging from the flow

[@Kelly-ep5pr]

That’s typical of Nigerian parents, especially the men. They don’t express emotions, or respond to I love you 😂

[@buttertoof]

@@alehlete830 i think it is his mom

[@joshcook6431]

I’m a white English guy and I’ve been learning small parts of Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa in order to make the vast amounts of Nigerians at my work feel more welcome

[@george4vIogging]

You are a real one bro

[@senadlamini4]

Love you!❤

[@banandababa]

Best colleague award goes to you!

[@OhDeeDoubleU]

Legend mate!

[@joshcook6431]

Update: it was well worth learning….just the smiles alone is worth it

[@finnbootes1862]

that 30 minutes of your dad teaching you his dialect must have been incredible. proud of you dude!

[@davidriddell5294]

Awesome!! Subbed!!

[@jessicaevans2564]

When you told your father you loved him in his language, I know that was extremely touching for him and it made me cry. I'm sure it's something that you always dreamed of.

[@EvievaO]

I did too❤ The Dad must be walking tall with shoulders high up😂 Very proud moment

[@MC-cg2rr]

@@EvievaO and full of love

[@marcellesantos4877]

Made me cry too

[@vicrai578]

I loved how he recognized his language and instantly smiling, then being like "huh?" like he didn't understand if he was being real that was so wholesome

[@3strictedMiko]

it’s mad impressive how much he managed to learn in 1 month

[@GinaJonesStillettoQueen]

He has to constantly speak it for it to really seep in.

[@tita8202]

@@GinaJonesStillettoQueen true

[@davinkitongs]

This hits really hard for me. I'm not an Igbo speaker, but I know the feeling of shame and guilt that comes with not being able to speak your native language. For me, that was Mandarin. I've been learning it on and off for years now, and while I'm no fluent speaker, I'm able to read, write, and speak more Mandarin than my childhood self could've ever imagined. This definitely made me tear up, and it also gives me a lot of motivation to keep studying. To all those first-gen folks who feel ashamed or feel that they lack the motivation to start, I give this piece of advice: no attempt at learning the language will ever be "useless". The fact that you even want to learn the language is something to be proud of. I can't even tell you all how many times I went off and on with studying it. 5? 10? 15 attempts? Sometimes, my mental health got in the way. Sometimes, I felt so ashamed at my lack of knowledge that I would temporarily quit. But every attempt I did, I always picked up at least one new word, and that’s progress too. I never really leave sappy or long comments, but I hope this reaches someone who needs it. 😊 Update: dang, I didn't realize so many people felt the same as I did. Thanks for all the likes, y'all. I plan to take Mandarin as a college course, and I'm hoping I can test out of level 1 so I can take the level 2 course!!

[@Tony2dH]

Just wanted to say your comment inspired me to look for lessons! Well done to you for sticking with it and I'm sure you make your family proud

[@davinkitongs]

@@Tony2dH I'm glad my comment inspired you! I wish you the best of luck in your language studies journey :)

[@llallogen7380]

Working on French now for this reason. I am so glad to know that I am not alone in my feelings of guilt, but at some point we have to forgive our childhood selves for not pushing for an education we might have had a small chance of receiving. And sometimes neglecting the opportunities we had due to kids being kids.

[@davinkitongs]

@@cherryhoneyricola of course!! ❤ wish you luck, wherever you are on your language journey!

[@davinkitongs]

@@llallogen7380 exactly!! There's such an unrealistic expectation for immigrant kids to know their origin language. You can even see fluent immigrant kids making fun of and shaming other immigrant kids that cant speak their home language. When in reality, there's so many factors that play into disconnection from our culture +language: our parents, society, environment, and/or peers. Plus, we've got our entire lives to learn our home language!! Language classes don't just magically disappear when we become adults!!! Well, I'm glad my comment made you feel less alone in your feelings, I felt the same until I saw the number of likes on my comment loll. Good luck learning French!!

[@feddef]

As a father of a mixed boy, when you said your dad that you love him in his language, I straightaway burst into tears 🥲. You are a great kid with a golden heart ❤️. I hope one day my son can do the same ❤

[@shakaragervais3842]

Can I ask why u were in tears? Because u feel happy he learnt because he’s mix? Tbh it’s the dads fault should have taught him

[@DoomShrm]

@@shakaragervais3842 he burst into tears at the sight of seeing somebody like his child pay that great of an amount of respect to somebody who was like him.

[@deewill8543]

@@shakaragervais3842 did u not watch the video? He said his dad tried to teach him at a younger age but he wasn’t interested in learning at the time

[@rubiksworld2170]

@@shakaragervais3842That’s true parents should always teach children their native language. But there’s a few reasons he may not have taught his son. At the end of the day it’s good that this man is trying to learn Igbo himself!

[@thisdeath]

yea this vid came be emotional if it hits you close :)

[@ezugo892]

This video hits home as a first generation Nigerian American, who really wants learn to how to speak Igbo. I've always been able to understand it but crossing the speaking barrier has been tough. Thank you for this video. It's inspiring.

[@nneomaoseagulu1651]

Same only bits and pieces

[@lamp2419]

Bro i cant even, im living in finland with my finnish mom and nigerian dad. Im barely able to speak igbo tho and when i was taking classes in the languge i would just goof off and hence i didnt learn much. Now as ive gotten older i really regret not learning the language but once ive gotten comfortable speaking japanese and german i might just start learning igbo again

[@eejawma]

Yes, this video made me tear up! I was fluent in Igbo when I was very young, but I lost it over the years. I've made an unbelievable amount of progress from relearning it for the past two years, but I definitely feel uncomfortable speaking around native speakers because of my American accent. I've used many resources on KZbin, Instagram, and online that I can share if you're interested. But consistency is key and so is overcoming the intimidation factor (still working on that last one)!

