Preserving Ghana’s indigenous languages: Book industry as catalyst
Language preservation may have a connection with the distinctiveness and continuity of a society.
The conversation surrounding preserving indigenous languages has been persistent in recent times.
Indigenous language, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), is “a language historically developed, spoken or signed, and transmitted by an Indigenous People, embodying their cultural identity and knowledge”. It can be deduced that there is an inextricable link between indigenous language and cultural identity.
Projects
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) projects that optimists estimate at least 50 per cent of spoken languages today may be extinct or endangered by 2100, while pessimists estimate that 90-95 per cent of spoken languages will become extinct or seriously endangered by the end of the century.
Preserving indigenous languages happens to be a global concern, hence the need to be proactive to avoid the extinction of languages.
To raise awareness and mobilise stakeholders and resources for the preservation, revitalisation, and promotion of indigenous languages around the world, UNESCO launched the International Decade for Indigenous Languages (2022-2032).
Linguistic
The linguistic landscape of Ghana is a critical part of this global conversation. Ghana has a rich culture, numerous indigenous languages, and a vibrant heritage that contribute significantly to the nation’s identity and the global cultural landscape.
There are over 80 indigenous languages in the country; however, despite being spoken, some of these indigenous languages are not used in formal education and media, leading to declining proficiency among children and the youth in those specific communities.
Also, due to the dominance of books in the English Language, in publishing and education, the visibility and use of some of Ghana’s indigenous languages are limited, particularly through books, with some under the threat of extinction.
As a government agency, the Bureau of Ghana Languages (BGL) was established to enhance the development, promotion, and preservation of Ghanaian languages, including the publication of materials in these languages.
The BGL is responsible for generating orthographies for indigenous languages in the country.
Currently, the BGL works with 13 government-sponsored indigenous languages, used in education and media.
The question then remains: what happens to the other indigenous languages in the country?
Extinction
The extinction of indigenous languages could lead to weakened cultural identity, low literacy levels in mother tongues, and declined intergenerational knowledge transmission.
The issue of preserving Ghana’s indigenous languages is of critical concern. Locally, there have been discourses regarding how these languages can be protected and preserved.
Preserving indigenous languages in the country requires a collective effort, especially among key stakeholders, such as the book industry, towards salvaging some of these languages from the risk of extinction.
The book industry, involving authors, publishers, printers, booksellers, and other ancillary players, has an indispensable role to play in preserving Ghana’s indigenous languages.
However, the book industry may face challenges that impede the writing, translating and publishing in indigenous languages.
Some of the challenges include the dominance of the English Language in the country, lack of formal orthographies for some indigenous languages, limited or lack of funds to invest in such specialised publications, cost of production and limited or no market for publications in indigenous languages.
Due to some of these challenges mentioned, authors and publishers are usually reluctant to invest in writing, translating and publishing in the indigenous languages.
Authors
In some cases, authors may write in vain, since publishers might not want to invest in such publications.
Notwithstanding, the book industry in Ghana should understand the crucial role they play in preserving and promoting indigenous languages, especially those on the brink of extinction.
Publishing in Ghanaian indigenous languages is an avenue to preserve, transmit and disseminate indigenous knowledge and historic literature.
The promotion of Ghana’s indigenous languages can be achieved through the writing, translating and publishing of poetry books and works of prose in these languages.
These books should be accessible in varied formats, such as print, ebooks, audiobooks, and braille, to citizens, especially children and youth who speak those languages.
Preservation
The government is making efforts to address the issue of preserving Ghana’s indigenous languages.
The Medium-Term Development Plan (2026-2029) of the government provides strategies, including the development of a National Book and Reading Policy (NBRP), to address the issue of low publication of books in the indigenous languages.
The NBRP, which is being developed by the Ghana Book Development Council (GBDC) and other key book industry stakeholders, under the guidance of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and the Ministry of Education, enlists strategies and activities that will contribute to addressing low publication in indigenous languages.
To preserve, revitalise and promote Ghana’s indigenous languages through books, the Bureau of Ghana Languages is to provide formal orthographies for indigenous languages, with no orthographies and also assist with the publication of books in these languages.
Also, an authorship development fund could be established through the GBDC to support the writing and publishing of books in the indigenous languages.
Regional, community, and school libraries serve as avenues for transmitting indigenous knowledge and culture; hence, libraries should stock books published in the indigenous languages.
Pertronage
Furthermore, to increase patronage and use of the books in the indigenous languages, sensitisation, book marketing and distribution should be intensified, in order for the books to reach the intended audience, who are in the various communities where those languages are spoken.
It is expedient for Ghanaians to embrace indigenous languages and contribute to the literary landscape.
Writing and publishing in Ghana’s indigenous languages will contribute to keeping the languages alive in this era of technological advancements.
With the book industry as a catalyst, the visibility of the country’s indigenous languages could be elevated.
The writer is the Principal Production Services Manager, Ghana Book Development Council.
