Language of instruction

“Dear African, put an end to this mental slavery. Teach your children their mother tongue and allow locals to feel free in speaking their native language without any stigma or prejudice”— Paul Kagame, Rwandan President

The issue of whether or not children should be taught in their mother tongue in primary schools has been on the burner with varied reactions from stakeholders and the public. While some posit that it is ‘unproductive’ to use the mother tongue, others argue that it is relevant, very productive, since besides helping to maintain the country’s culture heritage it helps to build confidence in the learner.

Below are the views expressed in support of the teaching of the Mother Tongue (L1) in primary schools: It is unfortunate that some teachers and parents are making it seem that the teaching of L1 in lower primary is unproductive. Many of the non native English Language learners who were forced to learn English Language in their cultural settings without the L1 technically are found lacking in the correct and appropriate use of the English Language.

Our language policy states that the local language (L1) should be used as the medium of instruction up to Basic 3 or P1 with English Language taught as a subject. From Basic 4 (P4), English Language is the medium of instruction and local language (L1) taught as a subject.

In language acquisition, it is good to start from the L1, if the target language is not L1. The L1 helps in the acquisition of the target language by being a reference point in understanding and knowing the differences, similarities etc.

English Language

Many of our parents who might not be good speakers or users of the English Language are forcing to speak English at home to their children with the aim of helping them acquire the English Language, but in the end doing more harm than good, especially with grammar.
Language experts vouch for the use of the L1 first.

Another benefit of those of us who are non native English Language learners is that the use of the L1 helps maintain our culture and heritage. Some nuances in our culture and backgrounds, eg. proverbs might not be well articulated in the English Language and may lose its import. A good knowledge of the two would help.

That’s why literature permits transliterations and at times the use of the L1 for lack of better words.
Anyone who says that L1 should not be taught in the Lower Primary school is simply making the Ghanaian child an alien in his/her own country. Such a child will be deprived of his/her heritage.

Teach the children in their L1 and they will understand many intricacies inherent in the sciences, the arts etc.

In Japan, China, Germany, and other developed countries, children are taught in their own languages. The results are the vast difference between African children and those in the aforementioned countries.

Those other children grow to be great manufacturers, inventors, scientists. The reason is that while the Ghanaian child struggles to understand the concept of atoms, neutrons, matter, etc, because these concepts aren’t familiar to them, these concepts are in the local parlance of the Germans, Chinese and the Japanese.

Ghanaian Child

The Ghanaian child is deficient in the world of science because he/she is forced to learn these concepts in a foreign language.

There is a misconception among Ghanaian and other African nationals that it’s prestigious to speak English and other foreign languages at an early age. This is quite unfortunate. Speaking fluent English doesn’t prove that a person is super intelligent or wiser than those who cannot speak it so fluently.

What matters is that a person should be able to articulate his thoughts coherently and meaningfully. This is not attained in school. I am proud to state that it is the acquisition of the perfect use of the Eʋe language that enables me and others to speak and write the English language meaningfully currently.

Now, I can write beautiful Eʋegbe and English because of the foundation I had in the use of the L1. I have a sound grounding in my culture, culture which gives each person an identity. Identity is crucial because at the end of it all, the question is often asked, “where does he/she come from”?

Education Think Thank

The Education Think Tanks in our country have to disabuse their minds about what constitutes a good foundation for education in our country. We must stop the importation of educational systems of other countries and include in our curricula our own values, needs and aspirations.

I have been told that in Japan and China for instance, only four subjects are taught in schools: Mathematics, Science and two other related subjects. These four subjects are taught in the L1 of the children. The aim is to make the products of the education system creators of products for the world.

This has brought advancement to these countries. So while we are haggling over big English grammar, which doesn’t put food to the table, the Western world are schooled in those disciplines that bring them money, technology, dominance over others like us.

Let us rise up and throw off all fetters of colonialism. Colonialism brought to us grammar education that only makes us servants to the colonialists.

Castle Schools

The Castle Schools were never meant to make us independent. They were intended to make us literates who can interpret the Bible and salesmen and women.

Our education is still pursuing this agenda. What am I able to do with myself after graduation from the university? Can I build a plane, repair my broken down car or motor bike, or manufacture a tractor or prepare my own compost fertiliser? Are we able to add value to our numerous natural endowments?

To conclude, we, as a nation, should begin to think out of the box in which the colonialists have encased us and begin to develop along our own god-given lines. And this means that we should cherish our own gifts of nature, which includes our mother tongues, and stop deceiving ourselves that we are developing whereas we’re always making ourselves perpetual hewers of wood and drawers of water for the colonialists who are just happy that we have imbibed their total way of life which is not beneficial to us.

The writer is a professional teacher and currently, Sub Editor, Daily Graphic