<div dir="ltr"><h1 style="clear:both">The mother tongue question</h1>
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<p style="clear:right">Kwabena Nyamekye<br>
<br>
Prof Opoku-Agyeman has raised a matter of considerable importance, even
if she is right or wrong. The question of the use of mother tongues in
early teaching has recently gained currency especially with UNESCO
arguing that children learn and develop better if early instruction is
in their native language. <br>
<br>
I do not profess to know whether this is correct or not. I am assuming
that native language will be used side-by-side with English. Also surely
there are other variables that enable excellence such as the type of
school, parent background, quality of teachers etc. Moreover there is
the view that some countries have prospered because they have instructed
their children in native language at school instead of foreign
language. There is also the supposed link between the use of the mother
tongues and economic development. Again I am not so sure about this but
my argument does not focus on this issue<br>
<br>
Using the mother tongue to teach children is a wonderful idea but I do
not place my argument in its role as a tool of learning and economic
development. I see the importance of the mother tongue as a means to
shore up ethnic identity and to prevent the inexorable unintended
destructive power of Akan. As I write, English is the official language
yet Akan is the national language. More people are comfortable speaking
Akan than any other language. English is a language we are compelled to
use in exceptional circumstances such as brief transactions at the bank
(most probably only in Accra based banks), at Kotoka Airport, government
ministries etc. Outside such areas as these, we are native language
speakers. On account of commercial power and numbers, we are
increasingly Akan speakers. Other language speakers are in trouble as
Akan migrants descend to Accra and play a role in that city and other
economically powerful regions like Western and Ashanti. With this in
play, any trader from any part of Ghana, or inter-city bus driver, two
very important carriers of language, are increasingly compelled to learn
Akan to carry out their transactions across Ghana. Add the power of the
Akan-owned radio stations, the Akan musicians (gospel, rappers etc) and
Kumawood and you can see the problem. If the government goes ahead with
what I think is a good idea on its face there is the likelihood that
out of convenience, all of us will flock to the Akan banner and before
you know it other languages will vanish.<br>
<br>
Thus what do we do to benefit from a native language policy while at the
same time avoid other languages vanishing from the scene? There are
about 80 numbers of languages in Ghana with state support being given to
11 of them. For reasons of economy, I am assuming that these will
probably be the language of instruction in schools but this is
discriminatory against the remaining 70 or so languages. <br>
<br>
To avoid this dilemma I suggest government insists that in areas where
the non-supported languages are used, schools should pick the local
language and one of the state-supported languages as tools for
instruction. Private schools should not be exempt from this. What the
state can do here is to provide financial support to enable recruitment
of teachers to instruct in local languages<br>
<br>
Thus a private nursery school (run by an NGO or a religious body) in the
Northern region where the Nawuri language is spoken currently by about
19,000 people should receive support to recruit a teacher in Dagbani,
spoken by almost 1 million people and Nawuri as well. <br>
<br>
Taking the issue further I don’t think we should end local language
policy here. There are some public interest positions where local
languages are vital for communication. Living in Accra and a product of
Holy Child and Legon one tends to assume all Ghanaians are fluent in
English. This is not the case and probably never will be. Thus there are
some occupations where local language is vital for communicating
effectively with clients. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lawyers,
architects and teachers are in this category. This will then ensure that
the local language revival policy does not end at primary level or
wherever. To secure a license to practice any of these professions will
require local language fluency. Thus when building a house for Mr Amega
in Denu or when defending Boadi in Ejisu, the architect or lawyer can
communicate effectively with the client.<br>
<br>
The grumbling about the Akan language domination can easily get louder
and louder if something is not done. Insisting on the use of local
language in nursery and primary schools as a medium of instruction
beside English (for instance in history, religion, geography) will go a
long way to attaining whatever knowledge and developmental goals, while
at the same time protecting other languages that are threatened by Akan.</p><p style="clear:right"><a href="http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/The-mother-tongue-question-388353">http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/The-mother-tongue-question-388353</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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