#Article (Archive)

New Diction-in-English Academy Taking Root inThe Gambia

Jul 8, 2009, 7:04 AM | Article By: Cherno O. Bobb & Isatou Senghore

Kris Nkwocha the proprietor of Diction-in-English Academy in The Gambia has said that mere observation has revealed that the English spoken by most Africans is greatly influenced by mother tongue interference.

According to a press release, the way forward is to introduce a course that would address local accent reduction, giving learners a world class neutral accent. The release added that Diction-in- English Academy offers individual learners certificate courses that will enhance learner's communication skills, speaking in the right diction providing professional training on communication. This is absolutely important because communication skills are a critical factor in professionalism for they serve as an introduction to who you are and your background.

According to the release, this program also organizes external examination for terminal classes in three stages, the assessments are designed to test their listening, memory, mimicking and speaking skills with the main aim of helping perfect our diction in English Language.

Speaking to the coordinator of the programme, Ebou S. Bah, he revealed that this is a new school which has a very unique and fruitful programme for the people of The Gambia in helping to utilize English Language.

According to Mr. Bah, our mother tongue has corrupted our English and this is why the school came up with this programme to help perfect our diction.

This school has also come up with the idea of training teachers so that these teachers can also go back to their respective schools to share the idea with the students noting that the programme should be created with space in the school time-table, and this was why the department of state for basic and secondary Education was consulted because they are the institution that have to declare the existence if the programme before they can go ahead to establish it in this country.

The school is also urging the government to give them a helping hand in order to decentralize this agenda, because the school does not have enough funds to extend their sales to the rural areas.

Also speaking was Chris Nkwdcha, the CEO/MD of this programme. He noted that the aim of this programme is to establish a common diction for Africans so that when we speak English we can hear and understand each other perfectly.

Mr. Nkwdcha also pointed out that the programme is looking forward at an diction that is truly African that will be well understood by the Western world because communication helps indicate one's educational background.

He further revealed that this programme has been in Nigeria for about eleven years, teaching from Nursery school age.

According to Mr. Nkwdcha 'someone tells you that the thicking light when power is interrupted and someone else tells you they brought light when power is restored' noting that these things must be standardized.

MD Nkwdcha also revealed that they were already in touch with schools like Ndows, Zenith, Rainbow and Methodist in The Gambia.

According to Mr. Nkwdcha this programme is expected to kick start training teachers this coming August noting that the launching of the programme was done on Saturday 6th June.

Mr. Nkwdcha also urged all Gambians to come to their support as far as the agenda is concerned in developing The Gambia and also revealed that this is a very fruitful programme for Gambians to embrace especially the government, because it has a place in the Gambia and noted that if the programme is supported within a period of five years the country will see a very marked difference in improving our scholars, business centers, communication centers and the whole Gambian population.