[@adaozoo]

@@eejawma pleaseee shareee

[@propogandalf]

​@@lamp2419Why would you prioritize speaking Japanese and German first? Will you learn Igbo when you are 65? You can learn Igbo online the same way he did

[@jerrypie]

4:05 it’s cute how you inadvertently pickup a Nigerian accent when you’re speaking to her there lol

[@ilyarepin9490]

It's helpful for picking up the syllables if you know what they sound like in your own language. His family's accent is probably hardcoded into his memory, so he doesn't have to work as hard to pick up the cadence/pronunciation.

[@lovelifelight]

Noticed that too!

[@chess4072]

bilingual/multilingual things lol

[@najahshikamaru103]

It makes it easier for the other person to understand you better

[@cranburrey]

Well it's very easy to pick up on the accent when you've been growing up hearing it

[@aarongibson4128]

I'm going through a relatively similar journey right now. British colonialism destroyed our language amongst other things and there are only small pockets of Irish speaking communities left around the country. I always felt a profound sense of shame attached to the language so much so that I never cared to learn it. That changed a few months back when I heard a couple of young women speaking in Irish and the shame I felt for not understanding what they were saying completely outweighed the shame attached to the language from our colonial past. So here I am at 32, just learning the basics of MY language. Tá súil agam go bhfuil tú barr na sláinte.

[@chickenwingstick7594]

Ní maith liom gaeilge

[@Cradien]

​@@chickenwingstick7594 my name

[@jackharkin8939]

mhoth mé an rud ceanna. is gael-mheircanach mé. níl mo chuid gaeilge forife ach caithfidh muid triail as á bhain

[@gxqx797]

can you explain the differences between Scottish gaelic and Irish galic? cheers

[@chickenwingstick7594]

@@Cradien side eye

[@ananovoa8719]

2nd gen Latina here. Learning Spanish made me feel a whole helluva lot closer to my family, but of course it's a little scary speaking to them with my limited vocabulary. That's awesome that you were able to connect with your family this way, and surpass that fear ❤

[@zaarkhananal7165]

Spanish isn't the native language of, so called, Latin America. You're indigenous, and your language would be one of the "asiatic" languages of the Americas.

[@rafaeltorres3549]

​@zaharakhananal7165 your missing the point. If she learned that language who would she speak to then? Defeats the purposes. Come mielda

[@kaitlynlacy853]

@@zaarkhananal7165 No one asked. Just be happy for her. Overcoming language barriers and connecting with family is cool! :)

[@Antimony145]

i was born cuban and even im struggling to speak spanish 😭

[@waffle7842]

​@@zaarkhananal7165yeah but that's not the reality anymore so what you said it's not applicable to most latinoamericanos of today. I'm from South America and like a lot of my neighbor countries most of our population has lost their connection to our "roots", our blood is mixed. After being colonized, each country developed its own dialect/accents and we've long since started calling it "español latino/latinoamericano". You don't live here so you don't know shit, but if I were to ask a classmate, a neighbour or a random in the street if they or their parents speak any "asiatic" languages there's an immense possibility the answer is just no, even most of the people legally registered as having indigenous blood aren't able to speak the language, (on my part, only my great-grandfather had a native surname which belonged to a tribe but I'm unaware if he could speak it at all), so you're literally talking unrelated shit, shut up, don't try to confuse people that are already trying to connect to their culture

[@Chiggianya]

Ikenna, I am a 24 year old Hmong American girl. I know EXACTLY what you mean by you were more interested in doing fun things rather than learning your mother language. I don’t speak Hmong, I never learned. I’ve never been able to have a conversation with my grandparents other than just saying very very basic things. But now that I’m an adult, I realize how important it is to learn my mother language. Thanks so much for sharing your journey!

[@Chiggianya]

I think if I learned how to speak Hmong and I surprised my family with it, I would really cry before I could utter any words out. There’s a lot of heavy emotions that come with the experiences of not knowing your mother language. I know it would be cathartic to be able to speak it-to actually be able to communicate with my older family members.

[@kennyy4431]

@@Chiggianya Nyob zooo! I think it would make your parents, aunts, and uncles all very happy!

[@ireneaneki]

I am also Hmong; I had a really rough time growing up not fully understanding it because I was busy trying to 'fit in' into school and my American classmates. I too am an adult now and I'm slowly picking the pieces again and I am doing very well with it. I always felt so discouraged trying to, poorly, speak it with our elders but in my own time... I feel more confident and slowing feeling safer with reconnecting to our culture! I wish you nothing but the best in your journey learning Hmong!

[@littlewing101]

yeah, it feels like a chore and unfair that u have to learn a whole language while most americans can speak to their grandparents in english, but you feel bad and try anyway 😭

[@VajiraPholvamsa]

I learned Khmu over the last 15 years by reading the dictionaries I bought and sitting with elders. Now the elders know that I am the Khmu American who speaks Khmu. I learned a little Mien from co workers and a little Hmong from a friend. It also helps I like joking with my cousins in Khmu.

