‘Without our language, we lose our identity’ – Jonathan Aborah urges preservation of local languages
Aborah underscored the importance of safeguarding indigenous dialects, warning that neglecting them could erode cultural values and weaken community bonds.
A retired teacher and cultural enthusiast, Jonathan Aborah, has called on Ghanaians to actively promote and preserve their local languages, describing language as the very foundation of a society’s identity and existence.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Tuesday, February 17, Aborah underscored the importance of safeguarding indigenous dialects, warning that neglecting them could erode cultural values and weaken community bonds.
“It is very important because that is the central point of life. When you give birth to a child, the first thing the child does is communicate, that is why babies cry at birth. If we do not keep our language, our very existence will not hold,” he said.
According to him, a society risks losing its identity when it fails to preserve its mother tongue.
“If a particular community does not preserve its language, then it will disintegrate. They cannot keep and transmit their values to the next generation,” he stated.
Aborah expressed concern over what he described as a growing reluctance among some people to speak their native languages, even when they were born and raised in their communities.
“Sometimes it is very embarrassing that a Kasena man who was born and grew up in the land finds it difficult to express himself in the language. Your language should be your pride,” he noted.
He also criticised societal attitudes that elevate foreign languages above indigenous ones, particularly in homes where parents encourage children to speak English at the expense of their mother tongues.
“Modern trends are worsening the situation. You send your little child to school and when they return, you want them to speak English and you are proud. But when it is the local language, we do not feel the same. We are running away from our own language,” he said.
Aborah advocated a change in mindset, urging Ghanaians to discard the perception that their mother tongues are inferior.
He further encouraged parents to instill in their children an appreciation for local languages, stressing that such values would shape their lives and strengthen cultural continuity in the future.
Mike 105.3FM | Navrongo | David Adapuna
