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The School of Languages, College of Humanities, in collaboration with the Ghana Commission for UNESCO held a symposium on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, to commemorate UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day under the theme, ‘Multilingual Education: A Pillar of Intergenerational Learning.’ The program began with a spoken word performance and series of Ga language lullabies by Nii Adjetey Kpako, a level 300 Languages student.
The Dean of the School of Languages, Prof. Josephine Dzahene-Quarshie in her welcome remarks, paid tribute to her predecessor, Prof. Helen Yitah, the immediate past Dean of the School of Languages, who initiated the celebration of the International Mother Language Day in collaboration with the Ghana Commission for UNESCO. She specified that the project on the translation of books into Ghanaian languages that was launched during last year’s event is still on the drawing board and will be implemented in due course. She therefore welcomed support from all stakeholders who were interested in order to make the project a reality. Prof. Dzahene-Quarshie stated that the symposium not only celebrates the linguistic diversity within our global community, but also recognizes the crucial role that mother tongues play in shaping cultures, identities, and education systems worldwide. They serve as a platform for open dialogue, exchanging ideas and sharing best practices regarding multilingual practices.
Prof. Josephine Dzahene-Quarshie, Dean, School of Languages
In his opening remarks, Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori, Provost of the College of Humanities, welcomed everyone on behalf of the College to the second edition of UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day Commemoration. He stated that the symposium shows the School of Language’s unwavering support for the promotion of Ghanaian Languages in education. He noted that it is commendable to witness the continuation of the initiative under the current leadership, following its initiation by the previous Dean. Prof. Ofori anticipated that the event would become a cherished addition to the School’s calendar, serving as a platform for meaningful dialogue and action on important issues related to the mother language. He further expressed his gratitude to Prof. Kwesi Yankah, the guest speaker, for graciously accepting the role and expressed anticipation of his insights on the topic “Mother Tongue and the Politics of Contemporary Governance,” and the discussions that will undoubtedly follow. Prof. Ofori hoped that everyone present would depart from the symposium with a deepened appreciation of their mother tongue, the diverse array of mother tongues all over the globe and their contribution to governance worldwide.
Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori, Provost, College of Humanities
A representative of UNESCO, Mr. Apollonius Asare read a speech on behalf of Ms. Audrey Azoulay, the Director General of UNESCO. The Director General stated that currently, 40% of the world’s population do not have access to education in their mother tongue, which takes a considerable academic and cultural toll, given that mother tongues are essential to the transmission of knowledge between different generations. Thus, UNESCO is encouraging everyone to mark International Mother Language Day with a specific focus on learning and transmission. She further intimated that UNESCO is implementing various initiatives to promote multilingualism on the Internet, the world’s leading source of information.
The guest speaker, Prof. Kwesi Yankah, a fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, expressed his pleasure at being invited to the symposium to celebrate UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day. Prof. Yankah highlighted the importance of the mother tongue and its role as a common heritage that provides a sense of identity and security to populations worldwide. He presented his research, making remarkable notes from the Parliament of Ghana’s act concerning language, which provided adequate background information to situate the call for linguistic nationalism in governance.
Prof. Kwesi Yankah, Fellow, Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences
The symposium which was moderated by Mr. Justice Adu Quainoo ended with an insightful question-and-answer session. Present at the symposium were representatives of the Ghana Commission for UNESCO, the Ambassador of Turkey to Ghana, Heads of Departments, various stakeholders, and students of the University of Ghana.
A cross-section of participants at the event