[@mikeg6285]

I'm Portuguese and nobody in my family can speak it. I wanna change it, but if I'm honest I don't have the attention span. I'm disabled as well, mentally and physically, which really makes it harder to believe I can do it, but you inspire me man. I don't know you, but I'm proud of you and thank you for posting this

[@didusayaster]

Força mano, tu consegues 🇵🇹

[@alahiri2002]

Portuguese is by no means an easy language, but I still think you’re selling yourself short. I know nothing about you personally, or your physical and mental limitations, but I do have a vague grasp over how you express your thoughts and feelings in English. Your comment is well-structured and easy to follow. Your grammar is far from perfect, but does it really need to be? The point of language is to communicate, be it efficiently, poetically, explicitly or otherwise. Since you have no problems doing so in English, I struggle to see why you wouldn’t be able to do it in Portuguese. Go for it man.

[@pokaay3163]

Good luck!! I want to learn better Spanish because my family are native speakers but my first language is english. In this together ✊

[@alessandrachaves2453]

Mike, I wanna teach you portuguese for free. I speak portuguese. Do you wanna learn?

[@aroTheKidd]

I wanna learn Portuguese I wanna travel all over the world and ik Portuguese is spoken world wide as well as English

[@joaofelipegarciavicente8902]

This brought tears to my eyes! That is such a class act bro! Congratulations! You inspired me to learn Libras which is Brazilian sign language. I have an aunt that can't speak or hear and everyone has a hard time speaking to her. Makes me see how left out she must feel not having anyone that can talk to her fluently in sign language

[@Sir_Zombie1ted]

Dude you have a hardcore mission ahead of you, go for it and put a smile on her face.

[@candidcoach4304]

I'm sure even just learning a few phrases would make her so happy! Go for it!

[@crix_h3eadshotgg992]

Late to the party, but I’m going to be honest. Even if you only learn a few sentences worth of them, you’re omega based. Making someone who most probably feels a bit left out from the rest able to connect to her nephew/cousin is extremely respectable. I hope you can happily talk with her now 😊

[@saralee6710]

I learned Swedish to speak with my nan as she grew older, and one day she said, "I am glad you picked up Swedish, because I had forgotten how to speak it," lol. I thought she missed her language, because everyone speaks German, Spanish or English at home. However, she didn't even know her own bloody language. So we both spoke broken Swedish until she passed. It made her smile though, and I am sure dad felt the same.

[@LuxuFoo]

This is such a beautiful story, I'm glad you have those memories with your Nan. ❤️

[@Avi.joyyy12]

This is so beautiful!! My family is also Nigerian, specifically Yoruba, and I was never taught the language. I knew some words and would sometimes understand what my parents would say, but I still never fully understood the language. It’s my life long goal that l want to be able to speak Yoruba and be able to teach my future kids the language as well, so this video was really a motivational booster!!

[@OlajorinE]

You should learn Yoruba trust me

[@fivestarplaying3553]

Same, it's important to honor your roots

[@changetocome100]

I know the feeling, I hate that I can speak Igbo, my dad passed on and I find myself wanting to visit Nigeria but I'd feel better if I could speak.

[@anar2955]

You have the potential and are already 45% there if you can understand hearing wise 🥰🥰🥰

[@Princeomishore]

same only know a few yoruba words. want to learn.

[@zukoscar]

I’m Nigerian/Jamaican and can’t speak igbo, but am determined to learn. Your video was inspiring, thanks for sharing 💙 and congratulations on your progress

[@muomahchibueze1100]

Good luck It won’t be easy but nothing is impossible

[@maxkim7937]

I learned Korean from the moment I was able to speak. My mom spoke to me in Korean a lot even though she spoke English, and she sprinkled some complex words for me to figure out with context. Then, when I was 6, she took me to Korea to learn how to read and write in Korean. It took me about 2 years to do so, and i am still using what I learned back then to write back to my relatives. Most of my friends here in the US can't speak fluently and especially can't read and write in korean. Although they can kinda make the most basic sentences to get by, this is worse than a 3-5 year old in Korea. Their parents thought that learning Korean would make them dumb and it would affect their grades. This is ironic because we learn Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, etc. when we enter middle/high school. I seriously can't wrap my head around the logic behind that... Most of the parents aren't very good at English and needed help with government letters and going to the store. Their kids couldn't translate accurately and would miss out on important details. So, they would either take the letters to their lawyer or to someone like me which honestly is a big waste of time because they had to make time to do so and most of them were super busy. It was good practice for me, but it always frustrated me to think that their kids, my friends who are also Korean, could not help their parents. This is before kpop/kdrama was huge, so they really needed to put in the work. I found it especially difficult to hold a conversation with the parents in Korean not because we didn't speak Korean, but because every time I speak to them in korean, they would respond back in Korean but literally 5 minutes in, they are speaking to me in English. More accurately, konglish or really bad English. It's as if they just see their kid when they see me... I'm 28 this year and u still have to go through this. It's really bad because the very first thing they assume is I don't know Korean even if I literally introduced myself to them in Korean and my next few sentences were complex sentences. Does anyone else go through this issue (in whatever language you speak)?

[@danielgoebel5525]

I speak fluently German but my native language is Croatian so me and my sister 90% of the time have to translate goverment letters aswell to my parents. I dont blame my parents since for them is harder to learn the language than me and my sister but they know how to have a simple convo. When I have kids the first thing I will do is learn them my native language

[@rukiakameel6244]

I speak to certain relatives in Arabic and sometimes they try either ‘dumb it down’ for me or try and throw English in there, it’s like bruh I can understand and speak to you just fine 😂😭 I think because my mum is white they think I didn’t learn growing up, but my dad only speaks to me in Arabic and now I literally work in the same Arabic school I attended as a child!

