<<Print>>

The French ambassador to Ghana, Mrs Anne Sophie AVÉ, has said she is flattered by President Nana Akufo-Addo’s consideration of French as a second language for Ghana.

In March this year, Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, said the decision by the anglophone West African country to use French as a second language was a major concern of the government of Ghana, in line with national priorities.

She reiterated plans by the Ghanaian government to include the promotion of the learning of French in basic schools and across all other levels of learning, as part of a general reform of Ghana’s education sector.

Addressing the opening session of the 2019 La Francophonie week in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, themed: “Say it in French...please”, Ms Botchwey, at the time, said Ghana signed the Linguistic Pact with La Francophonie for improved technical support and capacity building for the teaching and learning of French in 2018.

A move, which, she said, marked the start of a historical process, aimed at improving regional integration through the development of the French language across the country.

“We believe that the extensive teaching and learning of French will inure to the benefit of Ghana as we are bordered by three Francophone countries; namely, Togo, Burkina Faso and La Cote d’Ivoire”, the Foreign Affairs Minister stressed.

She intimated that prioritising the French language in Ghana has become even more necessary now so as to further enhance relations for better cooperation at all levels with the country’s Francophone partners.

According to her, the government’s strong participation in this year’s Francophonie week celebrations also lends credence to the continued desire of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for Ghana to become a full Member of La Francophonie, since becoming an Associate Member in 2006.

She recalled President Akufo-Addo’s bold commitment at the last Summit of the La Francophonie held in Erevan, Armenia, in October 2018 to the organisation.

“To that end, the President has appointed a Senior Presidential Staffer and French scholar, Dr Stephen Adawen Syme, as the Focal Person for the coordination of La Francophonie activities in Ghana to ensure a seamless transition”, Ms Botchwey told the gathering.

Speaking on Accra FM Thursday, 9 May 2019 about the move, the French ambassador said: “[Nana Akufo-Addo] is the president, so, he can make the policy he wants. I can only say I’m flattered and I think it’s great, and I can help. If he had made Spanish a second language, there’s not much France could do about it, so, at least, we’ll just accompany this policy and try and help as much as we can, sharing this national treasure that is French.”

According to AVÉ, Ghanaians should view the president’s initiative as a way of putting them on a higher pedestal since the majority of countries in the West African sub-region are French-speaking countries.

“In France, English is highly recommended, so, it is not completely compulsory, but if you don’t speak English, it will be hard to get a job, if you do not have a second language”, she said, adding: “I don’t think the Ghanaian should look at it as one more compulsory or constraint or something that they have to. He’s just bringing you on a tray an asset, a plus that will make you an even stronger country in the sub-region – that is the majority of the people in the sub-region are speaking French.

The ambassador also stated that the Ghanaian can only learn to speak French when they feel the need to learn to speak it.

“The more French you listen to, through television, through the radio, the more interested you are, and then you feel like it. You don’t teach something that people don’t want to learn, so, if they want to, they need to feel the need for it.

“That’s why I’m trying hopelessly to learn some Twi”, the French ambassador said, adding: “Well, my Twi is awful. I want to learn to add that to my curriculum, I’m trying because I want to be respectful to the people, to be able to say a few words in Twi, so, it’s definitely the need of it that motivates you.”

Concerning her acclimatisation to Ghana, Ms AVÉ said her preferred Ghanaian dish is plantain and palava sauce.

“I love Ghanaian dishes but I must say I’m very keen on palava sauce. It’s all about palava sauce and plantain. If you want to make me happy, ask my friend, she’s Ghanaian, she’s fantastic and she makes the most amazing dishes. She can cook French and she cooks Ghanaian but I love your stews but I think I really, I could die for palava sauce”, she told host Nana Romeo.