[lg policy] Use Ghanaian languages for national cohesion and development-Prof Osam

[Harold Schiffman]

Use Ghanaian languages for national cohesion and development-Prof Osam
February 10, 2012 | Filed under: Latest news | Posted by: VibeGhana

Ghana must adopt utilitarian approach to the study of local languages
to serve as a powerful tool for national cohesion and economic
development, an African linguist advocated on Thursday in Accra.

Professor E. Kweku Osam, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of
Ghana, Legon, In charge of Academic and Student Affairs, made the
remarks at the first in a series of the university’s Inaugural
Lectures.

He asked policy makers and the Government to rethink the country’s
language policies in order to give Ghanaians economic motivation to
study and use native languages.

According to him, a policy that would ensure that Ghanaian languages
were taken seriously was not an option but a must, given the current
trend where the intergenerational transfer of the native languages was
in danger.

Prof Osam suggested that the Government, the largest employer, could
roll out an employment policy that engaged the services of only those
who could read speak and write one or two Ghanaian languages.

He added that such demonstration of linguistic competency in the
Ghanaian language would serve as incentive for the citizenry to learn
them.

Speaking on the theme: Of Cocoa, Cassava and Chocolate: The Dilemma of
an African Linguist,” Prof Osam expressed worry that Ghanaian
languages, like some of the country’s export commodities, mainly
cocoa, could not boast of any economically-significant value-addition.

He stressed that rather than running solely for the sake of catching
up with the rest of the developed countries, Ghana needed firstly to
harness her resources to satisfy the domestic needs of the citizenry
before thinking about the rest of the world.

Prof Osam warned of impending “linguistically endangered generation”
who could hardly speak fluent and impeccable Ghanaian languages
because theirs had been adulterated either by their parents who only
speak to them in a foreign language (especially English) or by their
teachers who insist on speaking a language spoken abroad.

Making reference to the English language that had borrowed, according
to him, more than 75 per cent of words from other languages, he said
Ghanaian languages needed to grow by ‘borrowing without any shame.’

“As we seek to develop our languages, we should make efforts to
develop terminology to handle new concepts we encounter. At the same
time, we should not be ashamed to borrow from others. That is one sure
way for us to enrich the vocabulary of our languages,” he said.

Prof Osam called on the Government to keep the Bureau of Ghanaian
Languages alive, adding “it is the Bureau that keeps the language
alive.”

Prof Ernest Aryeetey, Vice Chancellor of the University, appealed to
parents to encourage their wards to be multilingual in Ghanaian
languages stressing that language was a powerful tool for unifying
people, teaching tolerance, as well as promoting peaceful
co-existence.

He explained that the inaugural lectures was a means by which
lecturers at the University showcased their world of knowledge to the
rest of the Ghanaian society. GNA

http://vibeghana.com/2012/02/10/use-ghanaian-languages-for-national-cohesion-and-development-prof-osam/

-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
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)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************

_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list