[@olushinaogunlana116]

This is very impressive! As a Nigerian living in Nigeria though a Yoruba by tribe, I am really impressed with your determination to learn Igbo. I also wish I can speak the language inspite of serving in Abia state for a full one year.Thumbs up !

[@velettadaviswilliams5517]

What language do you speak being Yoruban?

[@olanrewajutaiwo9198]

@@velettadaviswilliams5517 The Yoruba tribe has it’s own language called Yoruba just like the tribe

[@velettadaviswilliams5517]

@@olanrewajutaiwo9198 my husband and I modeled our wedding renewal after a Yorubab wedding we saw....it was marvelous but I know nothing of the language. I feel encouraged to learn it!

[@airsay]

I wouldn't beat myself too much Olushina. I served in Rivers surrounded by Corp members from Imo state. I was only able to come out loving Abacha. Worse thing is that Igbo people think I'm Igbo when they see me. Yoruba people think I'm Igbo when they see me. And I'm not remotely Igbo. I've decided to learn this year though

[@oma7698]

@@velettadaviswilliams5517 You can go online like Ikenna (the channel owner) did. There are Yoruba classes online.

[@aviatornic2839]

Man, this is so freaking cool. I'm Filipino on my dad's side, and I think it's about time I learned some tagolog

[@angelgutierrez4894]

you can do it! i’ve been studying on and off for the last 6 months 😮‍💨 it’s rough due to the somewhat limited resources, but it’s possible!

[@mrwizzygiorosales7930]

True. I learned tagalog the hard way by getting enrolled in a public school in grade 6 and having very few translators Mind you I had 0 tagalog experience so yeah I say go learn some Kaya mo yan pare 👊

[@hidethecorpse8255]

It's about time for me to learn Italian

[@mintimin8707]

@@mrwizzygiorosales7930 same here except all of the dialects with tagalog meshed into mine so now I just speak a very confusing version of Filipino

[@mrwizzygiorosales7930]

@@mintimin8707 You from davao by any chance? Ive been told there more than 5 dialects there in 1 location

[@kayaknox4843]

I randomly clicked on this video for serotonin but i was surprised to see some POTS representation too! You should be extremely proud of yourself for not only learning your families language but for also staying dedicated because as someone with POTS, I know it can be hard to work through the brain fog and fatigue. Well done!

[@lovingcix9273]

this is inspiring my to learn my dad’s native language (greek). this really hit home for me. i’ve been making excuses all of my life to not learn it, but i’ve always wanted to learn so i could speak with my grandma (and dad’s family in general). she past away in November last year unfortunately. so now i don’t really get to hear my dad speak greek anymore, but whenever i do, it triggers an emotional response in me. my greek identity is so important to me - learning the language and being able to speak with my dad would mean so much to me. him as well

[@happyzinny]

Rooting for you!!

[@lovingcix9273]

@@happyzinny thank you!!

[@qtslim83]

As an Igbo woman who didn’t have her parents teach us the Native language and wants to desperately learn, this gave me so much hope. Thank you ❤️

[@alehlete830]

who the woman is that his mom or what

[@pufflord_gamesonicsoloesyo2365]

@@rm71991 Nigga? Attitude for what? And how do you know this? What is the benefit of this person lying? Like damn, mfs stay tryna kick people down for no reason and for things that mean so much to the people they attack. Tell me, what is the point..?

[@Lulu-ih9by]

as a mixed child who only speaks english this makes me so incredible happy and hopeful, i have always wanted to learn my father's language and you have reminded me that it is possible even with health issues that make it much more difficult. please keep inspiring people by being you

[@romanslav827]

I got an online tutor and it helped tremendously. I highly encourage it!

[@toxico8067]

Lol everyone is mixed

[@Lulu-ih9by]

@@Not_Toxic848 I'm not from America but the languages my parents speak aren't taught in schools

[@soultalkwithlay]

@@Not_Toxic848 I live in the US. They force you to take 2 years of a language in high school, and if you go to college and what you major in you may or may not have to take more language classes. There’s no emphasis on learning other cultures, no matter how much they claim it’s a melting pot here.

[@littlewing101]

@@Not_Toxic848 in the us we learn, but it’s definitely not enough to remember unless u put in time for extra lessons and practicing, but also my town isn’t rich so maybe wealthy schools have more success.

[@quinjou]

Thank you so much for this video. I'm a mixed Italian-Nigerian girl, and I'm the same situation. My Nigerian mother native language is Edo, aside from English. This video has just motivated me to try to learn Edo ❤

[@drumblebee]

theres something so magical about finally being able to speak the same language as your family. after so long of having to communicate in a second language or having a relative interpret, to be able to speak your heart and be fully understood is beautiful.

[@ClintonEleto]

Well done. My mom is Igbo and that’s the only Nigerian language I can speak fluently 👏🏾👏🏾 well done

[@holyhills4186]

Wow Dalu nwanne.

[@BB-oq6uu]

As an igbo girl and also your sister... I am super proud of you for taking this bold step to uniting with your root. Igbo amaka!! Jisie ike!!

[@richlyblessed3973]

As a Jamaican born to a Yoruban Dad this just motivated me to go learn the language. So here i go. Much love and respect

[@RiversXXVII]

This inspired me. I was born and raised in New York, my grandparents are from Puerto Rico. I never learned Spanish but this video makes me want to learn my families language. Well done!

