500 languages in one country? No wonder they can't ever achieve anything. It's like the biblical story of the Tower of Babel. With everybody speaking a different language they can never work together to achieve a grand project.
"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" - Nelson Mandela
“Mandela, while at Robben Island, had taught himself the Afrikaans language and studied Afrikaans culture-not just to literally understand what his captors were saying among themselves at the prison but to understand the people and their mind-set. At one point just before the birth of a free South Africa, Mandela entered into secret negotiations with the Afrikaans leader General Constand Viljoen. The latter, chief of the apartheid-era South African Defence Force and founder of the Afrikaner Volksfront group opposed to the dismantling of apartheid, commanded an Afrikaans militia of fifty to sixty thousand men. He was therefore in a position to doom South Africa’s impending first free election and probably trigger a civil war that would kill thousands. They met in Mandela’s house, with the general apparently anticipating tense negotiations across a conference table. Instead the smiling, cordial Mandela led him to the warm, homey living room, sat beside him on a comfy couch designed to soften the hardest of asses, and spoke to the man in Afrikaans, including small talk about sports, leaping up now and then to get the two of them tea and snacks. While the general did not quite wind up as Mandela’s soul mate, and it is impossible to assess the importance of any single thing that Mandela said or did, Viljoen was stunned by Mandela’s use of Afrikaans and warm, chatty familiarity with Afrikaans culture. An act of true respect for sacred values. “Mandela wins over all who meet him,” he later said. And over the course of the conversation, Mandela persuaded Viljoen to call off the armed insurrection and to instead run in the upcoming election as an opposition leader. When Mandela retired from his presidency in 1999, Viljoen gave a short, halting speech in Parliament praising Mandela . . . in the latter’s native language, Xhosa.” - Robert Sapolsky, _Behave_
could watch those moments on repeat. the joy of realizing a stranger is really your family is so simple yet beautiful... the natural conclusion of the human race
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. Nelson Mandela said that and it's so true
The way peoples body language just changes completely and they melt and just open up and gain an immediate connection and respect for him taking the time to learn their language is always so beautiful to watch
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." -Nelson Mandela
@@kenyusmellthat not actually rude, Nigerians have a “minding my business attitude” unless there is a reason to be in your business….I feel like that mentality is intensified for Nigerians abroad.
It's hard to learn Nigerian languages because there are so little sources. Not to mention the written form of the languages at least with igbo isn't nearly as prevalent as jus writing English. You have to sweat to even learn it
That was always my problem with Spanish. I already a social problem, I never had the confidence. Bc I never wanted to offend anyone if I said something wrong. I GET SO NERVOUS and forget how to even pronounce it correctly. I didn’t want them to think “oh she’s just talking to me like that Bc blah blah, weird white girl” SOOOOOO I never like tried hard enough. I made myself to nervous.
@@imagecreates7164 I have this odd thing where I feel embarrassed speaking my own language, Chinese, I'm American born so I speak English more fluently. I avoid having to speak Chinese with strangers as much as I can.
And that's the secret to succeeding at any skill: you realize that nobody really cares that you suck at it, and then you stick with it until you're actually kinda good at it. (Or at least suck less. ;D)
@@imagecreates7164 as a Spanish speaker, we usually get very happy when we encounter "white girls" trying to speak Spanish, you white heads are so adorable with your English accent behind, it actually sounds pretty cool. Actually, what you're saying pretty much sums up the human experience because I feel the same when I try to speak English, I think I'm giving the "another immigrant" impression, it's pretty frustrating because some of you guys are really racist.
I never realized how privileged I actually am to be an English speaker. I take for granted the fact I can go basically anywhere and people know my language. Seeing these people's reactions and how grateful they are is so wholesome. They probably are only able to speak their native language among their families and small communities
@@Novumvir yes but 99.99% of those speakers are black, so not a lot of diversity in who is conversing in that language, hence why witnessing a white dude speak it would be so interesting.
@@terrancewood9322 skin color has nothing to do with diversity. this language is a very spoken one, compared to others in africa, although of course not many foreigners speak it. also the youtuber delibrately hides the fact that he speaks the language to surprise them.
What’s amazing is how you don’t have to speak the language perfectly but when people see that you’re trying to speak their language they find it amazing.
Imagine you've been living in a foreign country for years, missing your home, missing your people. And suddenly a random local guy starts speaking your lingo. It's always heartwarming to see their reactions.
