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Media Befuddled As Burkinabe Prez Addresses In French . . . Akufo-Addo Charges Them To Study Language
It has become clear that one of the challenges facing Ghanaians, especially the media in carrying out their professional duties in the country is language barrier since it is not enough to trade in only English as the official language but French and Spanish are equally relevant.
The relevance of the French language in international discourse was brought to the fore
The real challenge for Ghanaian journalists on Tuesday September 18, 2018 will be how to translate the speech delivered by the President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kabore on his state visit to Ghana.
Speaking to the press at the Jubilee House to welcome the President of Burkina Faso, the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo hinted that the issue of Bagre Dam spillage has been discussed to find lasting solution to it in order to destroy farms of Ghanaians in the north annually.
President Akufo Addo again tipped-off that the trading relations between Ghanaian and Burkinabe business persons will be improved; thus, as talks are underway with the view of strengthening the relations between the two countries.
“ . . we are beginning to work our way to finding concrete solid solutions to the dam spillage. It has been an annual problem that we should have dealt with it sometime ago but there is always a time for dealing with matters . . . ”, President Akufo Addo indicated.
“ . . we have agreed upon quarterly meetings in the year between the two sects of ministers of our countries that are dealing with the day-today concrete issues we have to address,” President Akufo-Addo stressed.
The President of Ghana reiterated that the visit of President Kabore brings to the fore the need for the former to step up and organise the Joint Commission for Corporation as it is the turn of Ghana to host it in Accra before the end of the year.
He added that the visit of the Burkinabe President concluded that Ghana is responsible for convening a meeting of the Volta Basin Authority which is about 6 member countries in the sub-region.
But the Ghanaian press faced real challenge when the President from Burkina Faso in his address spoke French to the teaming journalists and to the amazement of the pressmen; there was no translation to take a feed from President Kabore.
President Akufo-Addo therefore realizing the confusion on the faces of the pressmen charged them to see French as an important language to learn as part of their core duties as journalists.
“ . . and the Ghanaian press as it is here, you have a really important reason why you have to speak French. And today you have the first class reason because there is no translator and there will be no translation; that is the end of the press conference,” President Akufo-Addo told the media.
Of the fifteen West African countries, eight are French speaking, five are English speaking and two are Portuguese speaking.
Ghana, which is English speaking, is geographically surrounded by three French speaking countries of Togo, Burkina Faso and Cote D’Ivoire.
For Ghana to be able to relate very well with them, it is believed that she should do well to acquire French language communication skills.
The relevance of the French language in international discourse was brought to the fore
The real challenge for Ghanaian journalists on Tuesday September 18, 2018 will be how to translate the speech delivered by the President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kabore on his state visit to Ghana.
Speaking to the press at the Jubilee House to welcome the President of Burkina Faso, the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo hinted that the issue of Bagre Dam spillage has been discussed to find lasting solution to it in order to destroy farms of Ghanaians in the north annually.
President Akufo Addo again tipped-off that the trading relations between Ghanaian and Burkinabe business persons will be improved; thus, as talks are underway with the view of strengthening the relations between the two countries.
“ . . we are beginning to work our way to finding concrete solid solutions to the dam spillage. It has been an annual problem that we should have dealt with it sometime ago but there is always a time for dealing with matters . . . ”, President Akufo Addo indicated.
“ . . we have agreed upon quarterly meetings in the year between the two sects of ministers of our countries that are dealing with the day-today concrete issues we have to address,” President Akufo-Addo stressed.
The President of Ghana reiterated that the visit of President Kabore brings to the fore the need for the former to step up and organise the Joint Commission for Corporation as it is the turn of Ghana to host it in Accra before the end of the year.
He added that the visit of the Burkinabe President concluded that Ghana is responsible for convening a meeting of the Volta Basin Authority which is about 6 member countries in the sub-region.
But the Ghanaian press faced real challenge when the President from Burkina Faso in his address spoke French to the teaming journalists and to the amazement of the pressmen; there was no translation to take a feed from President Kabore.
President Akufo-Addo therefore realizing the confusion on the faces of the pressmen charged them to see French as an important language to learn as part of their core duties as journalists.
“ . . and the Ghanaian press as it is here, you have a really important reason why you have to speak French. And today you have the first class reason because there is no translator and there will be no translation; that is the end of the press conference,” President Akufo-Addo told the media.
Of the fifteen West African countries, eight are French speaking, five are English speaking and two are Portuguese speaking.
Ghana, which is English speaking, is geographically surrounded by three French speaking countries of Togo, Burkina Faso and Cote D’Ivoire.
For Ghana to be able to relate very well with them, it is believed that she should do well to acquire French language communication skills.
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