General News of Saturday, 4 August 2007

Source: GNA

Take study of French Language seriously- Dep. Speaker

Accra, Aug.3, GNA- Alhaji Malik Al-hassan Yakubu, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament on Friday called on Anglophone countries, especially those within the African Union to take the study of French language seriously.

He said this was the only way a better communication channel could be created with its resultant continental unity adding, "Until we develop and learn other languages, there was little chance of one gaining employment in international establishment." Alhaji Yakubu said this at the 10th graduation ceremony of Le Roi Mobi-Lang, a French school for Junior, Secondary, tertiary schools as well as the working class in Accra.

He noted that over the years, French language had become a major drawback to effective communication even on national platforms and advised parents to encourage their children to learn the subject at school.

Most Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra called on parents to discourage the practice of not teaching children in their native language.

He said during the formative years of the child, there was the need for parents to encourage their children to learn as many languages as possible adding, " do not let them sit before the television set for hours, rather help them to use their time profitably".

Mr. Paul Tenejou, Founder and Director of the school said the school was aimed at inculcating working knowledge of French in the Ghanaian youth to enable them to become more familiar with the language. He said teaching of the language was done according to United Nations standard of working knowledge of French. In all, each of the 37 students who graduated took home a certificate and a French dictionary.