Ghana calls an end to tyrannical reign of the Queen's English
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Hetty ter Haar
Apr 10, 2012, 4:00:00 PM4/10/12
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Ghana calls an end to tyrannical reign of the Queen's English
Voice of colonialism gives way to local form of English that's
'flexible and fun' as opposed to giving language 'a good beating'
Afua Hirsch in Accra
Wednesday April 11 2012
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/10/ghana-calls-end-queens-english
Question: "Have you eat?" Reply: "No I go eat after small small." This
is just one of the turns of phrase Ghanaians employ, in the words of
one local commentator [http://inghana.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/top-20-
most-irritating-ghanaian-english-phrases-of-all-time/" title="], "to
give the Queen's English a good beating".
But as Ghanaians join their west African neighbours ? following the
examples of Nigerian Pidgin and Sierra Leonean Krio ? in speaking
their inherited colonial tongue with growing creative licence, a row
is breaking out about what really is the proper way to speak English.
On one side of the fence are the old-school Ghanaians who were taught
throughout their education to mimic received pronunciation ? or BBC
English, as it is popularly known ? with varying degrees of success.
On the other side, a backlash is growing against the old mentality of
equating a British accent with prestige. Now the practice has a new
acronym, LAFA, or "locally acquired foreign accent", and attracts
derision rather than praise.
"In the past we have seen people in Ghana try to mimic the Queen's
English, speaking in a way that doesn't sound natural. They think it
sounds prestigious, but frankly it sounds like they are overdoing it,"
said Professor Kofi Agyekum, head of linguistics at the University of
Ghana.
"There has been a significant change now, away from those who think
sounding English is prestigious, towards those who value being
multilingual, who would never neglect our mother tongues, and who are
happy to sound Ghanaian when we speak English."
Ghana has nine indigenous languages that are officially sponsored by
the government, including Akan languages spoken widely in the south. A
further 26 languages are officially recognised and at least double
that number are also spoken. Unlike its francophone neighbours, which
were forced under colonialism to teach only in French, Ghana has
always maintained the use of African languages [http://
www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/tribes/languages.php" title="] in its
primary school education.
But the idea that sounding "British" carries prestige also has a long
history in Ghanaian society, manifesting itself in the country's
struggle for independence in the 1940s and 50s, when an ideological
difference emerged between an Oxbridge-educated Ghanaian elite and
more radical, left-leaning leaders.
Now, more than 50 years later and more than 200 years after the
abolition of the slave trade saw an influx of Christian missionaries
imposing British language and literature, Ghanaians are embracing a
new standard: Ghanaian English.
"The idea that intelligence is linked to English pronunciation is a
legacy from colonial thinking," said Delalorm Semabia, 25, a Ghanaian
blogger. "People used to think that if you speak like the British then
you are as intelligent as the British. But now we are waking up to the
fact that we have great people here who have never stepped outside the
borders."
"The best example of Ghanaian English on the international scene is
[former UN secretary general] Kofi Annan's clear diction," said
Ghanaian columnist Kofi Amenyo. "The man maintains the Ghanaian
features in his pronunciation and yet succeeds in being easily
understood by the peoples of the world."
For Ghana's younger generation, though, the move towards Ghanaian
English is less about elder statesmen, and more about music and
technology.
"In the 90s many local artists wanted to sound like Usher or Jay-Z,
but now they are taking local names and branding themselves locally,"
said Semabia. "Little by little, people are embracing the use of our
own languages ? for example, now we can Google in Akan.
"For us, English is our language - we want to break away from the old
strictures, to personalise it, mix it with our local languages, and
have fun with it. The whole point of language is that it's supposed to
be flexible and it's meant to be fun."
guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2012
Voice of colonialism gives way to local form of English that's
'flexible and fun' as opposed to giving language 'a good beating'
Afua Hirsch in Accra
Wednesday April 11 2012
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/10/ghana-calls-end-queens-english
Question: "Have you eat?" Reply: "No I go eat after small small." This
is just one of the turns of phrase Ghanaians employ, in the words of
one local commentator [http://inghana.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/top-20-
most-irritating-ghanaian-english-phrases-of-all-time/" title="], "to
give the Queen's English a good beating".