[@TheDeathOmen]

I’m in pretty much the same boat, mother and the entire side of her family is Uruguayan, and I was born and raised in NY, language issues growing up meant I didn’t even speak my first word in English until I was 3 years old, so my mom who had tried raising me bilingual stopped trying to teach me Spanish because of that. I’ve been learning Spanish recently and I very highly recommend the KZbin channel Dreaming Spanish, they teach Spanish in a way very similar to how children learn language and I’ve been finding a good amount of success with it, I hope you’re able to have great success in learning Spanish and are able to finally properly communicate with your family!

[@HimedereSenpaii]

I so desperately want to connect with my heritage. I started learning Tagalog, and picked Japanese back up. I want to speak to both families 😭

[@Mcwsmurf1]

頑張れ!

[@youngneil6456]

same! I'm japanese and filipino but hardly fluent in both languages. time to hit the books. 😅

[@jasonPVA]

I’m Filipino but born and raised in Spain. I’m fluent with both spanish and english. I understand like 75% of Tagalog but I barely speak it, maybe it’s time to put some effort to connect more with my heritage

[@taniesaz2230]

half colonized and colonizer lol

[@HimedereSenpaii]

@@taniesaz2230 and that's my fault how? I didn't choose my blood. Doesn't negate that I have family that I still can't communicate with. What an ick take.

[@BERRUEZA]

Yooo, this was so heartwarming!! Got me teary-eyed.. My dad died before I learned more than a few words or phrases in Russian. But I made the decision anyways to finally learn Russian after all these years. I found and used your FME method, and I ended up getting the opportunity to have a conversation with my grandma in Russian before she died as well. It was an incredible experience and memory I will always cherish. So proud of you Ikenna, and everything you set out to do. Wishing the best for you man! Keep on going and can't wait for Fluyo!!

[@berxx33]

Хорош

[@user-df7sn1dw2o]

Успехов!

[@BERRUEZA]

@@user-df7sn1dw2o Большое спасибо!

[@lawtraf8008]

Slava Ukraine

[@lord_commander95]

Красавчик

[@dilsewaksinghdhillon232]

As a Punjabi, I have so much respect for Nigerian families. You’re intelligence, work ethic and your family values are second to none. Honestly one of my most favorite people. Great video!

[@caelihoshino]

That was so wholesome, got me teary more than a few times. The smile on your family's faces, we could feel they were proud

[@Vinchezno]

Actual genuine smiles all around watching this. Haven't been feeling mentally well but this is enough to make me happy

[@annieolivia2343]

You’ve made us all 1st generations proud 🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬❤ My dad is Igbo but speaks Yoruba as well and my mum is from Rivers so she speaks Igbo and her towns language but they never taught it to me or my brothers and it’s always been one of the saddest things😢, I feel like even tho I’m so proud to be Nigerian, because I can’t speak Igbo and I was born in England, people question how Nigerian I really am!!!😢 My fiancé is Polish and I’ve taught myself the language over the years so that our whole household and children can ALL be bilingual from the start !!!🥰 Lots of love my naija bro !! ❤

[@leep7136]

That's so beautiful! Loveliest greetings from Poland!

[@spiicehead2341]

Same boat. Same boat. But I'm gonna try to learn now, on my own. Let's see where this goes

[@kieronfarley1924]

This really made me smile! I’m thinking of learning Polish because my girlfriend is polish Nigerian so a lot of the family who stayed over there speak polish primarily. Have you got any advice when starting polish specifically?

[@abiola5828]

i remember working, this nigerian man asked me if I was nigerian. I am, but he asked if i could speak yoruba and I cannot. He proceeded to say “you’re not really nigerian then.” it hurts so bad man😭😭

[@johndilig6719]

it's a proud moment, not just for your dad, but for the rest of your family & relatives. they can be proud that a son of the family can carry a part of their culture via the Igbo language, and it can be shared to the next generation. I say all this as an immigrant, now a citizen, of a foreign country, and have seen my cousins & nephew not being able to speak our mother language (they can understand, though. Since we that can, speak it constantly on them). For me, it'll make me feel really proud for the next gen of my family if they can carry our language as like preserving a part of our culture that we left behind when we emigrated to find a better future.

[@Eb0nut]

Aw man this warms my heart. I feel like your yearning to know your family's language definitely helped you in learning so fast (that, and your hard work!!). You are awesome!

[@ulisesr614]

I love how the smallest phrases spoken by Ikenna gets his grandma geeked! 😂 I began teaching my niece English before I left México 2 years ago and now that she speaks full sentences I get riled over the smallest things like her favorite flavor of shaved ice.

[@diananoureddine6875]

i don’t usually comment on videos but this made me so emotional. i met my partners family last month in Japan. i had wasted so much time trying to learn quickly rather than effectively which made me realize that i didn’t have the right skills to communicate with them. i hope some day i’ll feel this same accomplishment in this video. so inspiring 😢❤

[@alehlete830]

who the woman is that his mom or what

[@diananoureddine6875]

@@alehlete830 i believe the woman in the video is his mum

[@catmoore2443]

Same here .🙏🏽

[@hibafassifihri3420]

Your grandma is adorable! To think that you were never able to speak to her before it must be so emotional

[@iyke333]

I'm a Nigerian, Ur comment is absolutely true .

