Professor Ephraim Avea Nsoh, a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Education, Winneba has argued that development must be within the cultural context. He explained that once Ghanaians think in a foreign language, take decisions based on foreign contexts, that development that would be achieved would be within the foreign context, a situation that is not entirely suitable.
He said in that situation, it would look like being foreigners in one’s own land. He said this when he spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East.
He said in Ghana’s case, the country has adopted a lot of ideas from foreign places and began implementing same without adapting it to the local cultural context.
He said when one considers foreign countries, systems have been put in place to ensure that there is no infiltration of cultures that do not agree with their, so much so that certain meals, fruits or foods are not allowed into certain countries because of how jealously they guard their culture.
“We must first of all recognize that we are ourselves. We must recognize that we have a lot of things around our environment and that who I am, is what I am putting out there. I cannot put out ideas that are not mine. I cannot put a white man’s idea in a Frafra, Kusasi or Akan man’s environment”.
“For us, we think that whether development, whether attitude, whether our language it should be promoted alongside development,” he said.
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Professor Avea continued to say that “if you do not understand yourself, if you do not appreciate who you are, you would not know you are sitting on gold or riches. Also, because you don’t accept yourself, you then begin to look outside there somewhere without even developing yourself”.
A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
