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MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 19:41:11
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Sedia Jatta NAM for Wuli West harps on Poverty reduction, Farmer Empowerment and linguistic colonialism. Pls follow the link :
http://www.thepoint.gm/headlines2065.htm
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madiss |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 20:26:15
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| I have read this piece but I would add that his figures about speaking English may not be accurate, I have travelled to some far places and found that MANY people speak English,I have to say that it has to be acknowleged by those in power that ENGLISH has become the accepted language for communication in many places in the world after all airline pilots communicate with airports in English.This is my observation and I have no wish at all to expand this into a discussion about french, german, Arabic,or hebrew and all the other world languages. |
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MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 20:50:08
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Toubab i think his stats maybe incorrect but we must not lose sight of the fact that, radio/tv journalists most of the time mis-represent their views wen they try to translate into English. I think wat he's advocating knowing his backgroud(linguistics and curriculum development)is the improvement of the level of our spoken indigenious languages or the widen of the English speaking population. I must confess, that our bigger neighbour are enviable in that area. The Senegalese journalists speak fluent wolof, Pulaar, Mandinka, Sererer ect. If you listen to their newscasts hardly a French or foreign word is inserted. In the Gambia apart from the Veterans Alh. Mansour Njie, Alh. Hassan Njie, Lamin Saidybah, Alh Musa Manneh, Alh. Lalo Samateh, Alh. Sarjo Barro and Alh. Ismaila Manneh, the rest mutilate the local languages in their news casts.
Besides the journalists some oof his fellow NAMS becos of their bacground have a bad command of the English Language. The National Assembly should set up standards to improve their command of the English Language or allow NAMs to express themselves in the local languages. |
madiss |
Edited by - MADIBA on 19 Jun 2007 20:51:08 |
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anna
Netherlands
730 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 20:54:16
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Martian or Venusian?? Sorry Toubab, couldn't help myself :-)
But seriously, i think Mr Jatta refers in the article to the people who cannot speak English IN the Gambia - never mind about the rest of the world or pilots and airports or whatever.He wants to say that he thinks it is not good for Gambian politicians to communicate with each other in the National Assembly in a language most of the Gambian population cannot understand. Although i think he made a sensible point, i cannot really believe only 5 - 10% of the Gambian population speak English. |
When an old African dies, it is as if a whole library has burnt down.
Amadou Hampate Ba (Mali) |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 21:23:36
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Anna, do you go to the villages? The children are learning english from their teachers, but many parents and grandparents dont speak english. Remember many women are illiterate in their own language let alone english. Not their fault, just never given the opportunities to learn.
At the bank in serrekunda many women still use a thumb print for ID.
I found that fascinating and shocking at the same time. Imagine not being able to even write your name.  |
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anna
Netherlands
730 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 22:21:57
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| Yeah Bev, i know a lot of people living in the villages are illiterate and they do not speak English. But i cannot imagine that the population in the coastal area make up only 5 - 10%, and there most of the young people speak it fluently (with young here i mean until about 35-40). Maybe i'm wrong, could be - but i really think it is a pessimistic estimate. |
When an old African dies, it is as if a whole library has burnt down.
Amadou Hampate Ba (Mali) |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 23:37:20
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quote:
Originally posted by anna
Martian or Venusian?? Sorry Toubab, couldn't help myself :-)
But seriously, i think Mr Jatta refers in the article to the people who cannot speak English IN the Gambia - never mind about the rest of the world or pilots and airports or whatever.He wants to say that he thinks it is not good for Gambian politicians to communicate with each other in the National Assembly in a language most of the Gambian population cannot understand. Although i think he made a sensible point, i cannot really believe only 5 - 10% of the Gambian population speak English.
Anna I appriciate all that you say and agree wholehartedly I was only highlighting the 5% bit.
(  on Mars we have a bit more than 5%!  ) |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2007 : 10:36:08
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when i go the rural villages, why should they speak english it is not their native tongue, let us remember that, they can speak english but not conversationally. Education will overcome this barrier, |
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