[@TheBlaskar]

Beautiful, well done, man. Must feel huge to finally shed that shame and distance you’ve felt your whole life- and see how proud each individual member of your immediate and extended families are. Love it ❤

[@beatricechidianyanwu]

I couldn't stop smiling. As an Igbo girl who is also learning Igbo this was so encouraging

[@ladylove67096]

I grew up in Philippines. I moved to the US when I was very young and I have that weird phenomenon where I can fluently understand my native tongue but I can't speak it. It's like English took over my tongue and I can't speak it back. It's like my mother tongue got buried under my English tongue. It's so heartwarming to see you learn for your dad and family. It's truly another connection to be able to speak and be understood.

[@invadore_8612]

Same here, but with Spanish I try to speak it here and there but it’s nerve wracking even though ppl are usually supportive

[@Vivienwestphal]

I had a similar issue. What helped me was imaging myself speak the language. I would have while conversations in my head. Before I knew, I broke my barrier and started speaking the language ❤️❤️

[@AmaraOkpechi]

@ladylove1101 Your story is SOML…my parents did try Speaking to us in our native tongue (Igbo) when we were kids, but we used to only speak ‘easy’ or beneficial phrases a bunch. But, then, we stopped speaking all together during our childhood, so I even lost the understanding of my native tongue, as if English had just taken over my tongue. Oddly enough, it wasn’t til I learned Spanish that something broke inside me to where I started paying more attention when my mother spoke to me in Igbo, but I’m still only partially there, as I can only respond to her & other Igbos in English! 😢😢😢

[@weirdjil]

Love this, glad you’re feeling connected to your culture and family! My mom and her family immigrated from Cuba and learning Spanish later in life allowed me to connect and listen to stories from my grandmother about her life in cuba I never would have known if I didn’t start that journey. What a beautiful experience it’s been I’m happy you’ve made the same commitment!! Much love.

[@ThrillerKiller96]

This is so beautiful man. The smile and the reaction your dad had warmed my heart he looked so proud. Keep being great

[@coolpersonwithcake98]

I started learning Hungarian 🇭🇺, my mum's native language summer 2021 and it really changed my life. I'm also a polyglot but my mum never got the chance to teach me her native language. Being able to understand my family members is such a blessing. My speech and grammar still sucks but I'm going to work on that 😉

[@undersomedesk7652]

I had the same thing happen! My family has always had to speak English when I was visiting and watching their faces light up as I struggled through the vowel harmony mess was one of the best experiences of my life!

[@curranschaefer5565]

Do you know of any good resources to learn Hungarian online? I am also part Hungarian and interested in learning Magyar.

[@coolpersonwithcake98]

@@curranschaefer5565 I use catch Budapest's 500 most common word anki deck that I do every day. I also do drops to supplement my vocab. Duolingo I'd say is okay as long as you learn the grammar rules separately and use the app for drills. Hungarian Pod 101 really helped me a lot

[@coolpersonwithcake98]

@@curranschaefer5565 in terms of books, 'Hungarian an essential grammar' by Carol H.Rounds is good but very overwhelming for a beginner. I'd say do some duolingo lessons and read the chapter in the textbook that correlates with the lesson so you have a more in depth understanding. I've heard that Alex Pavlenko's exercise books are really good too, although I haven't tried them out yet

[@curranschaefer5565]

@@coolpersonwithcake98 Thank you very much!

[@fayokunmifaith]

It's your dad's pacing up and down during the call for me 🤩 He is so happy and proud of you.

[@OfficiallyMaidenless]

That was so touching when he said "Yeah I'm surprised big guy" my dad and I speak the same language and straight left us when I was two. I would give so much to have that kind of connection with my dad. ❤️

[@joanna4500]

this is so wholesome and heartwarming- learning despite your disability is so inspiring! im sure your whole family is all so proud of you ❤

[@okorolina]

The last thing I told my dad before he passed away was "i love you" in Igbo... I want to definitely get better, omg when you said it to your dad I cried 🥺

[@toffeelatte6042]

RIP to your Dad, as a Ghanaian son learning Twi, it is definitely good to learn our parents languages!

[@JanxakaJX]

I remember how hard it is to do anything at all when you’re sick and seeing you accomplish things like this despite your circumstances is a testament to your character

[@ThatsKami16]

@@chelbez making someone feel good about their accomplishments, even though they have it rough.

[@Taxmandarmus]

@@chelbez who hurt you?

[@Taxmandarmus]

@@chelbez it's ok, whoever hurt you, that's on them not you🤗

[@kawaiiTuna]

Seeing people reconnect with their heritage like this is so beautiful. The clear joy from your father when he heard you speak his language was so touching.

[@Rayanmoaz]

This is very beautiful. There’s nothing more satisfying than honouring your family and embracing your heritage. You can see how excited and honoured they are.

[@mali9384]

this is your most special video yet tbh. as a nigerian girl, it is so beautiful to see you connect with your roots and culture.

[@fabsabx]

I totally understand the feeling of disconnect from your culture as a first/second generation immigrant. My Chinese isn’t that good but I look forward to each time I get to go back to my home country so that I can improve!

[@leung1966]

Me too! But i'm a 4th generation chinese immigrant and none of my family speaks it even tho we are very chinese looking, i just wish i had people to help me earnmy chinese since no one can share their knowledge of learn with me

[@milenberhe2048]

I legit almost cried, I can relate and it was so cute seeing your family's reactions! You've definitely inspired me to take learning Tigrinya (Eritrean language) seriously.

[@donnacrozier3327]

I realised I had such a big daft happy grin on my face watching you with your family. I’m so happy for you. You should be so proud of yourself. You can tell your family are close and love you and we’re super surprised but also touched that you took the time to learn. Well done man, I’m so pleased for you.

