French is a bit difficult


It‘s not Ghanaians’ problem alone
In your latest issue, I read Elizabeth Ohene’s article about the difficulties Ghanaians have with French language. I agree with some of the theories she puts forwards to be the factors behind inability to speak french fluently; but I think French language is generally difficult to be easily grasped. Take my case as an example; I started learning French when I joined university in 2009 with the hope that by the end of my three years at the university, I will be able to speak and write it very well.  To my dismay, it’s about six months now to finish bachelor degree in journalism. But I can’t even interview a person in Kinshasa in French let alone taking a tour in Paris.  Despite all these difficulties I am facing in speaking it, I am able to score 75% and above and you wonder how I can do well in examination and can’t speak the language. It will be so embarrassing to see my transcript with an A in French which I can not even chat with Congolese friends or Rwandan acquaintances. Given all these problems I am facing in the language, I can say that if yours is the extreme version of the problem in speaking French as a Ghanaian, then mine is the most extreme version of the problem in speaking French as a south Sudanese.
In addition to the writer’s theories, I also discover that the style of French as a language is another factor that makes it hard to speak. In English language, the gender is limited to human, where we can just tell what you are talking about when you say she or he. But in French, you realize that everything has gender identity. Human being, Trees, Foods; drinks and so many other things.  This makes it hard for people to speak it well especially when you use wrong gender pronounce.
Abraham Daljang Maker, Kampala Uganda

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