Teaching your children your native languages key to identity – Aborah tells parents

Wenawome Duriyem Aborah, Managing Director of Kacstone Record's, has called on parents to take an active role in teaching their children their mother tongue, warning that neglecting native languages threatens cultural identity and moral values.

Speaking after the Local Language Promotion Forum held in Navrongo on April 24, Aborah expressed concern over what he described as a growing trend of parents, particularly from minority ethnic groups, avoiding the use of their native languages at home.

“Those minority tribes who feel shy or fail to use their mother tongue are doing a great mistake,” he stated, stressing that language remains central to identity. “No matter who you are, you have an identity. You must be proud of where you come from.”

Aborah emphasised that while teachers spend limited hours with children in school, parents bear the greater responsibility of shaping their upbringing at home. According to him, parenting goes beyond providing school fees to instilling cultural values and identity through language.

“Responsibility is not only paying school fees. Your language, your tribe, is key. That is the first education you give to your child,” he said.

He further warned that failure to teach children their native language and cultural norms could contribute to indiscipline and identity loss among the youth. He noted that many behavioural challenges stem from weak cultural grounding, adding that even the tone and expression within a language carry significant cultural meaning.

The two-day forum, organised by Kacstone Record’s, forms part of ongoing efforts to promote and preserve indigenous languages, particularly Kasem language. The event attracted hundreds of participants from Ghana and Burkina Faso, highlighting cross-border interest in safeguarding cultural heritage.