The Department of Ghanaian Languages and Linguistics has commemorated the 2022 International Mother Language Day.
The International Mother Language Day was first announced by UNESCO on November 17, 1999, but was formally recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in 2002 with February 21 set as the day to commemorate languages across the world.
Speaking on the topic: " Mother Tongue in Bible Translation, Interpretation and Related Matters, " the Dean of School of Human Development at the Heritage Christian College in Accra, Rev. Prof. Benjamin Abotchie Ntreh, underscored the need for Bible translators to familiarise themselves with the source and receipt languages before engaging in Bible translation for public consumption.
According to him, Bible translators expunge the equivalency of works from the source to recipient languages.
"...and they (translators) did not take equivalency from the source language to Ghanaian Languages and, therefore, translators just took the expression there and translate the expression in words that are not in conformity with Ghanaian languages making it difficult for Ghanaians to get meaningless expressions., " he continued.
Prof Ntreh stated that a multilingual country such as Ghana ought to develop its indigenous languages, to safeguard its rich cultural heritage and linguistic diversity.
He opined that Ghanaians were losing their identity as a result of the imposition of foreign language over the Ghanaian languages
"We are just losing our identity because we continue to use the English language. So somehow, we are imposing English language on Ghanaian language, " he added
" If I were speaking Ga and you understand it in Akan and my Ga makes sense to you as an Akan person. You speak to me as an Akan person and I understand it as Ga perfectly. We are communicating, " he noted.
Prof. D.D Kuupole - former Vice-Chancellor,UCC.
A former Vice-Chancellor, Prof D. D Kuupole, who chaired the occasion, called on Ghanaian parents not to sacrifice their native languages in favour of others in the upbringing of their children and the younger generation.
The Head of the Department of Ghanaian Languages, Dr. Kofi Busia Abrefa, in his welcome address, encouraged parents to speak the local Ghanaian languages with their children to help them appreciate the country's Indigenous culture at an early age.
He hinted that the Department was making strenuous efforts to introduce a certificate course in Bible Translation to enable Bible translators to get insight to close the yawning gap in translating the Bible from source into various local languages.
