Speak Ghanaian languages - Awoonor

Accra, Oct. 20, GNA - Professor Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor, a Writer and Politician, on Monday said Ghanaians would lose their sense of African identity and civilization to foreign languages and cultures if their attitude towards embracing local languages and customs did not change. "The failure of our generation for not being able to articulate our own language is a loss of our being as a people", he said.

Professor Awoonor was speaking to the GNA after the National Theatre had honoured him alongside Professor Ama Atta-Aidoo and Mr. Kwesi Brew for their meritorious works in the arts.

He said it was regrettable that most Ghanaians and Africans could not speak their own language neither did they show any interest nor made efforts to learn their own languages.

"We cannot remain as Ghanaians and Africans whiles our own language, which serves as an identity of our true self becomes a barrier in communication.

He said it was not wrong to speak in foreign languages "but not at the expense of shunning our own language, which we could use to express our thoughts deeper in identifying ourselves".

He said: "Our African identity must be expressed through our thoughts in African languages and values."