But as Ghanaians join their west African neighbours ? following the
examples of Nigerian Pidgin and Sierra Leonean Krio ? in speaking
their inherited colonial tongue with growing creative licence, a row
is breaking out about what really is the proper way to speak English.
On one side of the fence are the old-school Ghanaians who were taught
throughout their education to mimic received pronunciation ? or BBC
English, as it is popularly known ? with varying degrees of success.
On the other side, a backlash is growing against the old mentality of
equating a British accent with prestige. Now the practice has a new
acronym, LAFA, or "locally acquired foreign accent", and attracts
derision rather than praise.
"In the past we have seen people in Ghana try to mimic the Queen's
English, speaking in a way that doesn't sound natural. They think it
sounds prestigious, but frankly it sounds like they are overdoing it,"
said Professor Kofi Agyekum, head of linguistics at the University of
Ghana.
"There has been a significant change now, away from those who think
sounding English is prestigious, towards those who value being
multilingual, who would never neglect our mother tongues, and who are
happy to sound Ghanaian when we speak English."
Ghana has nine indigenous languages that are officially sponsored by
the government, including Akan languages spoken widely in the south. A
further 26 languages are officially recognised and at least double
that number are also spoken. Unlike its francophone neighbours, which
were forced under colonialism to teach only in French, Ghana has
always maintained the use of African languages [http://
www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/tribes/languages.php" title="] in its
primary school education.
But the idea that sounding "British" carries prestige also has a long
history in Ghanaian society, manifesting itself in the country's
struggle for independence in the 1940s and 50s, when an ideological
difference emerged between an Oxbridge-educated Ghanaian elite and
more radical, left-leaning leaders.
Now, more than 50 years later and more than 200 years after the
abolition of the slave trade saw an influx of Christian missionaries
imposing British language and literature, Ghanaians are embracing a
new standard: Ghanaian English.
"The idea that intelligence is linked to English pronunciation is a
legacy from colonial thinking," said Delalorm Semabia, 25, a Ghanaian
blogger. "People used to think that if you speak like the British then
you are as intelligent as the British. But now we are waking up to the
fact that we have great people here who have never stepped outside the
borders."
"The best example of Ghanaian English on the international scene is
[former UN secretary general] Kofi Annan's clear diction," said
Ghanaian columnist Kofi Amenyo. "The man maintains the Ghanaian
features in his pronunciation and yet succeeds in being easily
understood by the peoples of the world."
For Ghana's younger generation, though, the move towards Ghanaian
English is less about elder statesmen, and more about music and
technology.
"In the 90s many local artists wanted to sound like Usher or Jay-Z,
but now they are taking local names and branding themselves locally,"
said Semabia. "Little by little, people are embracing the use of our
own languages ? for example, now we can Google in Akan.
"For us, English is our language - we want to break away from the old
strictures, to personalise it, mix it with our local languages, and
have fun with it. The whole point of language is that it's supposed to
be flexible and it's meant to be fun."
guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2012
kwame zulu shabazz
Apr 12, 2012, 7:17:48 AM4/12/12
to usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Love this one. Thanks for posting. I was just discussing with someone that, in my view, "big English" is losing its luster. kzs
Akurang-Parry, Kwabena
Apr 12, 2012, 3:38:14 PM4/12/12
to usaafric...@googlegroups.com
"Linguistic neocolonialism" lingers on in Ghana big time, and I think that the write-up below is a joke and oversimplifies the issue. Just visit Ghana and see how everyone from the "big educated people" to the "small uneducated people" are latching onto some American and even Ukranian accents. "Broken" or Pidgin English is not in vogue in Ghana. Certainly, some "classes" of Ghanaians use it when it is convenient. Warranting empirical research, I would even hazard this based on observation: Hollywoodized rappers and film stars, who can't Africanize their crafts, are worst in foraging for non-Ghanaian accents.
