Group Harps On Use Of Dialect In Child Upbringing

The President-General of Egi People’s Assembly (EPA), Apostle Magnus Elemele has stressed the importance of native dialect in the up-bringing of children by their parents.
Apostle Elemele, who spoke at the closing ceremony of a 3-week workshop on Egi Dialect Organised by organisation of Bible Translation, Languages and Literary Group, said “teaching children our local language will make them understand our culture”.
“English language is good for wider communication but we should not lose sight of the important roles our dialect could play in the lives of growing children”.
He stressed that a situation where most parents communicate with children in foreign language should be discouraged, because as he puts it, the affected are likely to disconnect from their origin.
The EPA President-General while praising the organisers of the workshop for their patriotism and zeal to keep Egi language alive expressed willingness to sponor the next edition, so that more children would benefit from it.
Earlier, the Director of the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Dr. AmadiAhiamadu of the University of Port Harcourt, said the programme was part of his contribution to make the children, especially those being groomed outside their home land to appreciate not only their dialect but the customs and traditions of Egi clan.
Dr. Ahiamadu, who had some years ago translated the Bible New Testament into Egi dialect said, “it is embrassing when you cannot speak your dialect in midst of the people”.
He said the programme which had been holding during long holidays for the past three years has achieved its aim among the young boys and girls of Egi extraction born and bred in Port Harcourt.
According to the University don, the major constraints had been finance to procure instructional materisls and appealed to the wealthy sons and daughters of Egi to show interest in the project.
Highlight of the occasion was singing and reading of Bible portions in Egi dialect.