My son and I (he’s 5) are learning Yoruba right now. As an African American with Nigerian roots it feels so good to be learning this beautiful language!
That’s so lovely, he will be so proud and grateful one day to have that knowledge, to have started early. I wish I had opportunities like that when I was a kid!!
It's especially interesting doing it in Africa, it seems in many people foreign tourists are disrespectful, so the locals are very surprised and interested when a white person actually speaks a local language
In YORUBA more, it's way more specific as "african langage" (which doesn't exist, as you can see only in Nigeria there's like 500 langages, even if english is the traditionnal commercial and inter-ethnic langage, with Yoruba, Haoussa and Igbo as the most spread out langages, only for Nigeria). So it's like if a Hong-kongese came to you and started speaking like, polish or something. You would'nt say (except in racially defined america maybe) that "an asian speaks an european langage??". I know pan-africanism is trending again, specially in the USA and some parts of guinea gulf, but I think it has not to be an excuse to forget the huge diversity in African langages, which is not even a single of family, but dozens of groups of langages. And I fear the liberia/sierra leone type of afro-descendent going back in their roots to do the same as colonialists. Malcolm X is definetly a guy to read in that case. Sorry I went way too far from a single comment lol
@@alistairabbott ahah sorry, what does "take something at face value" means? as you can see in my gramatically incorrect sentences I am not english by langage, therefore I do not understand very well figurative langage and expression coming from that sphere of influence. But thank you!
at first i was like look at this white man showing off but then he gave his reasoning for learning our languages and thats actually so heartfelt man so many countries or continents as a whole are ignored and under-represented and seeing someone take the time and effort to learn and appreciate the culture just makes u feel better abt urself sometimes
So you filtered this in a racist way. That's quite sad that you walk through life like that. And what is wrong with showing off your skills. I want to get off this planet...
@@DarkAngel2512 How is it racist? What are you on about...? It's just that A LOT of people LOVE to learn a couple words from ethnic languages and then claim to speak the language yet demonstrate otherwise. It's their way of saying, "I'm so woke! I consider and educate myself on minority groups' cultures!" when really, they obviously don't. I'm only human, of course I will have thoughts and impressions on people when I see them. What you SHOULD be judging me on is the fact that I was able to correct myself after watching the video. Maybe you do want to get off this planet, but I am NOT the reason why. Next time, judge people not on their initial thoughts and impressions on others (like I said, human nature) but on their open-mindedness to change them. And don't throw the word "racist" around. From the insensitivity of your comment I can already presume that I, a Black, African woman living in America, know much more about that word than the likes of you.
@@ria8883 and the fact you type made this about your race and wrote black with a capital 'b' and assume because you're a black American that must know more about racism than me. You're proving my point. Also many people who learn other languages and only learn starter phrases arent doing it to look woke because they were doing that before woke culture existed. Many do it because they like the langauge but are too lazy to learn it or they just like to bond with others with just a few phrases. You dont have to learn a whole language. I'm a language leaner and speak basic Korean and a few phrases in other languages. And I've had nothing but positive reactions. The last women I said hello to in her langauge last week ended up exchanging numbers with me. Not everybody sits in this bitter mindset that you do. Some people are simply interested in other cultures and enjoy meeting new people. Also why are you calling yourself a black African woman living in America? Are you from Africa? Because you sound American through and through.
@@anderseriksson7698 We don't mind white people having dreads its the fact that Dreads weren't allowed into the work place because it was deemed inappropriate and not buisness like. Did you know some jobs have a no dread or braid requirement. It's our natural hair but we can't wear it. But then whites started dreading and it was deemed acceptable. Most African Americans have no problem with white people dressing like us but when no credit is given or the rules that restricted us don't apply to them how us it fair?
@@pariswebb5252 i understand the frustration with not being allowed something, but to blame people who had no part in reinforcing said rules for wanting to partake and enjoy your culture is stupid. And plenty of AA people say we can't wear dreads etc, have you heard the term "cultural appropiation" which has been tossed around quite abit these last two years? Im just saying, the way its being done by these people is dumb as fuck and just widens the gap instead of bridging it.
@@anderseriksson7698 those who complain about dreads, clothing etc aren just being offended for the sake of it. Africans don’t care of white people wear dreads. So who gives a fuck about a few snowflakes who do
i went to nigeria in 2018.. after i travel to 14diferent countries i can say that nigeria is the most friendly and welcoming of all.. its like you know all people..
