Ethiopia's obsession with English..a dangerous flirtation with disasterous consequences for local languages

[African Lion]

Amharic was already tried and wont work. No non Oromo wants to learn another useles language with even less appeal then amharic. English is the only option we have. How did the rest of the world learn it? It will take time but will be well worth it.

Its also a shame that the toxic oromo intellegensia and diaspora are hell bent on demonizing amharas| ethiopia. Tplf eats it up too and continues to get stronger from the division. Summing up all of ethiopias history as subjegation. This is all tplfs fault and its a shame the amhara let it go on.

[yosiast]

You're so damn ignorant about Amharic.
You're also damn right about the "demonization of amharas". I don't know what to think of you!

[FKebede]

Originally Posted by African Lion

Amharic was already tried and wont work. No non Oromo wants to learn another useles language with even less appeal then amharic. English is the only option we have. How did the rest of the world learn it? It will take time but will be well worth it.

Its also a shame that the toxic oromo intellegensia and diaspora are hell bent on demonizing amharas| ethiopia. Tplf eats it up too and continues to get stronger from the division. Summing up all of ethiopias history as subjegation. This is all tplfs fault and its a shame the amhara let it go on.

Amharic has never been tried out in secondary education( which is the most important part of education) when modern education first came to Ethiopia in the late 1800's, French was the language of instruction, that was because there were a lot of French people around the emperor at the time ,then when the British established their presence in big number's in Ethiopia, the English education system was adopted ,,,when the British influence dwindled, the American influence followed ,,But in all that time instead of trying to adopt and imitate French English or American education systems and language ,, if we had tried to adopt the knowledge into our native language and create an education system that is developed by us and not imported,,I have no doubt that we would be in a different Ethiopia today,,But Unfortunately "if" is an illusion and it doesn't really exist ,,but we can look back at our historical mistakes as a nation,, and we can move and correct the mistakes of our fathers,, but we need to be courageous to make this change,, because our mentality is damaged by Ethnic politics, and by this wide spread myth of the "European superiority to anything that we possess". There for there will be people who will resist this move, both for political reasons and for reasons of some mental complexities. I say that because ,, when we know the fact that Amahric language is the most widely spoken language in Ethiopia ,, we refuse to use it for our education because those ethnocentric politicians see that, as if loosing out to some kind of Amhara domination conspiracy theory story, that they made themselves to believe in,,, so we rather see the foreign English as our language of education than the Ethiopian Amahric,, or we object to the idea just because we think that speaking English some how makes people wiser or civilised ,,or we will say "English is an international language so we must be educated in English" ,,, All this must stop,, we need a national education system that is ours, in a language that we all can understand ,, its just logic people,,ask yourself why don't nations in Europe and Asia that achieved so much in science and social progress,,, don't use English as their language of education??? ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,compare the Chinese and Indian education systems,, the Chinese who have adopted western knowledge to their language, went through revolution, civil war, famine and many other turmoil's,, to emerge as the leading nation in the world economically ,, and one of the best in terms of science and technology,, with a number one economy in the world, that is driven by manufacturing and innovation,,, look at India which was economically better and politically more stable than China in 1949 ,,but because they cant overcome their ethnic mind set to use the Hindi language which is the most widely spoken language in India, they chose to use English as their language of education .. Now compare the two nations which are more or less equal in population with equal potential for economic success,, peoples Republic of China founded in 1949,, and and the Indian Federation founded in 1950 one year apart in their birth,, So ask yourself,, which nation today has achieved so much in science and social progress????And what do you think is the cause of the Chinese success, and why did India fall behind China in making technological and scientific advances??? even though India had all the advantages in the 1950's, that China didn't have as a nation.

[yosiast]

Another good point FK. I wish people would get over their obsession with English being a sign of awaqinet.

[Decory]

Let me ask you this

What is Amharic To a Tigrian? what is it to an oromo? what is it to a somali?

