Assistant Director & Head of Dangme Section of the Bureau of Ghana Languages, Enoch Adinortey Adibuer, has championed the relevance of prioritizing the use of local languages amongst Ghanaians.
He described the native language as “our unique identity. We didn’t choose our parents but our uniqueness is our native languages. If you don’t speak your native tongue, then you have lost your identity.”
According to him, if chidren are not taught their mother tongues, then they (languages) will die out.
In a special discussion as part of the e.tv Ghana ‘Made In Ghana Month’ on the topic; ‘Relevance of the Ghanaian Language Today’ hosted by Eunice Tornyi, he said, “languages can die and when that happens, we lose our culture as well.”
Principal Programme Officer in charge of Education at the Ghana Commission for UNESCO, Moses J.Y Gemeh, asserted it is the responsibility of parents to transmit language to the next generation.
He urged people living in cosmopolitan cities to engage the services of teachers and buy books to aid their wards in learning their native tongue. “It is the responsibility of parents to educate children on their native languages and not government.”
Since 1967, International Literacy Day (ILD) celebrations have taken place annually around the world to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights, and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society.
Despite progress made, literacy challenges persist with at least 771 million young people and adults lacking basic literacy skills today.