@Tim The toolman Yes, and corrects him respectfully. No shade!!! Just laughing and smiles with pure joy for him wanting to learn. Edit: I just wished it felt the same way reversed…
It’s so cool seeing people of different races respect each other and take time to learn about different cultures and learn the languages. This guy is bringing a lot of positivity to the world by doing this, something we need more of.
You're right, Imagine how much love they're be if we stopped, listened and learnt, 99% of Africans are great people and the same goes for the British and Americans but msm likes to focus on the 1% that hates then it puts doubt in good people's minds and they become scared.
yes, its really sad that people are so divided from one another. it's good to see people happy and trustful, especially since the world is REALLY tense right now
I know I’m late to this but these never get old! Whatever language he is communicating in it’s always the same and it’s always fantastic. Everybody is always so warm and welcoming and happy. So beautiful to watch! Especially with the times we are living in now.
When that man in the clothing store said "you make me so proud", that touched this immigrant's heart. For us and our families coming from all over the world to move to the US for a better life, to have to adapt to get by, sometimes feeling the need to not speak our language or express our own culture because of the various -ism or -phobia we experience. Thank you for your passion in learning various languages and cultures.
As an American, can I just say I would be more than pleased to hear you speak your own language, and not at all offended. America is a place where all people can meet, get along, and share one another's favorite things. Anyone who criticizes you for your ethnicity is not being a good American themselves.
I know I can't make up for all the times you, your family, and the many immigrants here in the US have been treated poorly and made to feel unwelcome, but I want you to know that I'm truly grateful to have you here in America. Every immigrant brings something valuable to this country, and we are better off because of it. 🧡
@@annehaight9963 While, hell yeah 100% go off, it's worth remembering that we ALL know "that guy" who assumes that the two cooks speaking Spanish in the kitchen are talking about spitting in his food. Forty god damned years on this earth, hearing this language you don't understand. If you actually think that language is being used to screw with you, it's entirely your fault for not learning it by now, Gary.
The first few minutes of this are a perfect example of why if more people just took the time to connect with other people like this man does the world would be a far better place.
@@cloudminder5899 you know what I'm talking about - multiple generations of South American immigrants live in USA without ever bothering to learn to communicate in English. "Just learn Spanish, you xenophobic white Xtian anti-abortionists"
I'm drunk so my judgement is clouded, but I find it fascinating to no end that someone is a part of a "tribe". I come from a town where around 5000 people speak the dialect, but we cannot call ourselves a tribe since we are not a tribal nation, which is a shame in a way. :P
@@Arnechk You either call it a tribe or an ethnic group. Every tribe is unique in dressing, delicacy, marriage, language etc And sometimes we have different variations of one language. Like Yoruba for instance, there are probably more than eight variations of Yoruba, most of which even I don't understand. In one community, you can have as many as five ethnic groups if not more. I speak central Yoruba but my maternal side speaks Egba(another variation of yoruba) I can't speak this one well but I can understand like 70% of it.😅 Paternal side speaks the 'Ibadan' variation of yoruba. We also have the ijebu, igede, egun, ebira etc There are many more languages. This is just a little of what language is like in Nigeria.
I mean, you don't have to show interest in someone's culture in order to be someone's friend, as if they shouldn't treat you equally regardless of whether you are interested in their language/culture or not.
I remember I was called names here on RU-vid when I said it's a pity that imigrants don't keep their languages. I was referring to how 3rd generations already lose most of the language their grandparents knew. It's sad. Imagine how the USA would now sound like! So many African languages, and German, Italian, Swedish, Vietnamese, etc...
My favorite is when you learn african languages and tribal/ ancient languages. It is my hope to dig deep in languages like that one day. Thank you for inspiring me more. I watch a lot of your videos to push me into learning on my own. You make it so fun and kind. I admire all the reactions you get. Thank you so showing up your interactions. Really beautiful. I grew up with 10 foreign exchange students and wish I took more time to connect like you do.
I love how they don't make fun of him because he's stuttering and they're letting him taking his time and trying to understand what he's saying even if he does some errors.
yeah i really feel your comment i learned how to speak French and every little mistake and the wrong accent they already making fun of me... but i dont mind since i try to learn more languages and actually most of France can only speak French
they just seem so genuinely pleased because he has tried to learn their language. I have yet to meet an African who has not took the trouble to learn English.
@@valteraa there is also a higher chance a white person will be able to communicate in Brazil. It is actually rare to see someone who isn't Nigerian to speak Yoruba. Brazilian's are used to it.
