Writing in local African languages by African writers today is highly crucial for an accelerated developmental process of the African continent in the present 21st century.
Some renowned African writers on the continent now such as Ngugi Wathiog'o; (formerly called
Consequently, other well-known African writers had also began to emulate the example of Ngugi Wathiog'o, by writing in local African languages such as Swahili, a major local East African Language, which is widely spoken across
This recent development in the arena of African literature is highly commendable, because it will greatly contribute to the fast development of African countries; since literature is a cultural production or artifact which constitute the panacea for the progress and development of countries in the past and in the present, and for that matter, the future. Literature espouses the culture of a country, and so it is indispensable in the aspirations of countries in their developmental programmes.
European and American countries owe their highly present developmental status to the high development of their various languages in which they write. The writing industry is a powerful means of information, education and the building of strong nationalism; and the propagation of values that are vital for the mobilisation of people for national developmental agenda.
In fact,
By simple definition, culture is the sum total way of life of a group of people; this includes the language they speak; their religion, beliefs, worship, customs, practices, traditions, values, the food they eat, their way of dressing, their music, dance etc. In fact, culture is a national character or lifestyle of a group of people or nation. Culture, therefore, plays a vital role for the survival, progress and the development of countries, for that matter.
It must be noted that language is the first factor in the identification of a people's culture and for that matter, a group of people's lifestyle.
In the light of this fact,
This school is one of the external campuses of the
Graduates from the School Of Languages at Ajumako are automatically employed by the
Some of these graduates with specialist qualification from Ajumako are also appointed as local language subject organisers and supervisors of the teaching and learning of local Ghanaian languages in the schools at the pre-university level by the
It is very significant to observe that, at the present time, in the Ghanaian situation, writing in the local Ghanaian languages by Ghanaian writers is very rare.
The situation becomes more worrying and disgusting to observe that many well educated Ghanaians at the university level such as lecturers and university graduates in all walks of life at the present time can hardly express themselves fluently in speaking in local Ghanaian languages; let alone writing in them with proficiency, as they can do in many foreign European languages such as English, American English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian etc.
It is very glaring at the moment to observe that the proficient speaking and writing in local Ghanaian languages by educated Ghanaians had been thrown to the dogs since the post-independence era of
In my opinion, this unpalatable situation in the Ghanaian experience poses a national disaster as far as the development of the country is concerned at the present time.
It is of interest, however to know that there was a period in this country spanning between 1935 to the early days of
The market potential of the local plays encouraged a host of Ghanaian play wrights, who wrote in Akuapim Twi,
Ironically, it was the post-independence educational system which discouraged the use of these plays.
Clearly, one can see that the post educational system did give a deadly blow to the development of local Ghanaian languages; and as a result, Ghanaian school's products, university lecturers, and university graduates had been adversely affected as far as the speaking and writing fluently in the various local Ghanaian languages are concerned.
In fact, these categories of graduates after the early independence era in the Ghanaian experience do not have much command and proficiency of the use of local Ghanaian languages, especially writing in them.
In order to reverse this unpalatable and worrying situation in the Ghanaian educational experience, I will like to appeal strongly to the
There should be a strong collaboration between the
In the pursuit of this policy, pupils and students must be encouraged to take keen interest in the study of local Ghanaian languages and be able to pass in any two local languages in the internal terminal examinations before being promoted to the next class of their studies in the sixteen regions of
Furthermore, in the pursuit of local languages development for writing at the pre-university level, competent and well trained graduate teachers from the
As way of motivation to teachers of local Ghanaian languages to offer quality teaching, they must be given an attractive and handsome incentive packages, besides their normal monthly salaries. Also, an ideal classroom situation in terms of learning and teaching aids must be available to enhance the efficiency of teachers in their handling of language teaching.
As stake holders in the oversight and management of the Ajumako School Of Languages, the
This will definitely go a long way to create a great boom in the production of trained Ghanaian local Ghanaian languages teachers in the country to feed the great number of junior high schools and senior high schools in the country; and also contribute significantly in the long run to the development of local Ghanaian languages for writing at the present time.
Finally, I firmly believe that if the
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