Mr. Sanortey Dikpetey, a lecturer and the immediate past Department Exams’ Officer for the northern languages known as the Deparment of Gur-Gonja Education at the UEW College of Languages Education, Ajumako, has underscored the importance of studying Dagaare or Gonja as a course in the University.
He believes indigenous languages are less appreciated as compared to other courses of study though they remain very relevant.
“Effective communication is the basis of everything we do as a society. It is important that people appreciate indegenous languages like Dagaare and Gonja within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,” he explained.
Mr. Sanortey Dikpetey made this known in a sensitization programme on Yagbon Radio in Bole, where he encouraged qualified applicants on the need to study any of the two languages as a course at the UEW College of Languages Education in the Department of Gur-Gonja Education, Ajumako. His sensitization covers parts of the Savannah and the Upper West Region.
He mentioned that studying Dagaare or Gonja only, with Linguistics, or English, French, and German come along with employment opportunities such as translators, news casters, writers and book developers, program co-ordinators , language consultants and researchers, bilingual secretaryship among others.
Mr. Sanortey, Dikpetey stated that the Gur-Gonja Department currently has eight languages: Dagaare, Gonja, Dagbani, Kasem, Gurene, Kusaal, Sissaale and Likpakpal.
The mode of application to study of these languages at College of Languages Education is either through as a direct applicant or as a mature applicant.
The direct applicant needs a minimum of C6 in all the courses offered at the SHS.
The mature applicant on the other hand needs a birth certificate, a pass in any course offered at the SHS, and a minimum age of twenty-five.
According to him, the Faculty of Ghanaian Languages Education at the Ajumako Campus is one of the academic Faculties established in the College.
He said the faculty offers both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
“Our mandate is to provide quality indegenous language and culture education through teaching, research and dissemination of research findings”, he said.
Currently, the faculty consists of four departments: Akan-Nzema Education, Ewe Education, Ga-Dangme Education and Gur-Gonja Education.
He stated that the mission of the faculty is to train and prepare students to speak, write and read the said languages to enable them to teach at the basic, secondary and tertiary levels of education.
Students are also adequately trained to take up jobs like programme presentation, news reading and community education, using their language of study thereby bringing the University and the nation abreast with current linguistic knowledge around the globe.
Source: yagbonradioonline