[@Smolotov]

My cheeks hurt from smiling so much throughout the video…keeping your language close means keeping family close, and that’s one of the most precious things to hold on to in these times and especially in your situation where you’re struggling from even doing normal activities. Love.

[@emmanueldada6412]

Man! I have to say this really made me tear up a bit. Watching you speak your native tongue to your father and family back at home🇳🇬, makes me want to go back. Thank you for this 🙏🏿 and please continue to share the progress!

[@marco.nascimento]

This is so wholesome. One of the best things of learning new languages is being able to connect with people, even better if it is with family, such a cute video. Good luck in your language learning journey, cheers from Brazil :)

[@alinepont]

so beautiful seeing everyone’s smile. keep it up, i was cheering together with your grandma and father. they look so proud

[@lazyazzdork]

This is so incredibly sweet. My family is from Southern Nigeria (Ijaw). I wouldn't even know where to start learning to speak the language. I have to find a way

[@amplifythegospel9325]

I am Nembe and also would love to learn

[@KnowYourChi]

Rooting for you!!

[@harmandon]

you can do this.

[@dongsicheng170]

Usually the mother passes down culture more than the father. So when you mentioned being mixed and not knowing Igbo I could easily assume that your father was the one that spoke it. It's actually really interesting!

[@bf2853]

Is this lie you guys keep telling yourselves? The person who passes on the culture is the parent who is the most proactive about it. nothing more or less

[@dongsicheng170]

@@bf2853 and that's typically the mother

[@bf2853]

@@dongsicheng170 It was only typically the mothers because back then women were stay at home wives not the case anymore now that both parents work and we are also seeing a rise of stay at home fathers as well.

[@aishulko6169]

@@bf2853 not the case for a lot of people in this day and age however.

[@Churros1616]

@@bf2853 I have to admit this is one of those things where mothers are usually better with sharing the culture .

[@TheOfficialAKAY]

This really brought a tear to my eye. Everythin is so so relateable, especially the distance one can feel from the culture of your mother and/or father. I know that it pleases them so much to see that their children, ouf of own interest, tries to better their knowledge of their culture. So much respect for what you do and everything you have shared in this video. Incredibly proud of you, and you have really inspired me!

[@Meg_Cardiff]

I love the reaction of the wider family. What an amazing experience. Thank you for sharing it with us. You will remember this forever.

[@jordyBallZmusic]

This is special because this id ikeena origin of language I learnt French , russian, Romanian and a little Arabic But I originally speak creole (Mauritius) but now I feel like I can learn this language I didn't learn it because it wasn't spoken much and I feel embarrassed for family to laugh at me but ikeena is a huge inspiration as well :) I CAN DO THIS ❤❤

[@baodang1709]

I’m rooting for u 💪

[@jordyBallZmusic]

@@baodang1709 thank you

[@Angelina-kr2dv]

I’m trying to learn Romanian bc that’s my familie’s nationality. How did you learn?

[@user-fq8lw9gm5w]

You can do this!!❤

[@lawtraf8008]

Are u from Mauritius ?

[@sweetest_tae]

and i agree. as an american immigrant, when my nigerian aunties and uncles hear me speak even a little bit of igbo, they get super excited. such a great feeling. also ur accent sounds great!

[@reuterss306]

This is so wholesome. You're a good dude, wish you all the best.

[@jetleesie]

This is so wholesome! I know your family cherished this moment so much

[@fennydantom]

I'm not even Nigerian or African but this made me smile. To see the smile on your dad's face was heartwarming.

[@bribb9]

How amazing! I almost cried watching this. It would be so cool to see you have another conversation in Igbo with your family 6 months later, a year later, etc. Congrats!

[@caidalee1994]

There’s always something so powerful about introducing yourself and saying I love you in the language.

[@sergiboschraga2416]

I can't imagine the joy you felt the moment you saw all your family so proud of you, the feeling of conecting like this with your family must be one of the best you can feel in this life

[@Roamwithstyleblog]

As someone who was born in Nigeria and doesn’t speak any Igbo, I can relate a lot to feeling embarrassed about not knowing the language. But, this has inspired me. Thanks for sharing this!

[@TT-ee1vv]

Mine is Ikwerre

[@suga3774]

I can imagine how you feel. May I ask if you know of the reason you were never taught especially since you live in Nigeria. The phenomenon is so weird to me. My cousins are living In Nigeria, but they also dont know how to speak Igbo. I just don’t understand why they were not taught.

[@somekid7]

This is inspiring and I'm excited to try the new app! Both of my parents were born in Korea but I was born in the US. Korean was my first language but I stopped learning when I started school, because my parents were too busy with work. I also went through a lot of violent trauma within my culture, so trying to re-connect with it has been tough. I have C-PTSD from many violent episodes where Korean was spoken to me while I was being beaten and threatened for over 10 years, so hearing certain words/tones/phrases gives me anxiety and can push me into a depressive spiral. However, I did do a few years of therapy and I'm more stable now, so I've slowly been learning every year. I tried a lot of different tools, but my manual labor jobs leave me very little energy to dedicate to learning Korean, but I have been able to learn some Spanish, Russian and Mongolian. That helped me gain more confidence in my language learning skills.

[@yessica6030]

💐

[@ruthstevens5091]

This warms my heart. I love that they are all so happy and proud of you!

[@capedmarauder2055]

What a lovely, heart-warming video. Thanks for sharing this with us. Your dad looks so proud.