--
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Ayo Obe
Apr 12, 2012, 1:56:28 PM4/12/12
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Most people who can command 'Queen's English' can also converse in pidgin, though not necessarily vice versa. It does not have to be one or the other, and it doesn't have to be 'big English' but why deprive those who have the ability of the opportunity to master both, in the name of flexibility?
I suspect that one of the reasons why so many Nigerians send their children to school and university in Ghana is the perception that if a Ghanaian is going to do something - e.g. speak English - she will do it properly, rather than hide under the excuse that "It's not my mother tongue". Rather like the way that a Ghanaian builder will erect a straight wall, while his counterpart in Nigeria may only bring out his plumb when forced to, as the inside of almost any new house in Abuja will confirm.
Or is this another of our exports?
Ayo
I invite you to follow me on Twitter @naijama
--
OLUWATOYIN ADEPOJU
Apr 12, 2012, 3:38:13 PM4/12/12
to usaafric...@googlegroups.com
I admire the article's contextualization of the social contexts of English use but the article seems to confuse the demands of various contexts of use of English beceause it does not seem to distinguish between accent, pronunciation and grammar. The distinctions I make between these terms might not be completely accurate, missing vital subtleties, as evident from Wikipedia on these terms but my observations could be useful in thinking about the issues. .
The article does not seem to draw a distinction between
1. Accent
as reflected in the following observation
'On one side of the fence are the old-school Ghanaians who were taught
2. Grammar
as reflected in the following
"Have you eat?" Reply: "No I go eat after small small." This
is just one of the turns of phrase Ghanaians employ..'
"For us, English is our language - we want to break away from the old
strictures, to personalise it, mix it with our local languages, and
have fun with it. The whole point of language is that it's supposed to
be flexible and it's meant to be fun."
I would have thought that its a known fact that there exist varieties of English for various contexts.
The accents of people from various parts of England, various parts of Britain and all over the English speaking world, as well as the use of English in places where it is not an official language are not identical. A Scottish accent, Indian accents, Nigerian English accents ( Edo, Yoruba, Northern Nigerian) etc are all on display and can be distinguished if one understand them. One can describe accent as forms of stress and rhythm not meant to affect the meaning of what is being communicated, to give an off the cuff definition.
Accent is not always identical with pronunciation because even though accent and pronunciation are theoretically almost identical, pronunciation has to do with vocal patterns directed at shaping meaning through stress and rhythm. Accent shapes meaning, but not intentionally. Pronunciation shapes meaning, but intentionally.
The global standard of spoken English is Received Pronunciation.
Kofi Anna, therefore, might not have an English accent, but he is likely if not certainly making sure he conforms to the global official standard of spoken English known as Received Pronunciation. If he did not, most English speakers globally would not understand him and a diplomat of his caliber is not likely to make such a career blunder.
Grammar, on the other hand, is less variable within the various varieties of English. Grammar is the choice and organization of elements that make up expressions, independent of their verbalization, since languages often demonstrates the same structure even when not verbalized.
The global standard of English grammar is Standard English.
Cockney, a dialect of English once and perhaps still spoken among some working class Londoners differs in pronunciation and grammar from Standard English. As is evident from some English TV programs, this applies in varying degrees to other varieties of English used by working class English people, the central differences being in pronunciation and diction-choice of words.
A society sensitive English person might be able to use these varieties depending on social situation. An English PM has been described as manipulating his audiences by subtly switching accents when addressing people of different social classes. . Many Nigerians are able to use Nigerian Pidgin and Standard English fluently, Standard English being easier to master in non-native speaker environments than Received Pronunciation, since grammar is less subtle than pronunciation.
