Discourage use of Pidgin English

Avenorpeme, Aug 14, GNA - A senior civil servant has said mass use of Pidgin English by the youth was a distasteful linguistic development in Ghana that must be discouraged.

Mr David Kanyi, District Coordinating Director of the Akatsi District Assembly, was addressing trainees of the Avenorpeme Youth Leadership Institute to mark United Nations International Youth Day in the Volta Region.

He said the phenomenon had altered English Language use and made it difficult now for the youth to understand, speak or write Standard English.

Mr Kanyi said the situation also reflected in delivery of officers in formal sector employment where communication was in English. The day is under the theme "Be seen be heard: Youth Participation in Development".

Mr Kanyi urged the youth to rise above inferiority complex, which is the main drawback to youth development in the country. He said while many young people had talents and the training to pursue certain vocations they were cowered by fear of failure brought upon them by lack of confidence in themselves.

"Take fear out of your lives. Dream about the future. Don't ever say you cannot do it and persevere in any field you find yourself." He advised the youth to shun alcoholism and narcotics use because they "would close the door on you".

Mr Kanyi also criticized the vogue now for young girls to dress provocatively and young men shabbily.

Mr Francis Oduro-Mensah Twum, Principal of the Institute while lauding the National Youth Employment Programme which, he said, had significantly mopped up unemployed youth from the streets, appealed to government to modernize, expand and reequip all the youth training institutes under the National Youth Council (NYC) to increase opportunities for the youth.

He said two years training duration was too short to make trainees marketable, suggesting that it be increased to three years.