'Inculcate Reading Habits in Children to Master English Language'

By Yunusah Essandoh

Parents and guardians have been called upon to inculcate in their children good reading habits for them to master the English Language.

The Executive Chairman and Founder of the A & C Development Company, Mr Andrews K. Asamoah, who made the call said learning the English language was necessary and key since it cuts across any other subject.

"It is very essential to learn the language before we have to learn anything because we do not communicate officially in our dialects whereas the Chinese, French and others speak freely in their language, we have to translate it from our local dialects to English," he explained.

Mr Asamoah was speaking in Accra on Monday at the fourth book launch of former advisor to the Bank of Ghana, Mr Kofi Otutu Adu Larbi.

The titles of the books are 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' and 'Musings from the Hilltop'.

Mr Asamoah observed that in this year's WASSCE results, over 50 per cent of the students did not meet the minimum requirement from grade A1 to C6 in English to qualify for their tertiary education, adding that, "Whereas 21 per cent failed outright in English, 16 per cent failed in Mathematics."

Mr Kofi Otutu Adu Larbi said that the book 'All Things Bright and Beautiful', was meant to remind readers that life was full of choices and they could abandon the blame, accusations, living life to the full once they made that decision and see every situation as a learning opportunity.

The second book 'Musings from the Hilltop' shares thoughts on how to cope and respond to the obstacles which were meant to come on our way in life taking the reader on a 'walk' through some basic life principles such as forgiveness, friendship, dieting among others.

He noted that the book was a medium meant to highlight the benefits of reading and thoughts shared at various gatherings as well as public lectures, which had been "very well escaped" and which he does by the act of storytelling to get Ghanaians to become responsible citizens.

Mrs Elsie Addo Awadzi, Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana in her speech asserted that Mr Adu Larbi's retirement from the public service had not been an end to his service towards the public with eight books being published in eight years in addition to his daily writings.

Mr Francis Gbormittah, President of the Ghana Association of Writers (GAW), said the association was proud of the achievement of Mr Adu Larbi in writing and launching two good quality books.

The president reiterated Mr Larbi's success having won the second prize winner of the 'Kofi Awoonor Creative Non-Fiction Award' with his story, 'Stories to Warm your Heart' in the 2018 GAW literary awards.

The auction of the two new books which was part of the launch would go into the Lepers Aid Committee in addition to other charitable cause.

The two books have a foreword written by Very Reverend Father Andrews Campbell, Parish Priest of the Christ the King Catholic Church.

The launch was attended by Mr Paul Acquah, former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur, former Second Lady of Ghana and other dignitaries.

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