What I am trying to argue is that one should not mistake an empowering move with disempowering moves in the politics of language.
It is empowering to realise that one does not have to speak with any kind of English accent. It is disempowering not to realise that one must use Received Pronunciation in contexts where the focus is or should be on deterritorialised use of English. Deterritorialised use of English is the use of the language in a manner that is aspires to independence of geographical context. Such contexts are often official contexts, from classrooms to boardrooms and conferences and even informal contexts relating with people who can communicate with each other only through Standard English. Nigerian home movies exemplify graphically such situations where people of various ethnicities use Standard English in communicating. Not all Nigerians are fluent in pidgin.
It is empowering to realise that when using non standard varieties of English, one is free from the rules of Standard English. One does not need such rules for pidgins and creoles. It would be disempowerring not to realise that in certain contexts, particularly what I describe as deterritorialised contexts, one has to use Standard English or one will not communicate.
Dexterity in navigating the linguistic contours of social space at various levels , from informal interaction between two people to official contexts involving increasingly larger numbers of people, is knowing when to use what form of English.
This subject about English use in relation to pronunciation also emerges in Hollywood films, where one may observe a standard African-American accent, as often used by actors and actresses like Queen Latifah, as in Bringing Down the House, Will Smith in Men in Black 1 and 2, Eddie Murphy ( not sure) and Ice-Cube in Triple XXX 2. This accent and grammar contrasts with that used in various roles by another African-American actor Samuel L. Jackson beceause his roles are often race independent, as in his role beside Ice-Cube in Triple XXX, even though they are both ex soldiers from the same unit. Another exampl;e of an African-American actor who often or always uses Standard English and Received Pronunciation is Morgan Freeman, as in his roles as God in Evan Almighty and Bruce Almighty ( why does God nlot have an African-American accent? You might want to see Peter Enahoro's glorious book You Gotta Cry to Laugh on that.).
Contrast these examples with Eddie Murphy in Coming to America, where the entire African cast operates in flawless Standard English and Received Pronunciation ( as indicative of their status as African royalty?) , with Will Smith in I Am Legend ( because he is a scientist as distinct from his background as a policeman in Men in Black?) and all the African-American characters in the Matrix series, all these being films where flawless Received Pronunciation and Standard English are the norm, even with the slight accents of the actor who played the Keymaker in Matrix Reloaded. Does the French character in Matrix 2, the Merovingian, successfully represent a French accent? I dont know.
Relationships between accent, pronunciation, grammar, race, and class in Hollywood films received a classic treatment in Bringing Down the House, such as the scene in which Queen Latifah as a quintessential African-American saddled with the challenges often attributed in the media, in varying degrees, to African-Americans-limited education, prison record and race marked accent, mimics flawlessly the Standard English, Received Pronunciation English of Steve Martin, the Caucasian lawyer, demonstrating her ability to switch between varieties of English..
The comedic power of the "Meeting Charlene" scene in that film derives significantly from the contrastive use of English by Martin and Latifah, a contrast exemplified by Latifah having to translate to Standard English her words describing herself as having spent time in prison, for the benefit of Martin to whom her words are a foreign language. This language, coinciding at various points with Standard English and Received Pronunciation but diverging completely from it at other points, is characterized as a race centred language by Martin's neighbor who exclaims 'I thought I heard Negro!' to which Martin replies, in a desperate effort to erase Latifah's embarrassing presence, "No Negro spoken here". Martin's use of a rising and falling tone in an effort to project assurance to the woman he is speaking to is another masterly demonstration of vocal varations in language to communicate meaning.
Whatever insight into language shown in this brief summation is owed to the growing understanding of what I learnt from or with the help of my BA teachers in English and Literature at the University of Benin, Titi Ufomata having introduced me to the the concepts of Received Pronunciation and Standard English and the idea of quality use of English in a native accent, Victor Longe teaching me Varieties of English in my third year and Onwuemewne taking us in the English Language in Nigeria in our fouth year, in which he distinguished by his own speech between Standard English and the Nigerian Pidgin expression 'How you waka'?
