Mokokchung | February 22 — Educators, parents and language bodies warn that the Ao Naga language is facing mounting pressure as younger generations shift toward English and Nagamese, use digital media more, and often do not speak Ao at home. Community leaders say these trends, combined with gaps in school support and limited advanced study options, threaten the language’s long-term vitality.
Temjen Tzudir, publishing head of Ao Riju (Ao Academy), said a 2010 UNESCO report that listed Ao as endangered was a wake-up call for the community and came as a “shock.” He traced part of the decline to parents who themselves lack fluency and to earlier internal debates over a standard form of the language in the 1980s. Those disputes, he said, dampened public interest until the Ao Senden affirmed that no single group owned the language and helped re-establish Ao Riju around 2004–2005 to push standardisation efforts. Tzudir estimates spelling uniformity is now about 80–90 percent.
Despite institutional progress, passing Ao on at home remains a major challenge. Dr Lipokrenla Jamir, a mother of two, said her family primarily communicates in English and Nagamese and that her children are more comfortable with English because of constant exposure to digital platforms. She acknowledged that, while language is central to cultural identity, limited parental fluency and inconsistent effort make teaching Ao at home difficult.
Teachers report the gap in home use shows up clearly in classrooms. Amenla, an Ao teacher at Eden Academy in Mokokchung, said many students understand Ao but fewer speak it fluently since they do not use it at home; English is increasingly the language parents use with children. She urged more teaching materials focused on everyday conversation and practical usage and said she supplements textbooks with translations and encourages students to speak Ao with one another. She estimates 70–80 percent of students recognise the importance of learning Ao, though code-mixing with English is increasingly common.
Challenges extend to higher education. Toshisangla, head of the Ao department at Fazl Ali College, said even core students often lack strong proficiency. She noted a drop in honours enrolment from 51 students in the first batch to 32 in the second and pointed to the absence of postgraduate programmes in Ao, compulsory English literature requirements, and inconsistent school-level spelling as deterrents.
Language bodies point to ongoing preservation efforts. Tzudir highlighted Arangtet, the Ao Proficiency Examination, saying more than 600 people, including linguists, have cleared it and that the exam has helped generate interest and standardise the language. Stakeholders call for coordinated action: churches delivering sermons in Ao, parents speaking the mother tongue at home, improved teaching materials, and community use at social and cultural events to ensure the continuity of the Ao language.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/fading-words-why-the-ao-naga-language-is-facing-its-toughest-test
Category: Morung Exclusive , Nagaland
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Publish Date: 2026-02-22 23:30:00