[@moneerbaahmad]

I relate to this so much. I’ve 21 years speaking only a few words of Darija (the Moroccan dialect of Arabic) and I am studying to be able to speak with my extended family. This video was unbelievably inspiring and I’m even more motivated to pursue this goal. Thanks Ikenna for everything you do! 💪🙏

[@lawtraf8008]

Where do you live ? How are you Moroccan and don't speak Darija ? Your parents are wrong for that

[@manarmrabet771]

@@lawtraf8008 shut up nobody asked for ur judgemental, unnecessary and assuming comment. ive seen ur other belittling comments under this video. if making others feel bad about their efforts for doing something good, despite not needing to is the only way to make urself feel better, its truly pathetic and sickening. i hope u find joy in other things, go educate yourself about the diversity in the world a bit, with a tad of empathy and understanding 101 so u dont feel the need to log on and hate on everybody in order to feel accomplished.

[@manarmrabet771]

goodluck!!!!! ur family will alr be happy with the intent alone so wishing u lots of progress, for urself and ur family!

[@LittleHomieLightningtech]

قريب نفس الشي معني لكن مع العربي اليبي

[@LittleHomieLightningtech]

@@manarmrabet771 I do kind of agree that his parents are wrong for not teaching him Arabic since he can't talk to his relatives meaningfully as he's barred by language and miscommunication

[@chisomc9405]

This is amazing! Both my parents speak Igbo and they spoke to us in Igbo but I never learned to speak back. I’ve been taking lessons over the past 6-7 months and I completely agree with the feeling of unlocking a part of your self. It’s brought me closer to my family for sure. You picked it up quickly! Hope you keep it up 🙌🏾🇳🇬

[@MoonsSoul]

This really inspires me cause I’m currently trying to learn Tagalog as someone who’s half Filipino, wanting to go back to the Philippines and speak with my family and whatnot. It makes me feel more connected to my culture, 100% worth it ❤️❤️

[@douglassouza7049]

Man, this is so heartwarming. You smiled the whole video.

[@tayg5621]

It's the pride shining through all of their faces and smiles. I'm fighting back tears, I'm supposed to be working 😂. What a wonderful thing to do for yourself and your family.

[@machko1]

Coming from an African background I can relate to these chaotic calls full of laughter it’s amazing and I’m grateful to have my family 🤍 Beautiful video. I might learn Swahili soon 😅

[@anthonymwangi6894]

Jambo man... Wish you the best with Swahili

[@arboreal_sprout3235]

This was so wholesome. You can tell how sincerely happy your family is!

[@moe4739]

This is so awesome! My family is also Nigerian. I was never taught Yoruba, the language my family speaks. Although I was raised only around my Nigerian family, I have trouble connecting with my own culture due to not understanding the language. This motivates me to learn!

[@Tiktok_Reddit]

Check out blessing Kayode on KZbin, she has a lot of material

[@Yryyyys]

You can learn!!! I recommend using Italki to find an online tutor

[@moe4739]

@@Tiktok_Reddit My brother's name is Kayode :) I will check this out!

[@Tiktok_Reddit]

@@moe4739 mine too😂😂 but I speak Yoruba very very well

[@dorinda4891]

Ah, that's wonderful - you made me cry! 😂 It's wonderful how proud and surprised people are and their eyes light up when you connect with them in their own language! Take care, Ikenna, always great to see your posts and your enthusiasm for language learning.🖖

[@IkennaLanguages]

Thank you so much!!

[@Clarachk]

Well, this is the most beautiful heartwarming video to show up randomly in my feed today! Watching you interact with your family in your family’s language and surprise them made my soul feel full! Becoming a polyglot can lead you into some truly fascinating and amazing spaces and cultures!

[@dangervybz7522]

As someone who’s started learning my family’s language this year, I am happy to see how happy you and were family were to be able to be able to converse in the language closest to y’all’s hearts! Keep it up and know that you inspired me! This is the first video I’ve seen of this kind and it’s def reinvigorating to watch 🙌🏿.

[@obsengineering7430]

I'm Yoruba and I can't stop smiling!!!!!! Nothing like La familia.......

[@ZiniSama]

🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬

[@fredvasquez4201]

I just Heard the guitar strings in my head

[@spoiltchild79]

Very impressive! 👏🏾 I'm extremely proud of you 👍🏾 For the Igbos, there is no such thing as a half Igbo. Where just one parent is Igbo, the child is Igbo. So in actual fact, it's not just your father's language. It is your language. And language is a big part of ones identity. You fully claim that identity in your ability to speak it.

[@TheSpiciestGinger]

This was gorgeous! Felt the joy of you all through the screen! Well done 👍🏽

[@RIAtheTrader]

My eyes are watering watching this. It's such a beautiful thing seeing you put effort into learning your culture. The smiles you put on everyone's faces were worth every moment, and every bit of effort and time you put in. I hope you become fluent. Proud of you Ikenna.

[@yourfavoritepessimisticexi8041]

As a child of Yoruba Nigerian parents, I too have grown up not speaking the language and I have been desiring to learn it for a few years now. I started learning yoruba last year and i've caught on to the language quite fast. I remember when I too surprised my family members by speaking yoruba to them and their reactions made me feel so proud of my progress! I plan to study yoruba in college to increase my fluency. Similar to igbo, there is a relatively low amount of resources to learn yoruba, so i've been using the few available and practicing with my family.

[@bf2853]

There's a lot more material for yoruba speakers than igbo speakers trust. I'm assuming you're based in the US, in the UK it's easier to find learning material

[@oddity404]

@@bf2853do you have any yoruba materials in the uk i could use? :)