The exposure to films I owe to my nephews David, Daniel and Angelica.
The limitations and any mistakes are purely mine.
The article does not seem to draw a distinction between
1. Accent
as reflected in the following observation
'On one side of the fence are the old-school Ghanaians who were taught
throughout their education to mimic received pronunciation ? or BBC
English, as it is popularly known ? with varying degrees of success.
On the other side, a backlash is growing against the old mentality of
equating a British accent with prestige. Now the practice has a new
acronym, LAFA, or "locally acquired foreign accent", and attracts
derision rather than praise.
English, as it is popularly known ? with varying degrees of success.
On the other side, a backlash is growing against the old mentality of
equating a British accent with prestige. Now the practice has a new
acronym, LAFA, or "locally acquired foreign accent", and attracts
derision rather than praise.
"The best example of Ghanaian English on the international scene is
[former UN secretary general] Kofi Annan's clear diction," said
Ghanaian columnist Kofi Amenyo. "The man maintains the Ghanaian
features in his pronunciation and yet succeeds in being easily
understood by the peoples of the world."
and[former UN secretary general] Kofi Annan's clear diction," said
Ghanaian columnist Kofi Amenyo. "The man maintains the Ghanaian
features in his pronunciation and yet succeeds in being easily
understood by the peoples of the world."
2. Grammar
as reflected in the following
"Have you eat?" Reply: "No I go eat after small small." This
"For us, English is our language - we want to break away from the old
strictures, to personalise it, mix it with our local languages, and
have fun with it. The whole point of language is that it's supposed to
be flexible and it's meant to be fun."
The accents of people from various parts of England, various parts of Britain and all over the English speaking world, as well as the use of English in places where it is not an official language are not identical. A Scottish accent, Indian accents, Nigerian English accents ( Edo, Yoruba, Northern Nigerian) etc are all on display and can be distinguished if one understand them. One can describe accent as forms of stress and rhythm not meant to affect the meaning of what is being communicated, to give an off the cuff definition.
Accent is not always identical with pronunciation because even though accent and pronunciation are theoretically almost identical, pronunciation has to do with vocal patterns directed at shaping meaning through stress and rhythm. Accent shapes meaning, but not intentionally. Pronunciation shapes meaning, but intentionally.
The global standard of spoken English is Received Pronunciation.
Kofi Anna, therefore, might not have an English accent, but he is likely if not certainly making sure he conforms to the global official standard of spoken English known as Received Pronunciation. If he did not, most English speakers globally would not understand him and a diplomat of his caliber is not likely to make such a career blunder.
Grammar, on the other hand, is less variable within the various varieties of English. Grammar is the choice and organization of elements that make up expressions, independent of their verbalization, since languages often demonstrates the same structure even when not verbalized.
The global standard of English grammar is Standard English.
Cockney, a dialect of English once and perhaps still spoken among some working class Londoners differs in pronunciation and grammar from Standard English. As is evident from some English TV programs, this applies in varying degrees to other varieties of English used by working class English people, the central differences being in pronunciation and diction-choice of words.
A society sensitive English person might be able to use these varieties depending on social situation. An English PM has been described as manipulating his audiences by subtly switching accents when addressing people of different social classes. . Many Nigerians are able to use Nigerian Pidgin and Standard English fluently, Standard English being easier to master in non-native speaker environments than Received Pronunciation, since grammar is less subtle than pronunciation.
What I am trying to argue is that one should not mistake an empowering move with disempowering moves in the politics of language.
