We must prioritise Ghana’s local languages - Advocacy For Local Dialect

A group of Concerned Ghanaians, Advocacy For Local Dialect has called for the prioritisation of the country’s local dialect over foreign languages.

The group made the call in a statement issued and signed by its convener, Kwabena Opoku Amponsah on Tuesday, 23 February, 2021.

The group noted that: “Language becomes a barrier when people don't understand each other during communication. The ability of an individual to speak a foreign language is commendable but speaking it fluently than your local language is quite embarrassing.

“Every country has a unique local language that is generally accepted as a means of communication. Great countries across the world have developed their local languages to a level which has brought high recognition to their country.”

It bemoaned the effect of Colonisation on the languages of Africa.

“Colonisation has deprived Africans the right to develop their local languages because the colonial masters imposed their language on Africans and managed to make them feel that their local language is inferior.”

It further noted that: “The English and French languages are local languages of the colonial masters which was the only means by which they could communicate with the African, therefore, the colonial Masters deviced ways to teach Africans their local language to make communication between both sides easy.”

The group stressed that: “It is obvious that Africans are still slaves to their colonial masters, the difference is that the chains which was put on the hands and legs of the African during the colonial days has become invisible chains.

“The educational system in Ghana is centered on foreign curriculum from creche to Tertiary levels of education meanwhile countries like China, Russian, India, Japan, Korea and others have their own system of education which is structured to suit the vision of the country's future generation.”

It also stated that: “Research by various education think tanks prove that students perform better when they are taught using local languages.”

The group, therefore, entreated Government to “implement policies that will make teaching in local languages a law, at all levels of education i.e from creche to Tertiary and also speaking of local languages at the Parliament of Ghana to help the masses who vote for Members of Parliament of which a large percentage fall within the uneducated section, to understand what the people representing them advocate for or against in Parliament.”

It added that: “Africans must develop a lingua franca which must be a local language from any of the African states through a consensus by the leadership representation at African Union of each Member States.”