Look at the way people reacted when you spoke their language, they just admire you for taking the time to learn at least the basic, truly beautiful to see
@@mike_bobagens it's a joke, these videos are amazing. I'm sure there's some jerks who think like that, but it's definitely a joke and I find these videos genuine heartwarming.
I love how all the Yoruba speakers immediately go into teaching mode - they speak a little more slowly and ask basic/useful questions. And Nigerian food is delicious!
After the first guy said "this makes me proud," it really makes me want to learn languages that not a lot of people speak because it does show such appreciation for that culture and their language ❤️
Yoruba is spoken by over 90 million people in Nigeria even those that aren't from our tribe how about the Nigerians abroad Yoruba is popular most Afrobeat artists like wizkid, Davido, Tems, Yemi Alade, tiwa savage... Are all Yorubas likes of others that aren't Yoruba but Nigerians does speak a lil too
@@allentertainment1512 Cuba and Brazil's Afro cultures heavily derive from it too. It's a huge huge diaspora as you added. The language is indeed spoken in religious rituals in South America
The beauty of it all is he spoke the language and they understood him. He made them proud and full of excitement. When you speak the language of the people you connect with the people.Language bring people together. Thank you for sharing and speaking our African language. You speak many languages you are a genius. One love.
So true!! Learning a native language of the land can really open your eyes to the human experience of the area. It teaches you how to connect to the land and see the trees, streams and families as connected to the bigger picture. There’s so much beauty in language. It really does teach you about the mindset of the people towards their surroundings.
@edie sheridan that is very true!!! it’s very cute as well, they are quite expressive people so I can imagine how funny and odd it is to see something like this ❤️🔥🤣🥂
Very impressive stuff, I'd never be able to learn languages like you do, but me as a viewer I can only suggest the next best thing would be to control the stuttering, for example at 8:41 you say the same word 9 times in a row which is a bit on the excessive side! You know your words so well you should definitely be more confident.
@@Johann.863 I mean, I'm not quite sure what you mean by "foreign looking people" .. But yeah, I'm always impressed with foreigners speaking German and I am proud if someone compliments me on one of my foreign languages. =)
@@BUFU1610 i mean you know what i mean by foreign looking people. If they are actual foreigners then absolutely, but especially in the richer countrys there are already so many 3th 4th 5th generation foreigners that i dont really see it as special if they are fluent, i just got used to it. But the effort counts in my opinion, that means if they learned it without being born into the language its quite impressive to be fluent
"Get a Nigerian girlfriend." That made me laugh. It's what my French teacher always told us: "If you're in a relationship with someone from a foreign country, that's the best way to learn the language." She was right, too, only in my case it was Italian. ;)
I love how the second store clerk knew he was learning the language and spoke slowly and was very expressive! It was so cute how they all warmed up to him
As a Yoruba person who speaks, reads and underatands Yoruba, this warms my heart to see thank you for spending time to learn and appreciate our culture 😊
Bro just based on this video, I’d visit Nigeria and attempt to learn some of the language. It’s the people that make a country great, not the landscapes, economy or military. Amazing people!!!! Greetings from a Lebanese/Canadian!!!!
The best part of this was seeing everyone's face light up when he started speaking to them in their language. They all took it as a great honor and respect. I love these videos for that reason.
The thing is Yoruba Languages is a language of respect and honour . That is when you speak it . You have signed the contract to Honour . So everybody who hears must give you attention . Again Yoruba have one of the highest self esteem in the world . You can't intimidate them with technology , other languages , it can't work , no matter who it is . They always value there traditional More . A language that has Wisdom in it . That is when you understand it well, there's a consciousness of Confidence and wisdom . It just comes with the language
@@peterabraham4048 Thank you for sharing that. I did not know that and I find that extremely beautiful and fascinating. I love learning about other cultures and languages. There is so much honor and respect within them. So, again, a sincere thank you for this knowledge.
@@jesusisgod2953 we don't want to hear your fairy tales. You are not doing God's work or saving anyone 🙄 Edit: seriously if heaven is full of you guys I take one hell please, thank you
@@trafalgard.waterlaw6741 Well people feel comfortable with a language they are native too. Imagine a foreigner speaking in their language to you, you'd be cold and wouldn't pay attention to them. I would see that all the time with English speakers towards foreign speakers act cold towards them. Not paying too much attention to them but if a foreigner speaks the native English tongue they understand and get comfortable. It's like that everywhere you go. If you go anywhere else where there's a foreign tongue and learn to speak it then you'll make the people comfortable. Understand?