It is empowering to realise that one does not have to speak with any kind of English accent. It is disempowering not to realise that one must use Received Pronunciation in contexts where the focus is or should be on deterritorialised use of English. Deterritorialised use of English is the use of the language in a manner that is aspires to independence of geographical context. Such contexts are often official contexts, from classrooms to boardrooms and conferences and even informal contexts relating with people who can communicate with each other only through Standard English. Nigerian home movies exemplify graphically such situations where people of various ethnicities use Standard English in communicating. Not all Nigerians are fluent in pidgin.
It is empowering to realise that when using non standard varieties of English, one is free from the rules of Standard English. One does not need such rules for pidgins and creoles. It would be disempowerring not to realise that in certain contexts, particularly what I describe as deterritorialised contexts, one has to use Standard English or one will not communicate.
Dexterity in navigating the linguistic contours of social space at various levels , from informal interaction between two people to official contexts involving increasingly larger numbers of people, is knowing when to use what form of English.
This subject about English use in relation to pronunciation also emerges in Hollywood films, where one may observe a standard African-American accent, as often used by actors and actresses like Queen Latifah, as in Bringing Down the House, Will Smith in Men in Black 1 and 2, Eddie Murphy ( not sure) and Ice-Cube in Triple XXX 2. This accent and grammar contrasts with that used in various roles by another African-American actor Samuel L. Jackson beceause his roles are often race independent, as in his role beside Ice-Cube in Triple XXX, even though they are both ex soldiers from the same unit. Another exampl;e of an African-American actor who often or always uses Standard English and Received Pronunciation is Morgan Freeman, as in his roles as God in Evan Almighty and Bruce Almighty ( why does God nlot have an African-American accent? You might want to see Peter Enahoro's glorious book You Gotta Cry to Laugh on that.).
Contrast these examples with Eddie Murphy in Coming to America, where the entire African cast operates in flawless Standard English and Received Pronunciation ( as indicative of their status as African royalty?) , with Will Smith in I Am Legend ( because he is a scientist as distinct from his background as a policeman in Men in Black?) and all the African-American characters in the Matrix series, all these being films where flawless Received Pronunciation and Standard English are the norm, even with the slight accents of the actor who played the Keymaker in Matrix Reloaded. Does the French character in Matrix 2, the Merovingian, successfully represent a French accent? I dont know.
Relationships between accent, pronunciation, grammar, race, and class in Hollywood films received a classic treatment in Bringing Down the House, such as the scene in which Queen Latifah as a quintessential African-American saddled with the challenges often attributed in the media, in varying degrees, to African-Americans-limited education, prison record and race marked accent, mimics flawlessly the Standard English, Received Pronunciation English of Steve Martin, the Caucasian lawyer, demonstrating her ability to switch between varieties of English..
The comedic power of the "Meeting Charlene" scene in that film derives significantly from the contrastive use of English by Martin and Latifah, a contrast exemplified by Latifah having to translate to Standard English her words describing herself as having spent time in prison, for the benefit of Martin to whom her words are a foreign language. This language, coinciding at various points with Standard English and Received Pronunciation but diverging completely from it at other points, is characterized as a race centred language by Martin's neighbor who exclaims 'I thought I heard Negro!' to which Martin replies, in a desperate effort to erase Latifah's embarrassing presence, "No Negro spoken here". Martin's use of a rising and falling tone in an effort to project assurance to the woman he is speaking to is another masterly demonstration of vocal varations in language to communicate meaning.
Whatever insight into language shown in this brief summation is owed to the growing understanding of what I learnt from or with the help of my BA teachers in English and Literature at the University of Benin, Titi Ufomata having introduced me to the the concepts of Received Pronunciation and Standard English and the idea of quality use of English in a native accent, Victor Longe teaching me Varieties of English in my third year and Onwuemewne taking us in the English Language in Nigeria in our fouth year, in which he distinguished by his own speech between Standard English and the Nigerian Pidgin expression 'How you waka'?
The exposure to films I owe to my nephews David, Daniel and Angelica.
The limitations and any mistakes are purely mine.
