BY TEWODROS KASSA
Different countries strive to promote their culture, language, and other tangible and intangible assets to be familiar with the international community. Language could be one of the intangible assets that are important to diversifying socio-economic ties between countries and promoting diplomatic ties. Due to this and other important benefits, thus, language plays an instrumental role in strengthening relations between countries and peoples apart from facilitating interactions.
Being multilingual and speaking more than one or two languages is a greater asset to an individual to have an increased employability opportunity in the job market, enhancing networks, and even to easily communicate while traveling to different countries.
For instance, tourists, who can speak additional languages besides their own languages will have the opportunity to interact with the local people easily and understand the social, economic and cultural values of the destination countries.
In addition, being multilingual also helps the speaker to gain more advantages and develop self-confidence. If someone is fluent in different languages he/she will have the opportunity to access more job opportunities and create new relationships with the expatriates to expand business. Thus, language contributes a significant role to attract new customers in the business arena, to sustain loyal customers being strong subscribers to a given products and services.
It is clear; English is among the top spoken languages worldwide. It serves as a communication tool among people whenever they meet for the first time from different corners of the world.
Currently, there are numerous international universities that teach foreign languages for the reason that proficiency in language has its own multipurpose benefits. Different universities in the U.S., European countries, China, Russia, among others are providing English language training to their students. Amharic language education is also given in some secondary and primary schools of some international universities.
The University of Florida, Harvard University, University of Pittsburgh, University of West Indies, are among the universities that give Amharic language courses.
Recently, Russia has joined the idea of giving Amharic language education for its school children.
According to the Sputnik International News Agency, Moscow Schools in Russia will start to teach Amharic for children starting from the coming September, 2023.
The Sputnik International News Agency and Radio held a roundtable discussion on Russia-Africa: Prospects for Economic Cooperation.
During the round table discussion, it was announced that teaching African languages in Moscow schools will start in September, 2023.
Speaking about fostering expert and analytical personnel’s competencies in Russian-African cooperation, Director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies, Alexei Maslov announced that “for the first time, at least, four Moscow schools will teach Swahili and Amharic for school children starting from September 2023 as part of the new special program.”
Maslov added: “We are also exploring the possibility of Moscow school children studying Yoruba. An abrupt turn to Africa requires a completely different type of specialists who could work directly with the economy and would realize that Africa is not just one big continent, but in fact, a patchwork of diverse national, religious and linguistic traditions”.
Executive Director at the Institute for Global Dialogue Philani Mthembu stressed the role of bilateral projects in agriculture and food.
Mthembu also went on as saying: “I think it will be important for Russia and Africa to consider not only the possibilities for trade in minerals and resources located on the African continent, but also potential mechanisms for attracting Russian investment, as well as the creation of joint ventures.”
Tunde Ajileye from SBM Intelligence underscored that, historically, Russia was one of the countries where the African elite went to earn degrees. And now Russia and Africa need to resume educational exchanges, he added. According to the expert, it is also important to intensify cooperation in agriculture, energy and investment.
The discussion was part of a series of educational and expert events, “New Horizons of Cooperation between Russia and the Countries of the Middle East and Africa,” organized with the support of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund and the Center for Assistance to Humanitarian and Educational Programs.
It was learnt that a Nigerian Film Writer and Director Rahmatou Keita this year announced that she has been campaigning to make Amharic official language of the African Union (AU).
According to her, Amharic language could serve as the major integrating language to all Africans and promote Pan-Africanisms more than ever if the language is understood and spoken by all Africans.
Keita noted that she has waged a struggle for seven years to make Ethiopia’s working language be used by the continental body. “Now I need due support from all corners to list Amharic as one of the official languages of the Union. Africans should protect their treasures, among which Amharic is the one.”
Explaining her motive to pursue such a campaign, she indicated that Amharic is Ethiopia’s indigenous language and is widely spoken in other African countries including Eritrea, Djibouti, and Northern Kenya. Besides, Ethiopia is the seat of the AU and has a special place in African independence movements.
In a letter submitted to the Rwandan President, Keita pleaded with the latter to help the campaign to make Amharic on the list of the AU’s official languages. She reminded the President how Africans innocently failed to pay due attention to the issue of utilizing their languages in arenas where they regularly get together for common agenda.
Keita is also doing her best to put Amharic in the limelight. In 2016, one of her seminal works, “The Wedding Ring,” movie was released and; she used Amharic writing post-credit (closing credits).
Accordingly, available sources indicated that Amharic was widely spoken in Ethiopia from the 9th century onwards and became a state language in the 14th century. Serving as the official working language of the Ethiopian Federal Government, Amharic, one of the ancient languages in the world, is spoken by over 100 million people.
Ethiopian private schools and Addis Ababa University also provide different language trainings. English, French, Chinese, Arabic, and other languages are being taught in schools of Ethiopia.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 11 JUNE 2023
