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How languages help development
In Africa, local languages are the most suited to large-scale information campaigns on health, disease prevention, agriculture and livestock breeding. |
Henry Tourneux, linguist, France |
In terms of health, the use of indigenous languages in many developing countries is an effective tool for fighting epidemics. How can AIDS be prevented or tuberculosis and malaria fought if the local populations cannot understand instructions and guidance properly?
How can the management of water, or the production of energy, or agriculture techniques be correctly communicated if they are taught in English, French, or even in a major national language that most villagers, with little or no schooling, do not speak?
Knowledge of local languages and their use in development projects is vital:
Only then can specific technical training programmes become effective weapons in the struggle against poverty, allowing the widest audience to acquire the necessary skills to better their living conditions. |
Issa Douallo, linguist, Burkina-Faso |