--
kwame zulu shabazz
Apr 15, 2012, 4:15:32 AM4/15/12
to usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Menua Kwabena,
Yes, I think we all agree that linguistic neocolonialism is a reality in Ghana. The question is whether or not there is some resistance to that domination. Perhaps the author is simplifying things a bit, but don't think the "latching on" is overwhelming in Ghana--at least not to my African American ear (in fact, I can recall a few times when a Ghanaian has gotten irate with me because they thought I was a Ghanaian trying to sound like an American). I hear pidgin English everywhere amongst "ordinary" folks on trotros, in clubs, at the market, in chop bars, pretty much wherever folks congregate. As for Ghanaian rappers, I think they much more likely to perform in local languages than, say, Nigerian and South African rappers. kzs
On Thursday, April 12, 2012 3:38:14 PM UTC-4, Oparebea wrote:
Yes, I think we all agree that linguistic neocolonialism is a reality in Ghana. The question is whether or not there is some resistance to that domination. Perhaps the author is simplifying things a bit, but don't think the "latching on" is overwhelming in Ghana--at least not to my African American ear (in fact, I can recall a few times when a Ghanaian has gotten irate with me because they thought I was a Ghanaian trying to sound like an American). I hear pidgin English everywhere amongst "ordinary" folks on trotros, in clubs, at the market, in chop bars, pretty much wherever folks congregate. As for Ghanaian rappers, I think they much more likely to perform in local languages than, say, Nigerian and South African rappers. kzs
On Thursday, April 12, 2012 3:38:14 PM UTC-4, Oparebea wrote:
"Linguistic neocolonialism" lingers on in Ghana big time, and I think that the write-up below is a joke and oversimplifies the issue. Just visit Ghana and see how everyone from the "big educated people" to the "small uneducated people" are latching onto some American and even Ukranian accents. "Broken" or Pidgin English is not in vogue in Ghana. Certainly, some "classes" of Ghanaians use it when it is convenient. Warranting empirical research, I would even hazard this based on observation: Hollywoodized rappers and film stars, who can't Africanize their crafts, are worst in foraging for non-Ghanaian accents.
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Akurang-Parry, Kwabena
Apr 15, 2012, 10:38:09 AM4/15/12
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I am very sure that it was not your American accent that made some Ghanaians "irate." Rather you may have been somewhat Gatesque (Loius Gates in <Wonders of the African World>): condescending, patronizing, etc. As I stated, certainly, some "classes" of Ghanaians use [Pidgin] whenever it is convenient, and as you note in wayside chop-bars, markets, and on trotros. Even then the use of Pidgin English in such precincts tends to be male-centered in so many ways. Based on what I heard, saw, and experienced in Ghana during my last visit from June to September, I would not conclude that Pidgin English has eclipsed standard English. Resistance to foreign accents, if it exists at all, is framed around episodic bursts. We are so neocolonized (apologies to Quansy Salako), or is it globalized, to the extent that we are even clamoring for Indian, Korean, Australian, Japanese, etc. accents.
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kwame zulu shabazz
Apr 15, 2012, 2:30:43 PM4/15/12
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LOL! No, Kwabena, you definitely have that wrong. I did all of my schooling up to the university level in the ghettos of Los Angeles. I can assure you that I neither sound nor act like Gates. Gates has some sort of resentment of Africa based on his misunderstanding of the slave trade. I, on the other hand, love Africa, self-identify as African, and plan to relocate to Ghana. And its hard to be condescending on trotros (which, by the way, some Ghanaians think is beneath them) and eating koko and nkatea on street corners every morning and waakye on the same corner every evening. I know precisely what was going on because my Twi was passable and I moved around with friends who translated for me. I know the professor quoted in the essay, Kofi Agyekum, very well. I studied with him at Legon in 1997. I didn't understand the author's point to be that pidgin was eclipsing the "Queens English." Rather, I took her to mean that younger Ghanaians are less likely valorize it. kzs
kzs
Akurang-Parry, Kwabena
Apr 15, 2012, 5:09:13 PM4/15/12
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Please, accept my sincere apologies; I didn't intend to offend you at all. Also remember that I carefully phrased it as "you may have been somewhat Gatesque (Loius Gates in <Wonders of the African World>): condescending, patronizing, etc." All well and good if you soaked up some Ghanaian worldviews and cultures. Then again this is not to impute condescension to you, but eating wakye, fufu, dokono, tuo safi, banku, akpele, kokoo-ne-nkate, etc., "pushed down" with akpeteshie or palm wine does not mean that a foreigner, doted on, and we Ghanaians do it in excess and call it "Ghanaian hospitality," can't patronize the host-society. We thank Onyankopon Kwame (God) that you didn't.
