Accra, March 01, GNA-The Regional Centres for the Teaching of French (CREF) has held its maiden French Language Awareness Day in Accra to draw public attention to the need to study French to promote stronger regional integration between Ghana and neighbouring countries. Ms. Grace Nyuur, National Coordinator of CREFS, said, although the study of French in the country began in the 1960s, commitment to its study by parents, school authorities and students themselves have not been encouraging.

She noted that the professional world was governed by bilingualism and therefore Ghana cannot afford to look unconcerned about the study of such international languages. The Coordinator warned that should the trend continue the country could lose out important executive positions in the sub-region, since ten out of the 15 West African countries were francophone. Ms. Nyuur therefore, urged policy makers, educational institutions and other stakeholders in education to give more attention to the study of French, saying that with French, unemployed graduates in the country could take up jobs in the neighbouring countries. Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo, Minister of Education in a speech read on his behalf, reiterated the importance of the language and expressed government's commitment to support its teaching and learning. He said it was the importance Ghana attached to the study of French that she joined the International Francophone Society in 2006 as an observer.

The Minister thanked the French government for its support to French education in the country and called on French teachers to adopt a communicative approach that would make the study of the language more interesting for students. Mr Tettey-Enyo also pledged that government would continue to support the learning of French in teacher training colleges in order for more trainees to opt to become French teachers. Mr Arnaud Dornon, Head of Cooperation of the French Embassy acknowledged Ghana's effort in promoting the speaking of French. He thanked teachers and other stakeholders for their role in French education and encouraged them to do more to make the study of the language more accessible to Ghanaians.