AFRICANEWS
ACTION AND CONTACTSWest Africa - Bridging the language barrierECOWASby Ebow Godwin (880 words)
Analysts attribute ECOWAS' failure to make any meaningful headway in the region to lack of political will by the member state's leadership. They add that west African leaders have failed to fully identify with and commit themselves to the principles of ECOWAS. But an even greater obstacle is the lack of a common language to unite ECOWAS membership. ECOWAS is made up of 16 Francophone and English-speaking countries and, though united by their desire for closer economic co-operation, they are divided by language. The lack of a common medium of communication among ECOWAS member states has dragged down efforts by ordinary people, students, professional and businessmen to work with one another. In their daily commercial transactions and in some cases at international conferences, genuine ideas have been misinterpreted creating mutual suspicions between partners. But even among people with the similar cultural backgrounds, there have been cases where they have engaged in ridiculous comedies akin to deaf and dumb shows. It is heartening though to note that ECOWAS governments - including Nigeria - recognise the negative impact of not having a common language for use by the members. Moved by the need to foster communication between member states, the Nigerian government now requires that French must be taught as a core subject in all schools. This is intended speed up the attainment of a bilingual status for the country as the new millennium approaches. But apart from such positive efforts by individual governments, it is also encouraging to observe that individuals in the sub-region are also chipping in their efforts aimed at breaking the language barrier. One of the better-known personalities in this regard is Vincent Sunny Okobi, the Nigerian ambassador in Togo. As a diplomat from an English-speaking country to a French-speaking one within ECOWAS, Mr Okobi fully appreciates the complex problems that lack of a common language has on member states. Moved to make an effort in liberating the region from the "Tower of Babel" the Nigerian diplomat has initiated a strategy that he believes will greatly improve the channels of communication between ECOWAS citizens. The strategy, a languages teacher-exchange programme between Nigeria and Togo is to be tried over a period of two and then applied over the whole of the ECOWAS member states. If pursued with vigour, the programme could lead to the eventual elimination of the language barrier among English and French speaking countries in the sub-region, Mr Okobi says. It is Mr Okobi's ardent belief that the pilot scheme will provide a much-needed nucleus which will then be used as a fulcrum for expansion into other member states. "There is a clear co-relation between co-operation and communication. Without communication, there cannot be development in the sub-region in particular, and Africa in general," says the diplomat. The Ambassador holds the view that the responsibility that goes with the burden of education should not be borne by the governments only. All well-meaning people, especially those in the private sector must contribute and support the effort. Already, proposals for the pilot scheme for English-French teachers exchange initiative have been accepted by the governments of Togo, and Nigeria. Consequently, a cultural and educational agreement has been signed by both countries. Ambassador Okobi says that previous efforts to bridge the language barrier in ECOWAS were wanting. In the past Ghanaian and Nigerian teachers and students have been offered refresher courses in french at the French Language Teaching Centre of the Lome University, Togo. He says such efforts barely scratched the surface of the problem. "The occasional adhoc and haphazard crash programmes for government functionaries and professionals barely scratched the surface of the language problem" he notes. Instead, he advocates a well-tailored and co-ordinated teacher's exchange programme that targets indigenous secondary school French and English teachers from Togo and Nigeria which would later serve as the basis for a language teaching programme for all ECOWAS countries. Unlike the elitist old system of sending a handful of professionals and functionaries for crash training programmes, the new programme will seek to have diversity of not only the participants but also resources and membership. And aside from the spill-over effect in helping to enhance regional harmony, there will be enormous gains to be made from its ability to foster economic integration and development. At the social level, the new scheme is likely to provide employment avenues for the large pool of unemployed graduate language teachers. In his burning desire, to see to the pilot teachers-exchange initiative take firm root, Ambassador Okobi has sent out an to donors - both at home and abroad - to lend a helping hand through the provision audio-visual aids, teaching equipment, vehicles, and money. Contacts have been made with UN agencies like UNESCO and UNDP, the European Union, and the French Agence de Co-operation Culturelle et Technique (ACCT) about financing the initiative. These have welcomed the initiative and indicated their willingness to support it. But by and large, Ambassador Okobi thinks West Africans must endeavour to take their destinies into their own hands if they are to make it to the next millennium as a strong force in world affairs. The language problem is critical and requires emergency surgical measures if west Africans are not to be permanently left behind in the global economy.
For further details, contact : Initiator & Co-ordinator, Embassy of Nigeria in Togo 311, Boulevard Du 13 Janvier B.P. 1189 - Lome -TOGO Tel:228-21-34-55/228-21-60-25 Fax:228-21-59-76/228-22-16-80 | CONTENTS | AFRICANEWS HOMEPAGE |
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