We may agree to disagree, but there is no doubt that the younger generations tend to hunt for foreign accents more than the older generations. Note that in Ghana today, a considerable number of urban-based mid-class families don't use Ghanaian languages at home, and the more their kids speak with some affected, strained-through-the-nose "foreign" English accents, the better and more prestigious. Since, it seems to me that we are dabbling in anecdotal rethreading of reality, here is one, as we say in Ghana. I delivered a funeral oration and later got the impression that my audience and even the ancestors thought that I was going to summon some American accents to send off the deceased to some Western-conceptualized heavenly bliss! In fact, I was shocked when my "well-educated" friends who were there to mourn with me expressed similar disappointment!
It is good that you studied with Dr. Kofi Agyekum at the University of Ghana, Legon. Certainly, that is a fork in the road, but it shouldn’t determine where we go with this discussion. The more important trajectory is whether Dr. Agyekum's conclusion is based on a rigorous study, or is it based on a mere composite observation and lived-experience like mine? If it is the former I may defer to his conclusion based on the empiricism that informs the said study, if not, let me just say that both us are brilliant in our simplifications of an observable phenomenon.
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [usaafric...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of kwame zulu shabazz [kwames...@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2012 2:30 PM
kwame zulu shabazz
Apr 15, 2012, 6:59:53 PM4/15/12
to usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Kwabena,
Yoo, mate, menua. I don't take these convos personally. Dunno that Prof. Agyekum has done research on this topic. I assume he was offering the perspective of a highly respected Ghanaian linguist with an ear for local trends.
Agree that eating local dishes doesn't necessarily mean that one can't be patronizing. But eating local foods, riding hot, crowded trotros, taking bucket showers, and befriending lots of local folks makes condensation less likely. And, for me at least, I can say that there is something about me that is now partially Ghanaian.
Slight correction.
I frequently ate at a chop bar in Haatso. Mostly because I liked meeting strangers and striking up conversations. I ate at the same chop bar off and on for about 10 years. I also frequented the Bush Canteen at Legon. So, whilst I did experience lots of "Ghanaian hospitality," it did happen as often in dining settings (except when I traveled to other regions of Ghana). Also agree that there are middle class Ghanaians who prefer to speak English in the home. However, my closest friends were not generally middle class. I moved around a lot with the Afrikania Mission (Akwamufie, E/R and several trips Klikor V/R & Asankrangwa, W/R). In fact, I am a member. They are mostly working class and poor (I realize that western class distinctions aren't a perfect fit for Ghanaians. I don't know of better terminology so I use them with reservations). kzs
Akurang-Parry, Kwabena
Apr 15, 2012, 8:55:55 PM4/15/12
to usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Kasa pa ne osuahu y3 ade pa. if you need a land to make your homecoming in Ghana complete, please contact me. I will give you a piece of land in Akuapem. I hope you visited my lush kingdom in that mountainous region. We now have Jamaicans, African-Americans Liberians, Nigerians, etc. as permanent residents of boundless Akuapem, in fact, all for Africanizing harmony and hope. Thanks for the conversation.
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [usaafric...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of kwame zulu shabazz [kwames...@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2012 6:59 PM
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