Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh
Ghanaian English professor
Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh is a Ghanaian professor of English and the first female Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast. Her appointment was made at the 99th Governing Council Meeting of UCC that was held on 23 November 2018.
Quotes
edit- We claim we are Africans, but we respect those who speak English in our schools, describing others as local, when the language is not our birth language.
- You need to build social skills and learn to volunteer because as teachers, you will do more than teaching. Sometimes, you will have to do other things without pay.
- focusing on academic sustainability would help produce competent academic staff for universities to create sustainability in their countries and the continent.
- The country's discourses are becoming increasingly toxic, and has therefore called for a conscious effort to readjust towards positive engagements.
- That was necessary considering that the norms of respect and courtesies were crucial for impactful engagement for personal and collective national identity and growth as Ghanaians.
- National discourses full of insults were a reflection of a negative national identity, wherever we use language as a people we are constructing an identity.
Delivering her inaugural lecture on the topic, * Our identity as a people is closely linked to our discourses.
- Language had been used in different contexts by persons I describe as legitimate power holders to often manipulate others through discourses, often for selfish gains.
- I describe current national discourses as worrying, indecent, manipulative, controlling and lacking decorum. Use ‘powers’ wisely
- Those with legitimate power, including those with academic, legal, political and media authority, must understand that power was transient, fragile and must be used wisely.
- I proposed an inclusive environment where everyone felt valued and respected by adhering to the social norms of language use.
- I believe we engage in most discourses the way we do because either we do not know the norms of language use or we have lost it as a people.
- Discourse was socially prescribed, and that it was important for all to understand the context and the people, and be decorous in the use of language.
- The use of indecent language affected even Ghana’s Parliament, I cited a research by me and another which indicated that 73 unsavoury comments, including some offensive, abusive and insulting language were used in Parliament between 2005 and 2018.
- The professor of language said it had gone so bad that the Speaker himself had to use "unparliamentary" language to address unparliamentary comments.
Ethno-linguistic crisis
- I also expressed worry that Ghanaians had negative perceptions about our language, it was obvious that as a country we were headed towards an ethno-linguistic identity crisis.
- Studies indicated that some Ghanaian students did not speak even one Ghanaian language, explaining that schooling had a way of making people speak English to ignore and look down on their language.
- Perhaps that is why we have an ethno-linguistic crisis looming.
- Language had been used to emphasise the "us" versus "them" which painted others negatively and “ourselves positively”, a situation which was impacting negatively on national cohesion and development.
- I call for respect for all through the use of language.
- Students should be confident irrespective of their humble beginnings especially those who attended public schools.
- The Human Library is a library of people where readers can borrow human beings serving as open books and have conversations with them tapping into their experiences.
- It is important for them to be confident and not feel intimidated because of your backgrounds.
- I attended public schools yet I dared to challenge myself to do my utmost without considering where I was coming from and the private schools my mates attended.
- I encourage the students to exude traits of commitment, diligence, respect, perseverance, curiosity, and responsibility to reach their desired peaks in life.
- Becoming a teacher was not my primary option for a profession growing up. However, I decided to work towards reaching the apex of the profession when I found herself at the Komenda College of Education.
- I told myself if I was going to become a teacher, I would push till I reached the top. So, on my journey, I became the head of the Department of English, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, the Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, and the first female Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University.
- Universities do not train students to fit into specific jobs but produce well-rounded critical thinkers who can assume different positions.
- Universities give universal training for you to fit into different roles except for specific professions like medicine. You are being trained to fit into different positions and roles that may present themselves to you after school.
- In the current dispensation that the University of Cape Coast is championing the entrepreneurship drive, students need to add value to themselves by gaining both hard and soft skills necessary to ensure their holistic moulding into responsible citizens.
- I reiterated the need for the students to aim at becoming economically independent, especially women, before venturing into life-long commitments such as marriage.
