LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 11 : 5 May 2011
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.

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English Language and Sustainable Development in Ghana

Emmanuel Sarfo, M. Phil.

Abstract

The choice of English as either national or official language in English as Second Language (ESL) situations has been the subject of many academic and political discourses for a long time now. After (colonial) independence, many African nations, including Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia, have had to grapple with the problem of language choice. Many people have argued for the choice and development of local languages for national and/or official purposes. However, it appears that the argument for the choice of local languages is based on language loyalty and nationalism rather than real socio-politico-economic needs of the times. It is my conviction that the argument must be based on the reality of the social, political and economic needs of the 21st Century. This paper, therefore, sets out to argue for a development of right attitudes towards English; for the English language has come to stay as a communicative tool for social, political and economic development.

Key words: official language, national language, language policy

Introduction

One major problem that has confronted most governments around the world is whether to use one language or another as national and/or official language. The choice of English as either national or official language in English as Second Language (ESL) situations in particular has always been contentious among academics and politicians.

After independence, many African nations, including Ghana, Nigeria, Namibia and Zambia, have had to grapple with the problem of language choice. Many scholars (Bodomo, 1996; Dolphyne and Boateng, 1998; Ofori-Panin, 2009) have argued for the choice and development of local languages for national and/or official purposes. This argument for the choice of local languages is based on language and nationalistic loyalty rather than the socio-politico-economic needs of the times. It is my conviction that the argument for the language choice must be based on the reality of the current social, political and economic needs of the 21st Century. The paper discusses the issue by considering the use of English and language policy in Ghana, arguments in favour of English as a tool for national development, and conclusion and implications.

English and Language Policy in Ghana

Everywhere in the world, there appears to be one language problem or another. "Every country ... has its language problems ... All the former British colonies ... were left with the English language on the departure of the colonial government, and this legacy has turned out to be an ambiguous one" (Banjo, 1997: p.307). For instance, in Africa, countries such as Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe use English as their official language. In these situations, English serves as a lingua franca and so defuses ethnic conflicts, and yet questions the authenticity and identities of these users. This has always resulted in arguments about the choice of indigenous languages for official and national purposes because the use of English as official or national language strikes at the root of national pride (Banjo, 1997) since English is a colonial language. In other words, the fight against English has mostly been part of the struggle for total independence, as Ng?g? (1981: 28) puts it: "I believe that my writing in G?k?y? language, a Kenyan language, and African language, is part and parcel of the anti-imperialist struggles of Kenyan and African peoples" (quoted in Coulmas, 2006: 182). In Ghana, for example, after independence, the government under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah made frantic efforts at choosing a local language for official/national purposes. This, however, failed due to a number of reasons - ethnicity, underdevelopment of the local languages, among others.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Emmanuel Sarfo, M. Phil.
Department of English
University of Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Ghana
bigsarforo@yahoo.com
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