@@trafalgard.waterlaw6741 I think you're reading it wrong. Some costumers can be very cold or rude themselves. And it gets tiring for workers to give all this kind energy but it not being reciprocated. Once a costumer shows kindness you tend to relax and become more open naturally. I believe the same applied here when he showed interest and kindness by learning the language. And I honestly don't feel like they were that "cold" compared to other workers i've seen. And to answer your question is he a better person? No. But if you don't understand why they respect him learning the language you need to take non-westernized look at the situation. Most tourist/ immigrants do not care to learn native languages. It's a hypocrisy that you must speak English in America as a foreigner. But as an American abroad you still speak English rather than local language. This is about mutual respect.
@@gcc2313 agreed if I was going to a non English speaking country I would learn there language it would be more of an joy for all parties and make it easier to ask questions and interact with locals
Besides, the average american tourist always goes to another country without even knowing a single word of that languaje and just expects everyone to speak english
People really are heart warmed when they see someone who took the time to take interest and learn about their language and culture. This channel is wholesome af
I had a professor in african history at the University of South Florida named Dr. Eduard Kissi, he is from Nigeria and speaks both Yoruba and Igbo. A girl in the class answered a question in Yoruba and to this day I havent seen a man of 5”5 jump 4 feet in the air with a smile ear to ear. They had about an hours long conversation after class in Yoruba, very beautiful moments connecting with people of your culture or who are enamored by its language and customs :)
You can easily notice how they suddenly break the ice and change the way they speak from a "normal stranger" into a "close-relative-like". And that is amazing! :)
Really love the reaction of the Nigerian people. Such warm, good hearted people. It is well worth the time and learn the local language. It shows respect and this respect is returned.
Proof that people don't care if you're GOOD at it, they just like hearing their native tongue from a person giving it a good honest try. I love this. Wish more people would understand that all cultures appreciate simple displays of kindness and bridging the language gap. 👍👍🔥
As a Polish person I can confirm 100% we know how hard our language is so even if you learnt just few words like hello or thank you, we really appreciate it. If you learnt proper pronunciation even more. If you learnt how to actually speak polish you would get mad respect. And if you put more effort and learnt dialect of region you are going to... I don't even know. Respect.
@@asjosays - So to the French critique (and as an rather poorly skilled non-native French speaker) it's mostly due to a combination of 1 or 2 factors. 1) Americans are generally TERRIBLY RUDE tourists. We assume everyone speaks English, and if they're having trouble understanding, we (generally) just slow down our words and speak louder. That's not helpful. 2) This is a problem in *most* large cities, and that's tourists asking for directions/help/recommendations from random passers-by on the street. That person has a meeting or delivery or job they're doing - they probably get asked "where's Central Park?" or "which way to the Eiffel Tower?" 37 times a day. Cut them some slack. Generally speaking, most encounters I've had with French speakers have been very positive (even if they do take some mild delight in ribbing you about poor grammar or wrong plurals - it's in jest [usually], and to be fair, most of them speak 2-3 languages). 🤷♂️
I love how the nigerian woman in the beginning was kind of distant and indifferent and then when he started speaking yoruba, she became really friendly and even gave him a discount :)
On the one hand I find it beautiful, on the other, I really hate it. Shows how indifferent people are to others as soon as they are not from their „tribe“.
I lived in Nigeria as a kid and never learned the Hausa language of Northern Nigeria: we lived in Kaduna. I suppose it's laziness and the fact that the majority of people spoke English as it was a former British colony. I bet they teach Hausa at all the schools these days: they should do.
@@drifella how is that racist? It would be nice if someone came to your country and tried to speak at least a little of their language or had a book on translations or used Google that's the fun part of travelling :)
@@greeneyedbeing So you look angry at white people, but only smile when you see they speak your language? Like you said, she seemed down. But when he spoke their language, suddenly they become friendly. Just always be friendly, no matter what skin color or language.
My next door neighbors here in Australia are Nigerian. Could not ask for better neighbors. They are such nice people and very funny. Notice how happy it makes these people that someone takes the time to learn their language and culture.
@@thanossnap4170 Nigerian food is very good! In high school, one of my good friends moved to America from Nigeria. His mom had me over for dinner a few times and wow the food was incredible! I never knew what I was eating, but I didn't care!