Here is the shocking answer

It is as foreign as French or English. Why is the right option for amharas always seen as the one that fits other ethnicities.
I grew up in Tigray and honestly it is very difficult for me to speak the language. Go to Mekelle or any other Tigrian city and see for your self. How is changing one foreign language(English) for the other foreign(Amharic) going to solve Problems of the tigrigna speaking population. Please be Logical and do not be attached to any specific point of view.
so If I choose to use Tigrigna i am labled as ethinic based. How about If i choose to force Amharic -- what would i be called?

Keep Amharic to amharas and let us worry about developing our own language. You change the Amharic speaking then we will change the tigrigna speaking hence we collectively grow togather. I don't need to know Amharic at all to love Ethiopia.

I love Ethiopia and Tigrigna is my language.

[Decory]

@ Fkebede

I do agree in that english should be replaced in Ethiopia. But I don't understand why do you want Tigrians or Oromos to use Amharic. Amharic is as foreign as English to A tigrian or an oromo. Why should you replace English, Just to impose another foreign Language.

Your reason for promoting Amharic should be balanced if you logically promote other Ethiopian languages. I say use Amharic for amharas, oromiffa for oromos and Tigrigna for Tigrians.

Just think about the natural choice of people not what the federal government deems to be fit. I am a tigrian for instance and my choice would be to use Tigrigna up to university level because naturally any other language(including Amharic) is not an option. This because I am naturally born tigrigna speaking not because I am ethnic oriented. don't you think learnig in Amharic for me is as uneffective as learning in English. So a person who naturally born Tigrigna Speaking would lose out Just like india because like India he choses to learn in a foreign language of his oppressors.

Cant you see that Amharic is only for those who natively speak Amharic. The others are Just forced to use it , not because they chose to.

[The daily]

Decory-dont you see the nation needs a unitary language ? The question is which curnt language in ethiopia today can be used as one ? Some people say amharic ,others say oromifa both with good arguments but I say lets revive geez

[mwanamwiwa]

Originally Posted by FKebede

Amharic has never been tried out in secondary education( which is the most important part of education) when modern education first came to Ethiopia in the late 1800's, French was the language of instruction, that was because there were a lot of French people around the emperor at the time ,then when the British established their presence in big number's in Ethiopia, the English education system was adopted ,,,when the British influence dwindled, the American influence followed ,,But in all that time instead of trying to adopt and imitate French English or American education systems and language ,, if we had tried to adopt the knowledge into our native language and create an education system that is developed by us and not imported,,I have no doubt that we would be in a different Ethiopia today,,But Unfortunately "if" is an illusion and it doesn't really exist ,,but we can look back at our historical mistakes as a nation,, and we can move and correct the mistakes of our fathers,, but we need to be courageous to make this change,, because our mentality is damaged by Ethnic politics, and by this wide spread myth of the "European superiority to anything that we possess". There for there will be people who will resist this move, both for political reasons and for reasons of some mental complexities. I say that because ,, when we know the fact that Amahric language is the most widely spoken language in Ethiopia ,, we refuse to use it for our education because those ethnocentric politicians see that, as if loosing out to some kind of Amhara domination conspiracy theory story, that they made themselves to believe in,,, so we rather see the foreign English as our language of education than the Ethiopian Amahric,, or we object to the idea just because we think that speaking English some how makes people wiser or civilised ,,or we will say "English is an international language so we must be educated in English" ,,, All this must stop,, we need a national education system that is ours, in a language that we all can understand ,, its just logic people,,ask yourself why don't nations in Europe and Asia that achieved so much in science and social progress,,, don't use English as their language of education??? ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,compare the Chinese and Indian education systems,, the Chinese who have adopted western knowledge to their language, went through revolution, civil war, famine and many other turmoil's,, to emerge as the leading nation in the world economically ,, and one of the best in terms of science and technology,, with a number one economy in the world, that is driven by manufacturing and innovation,,, look at India which was economically better and politically more stable than China in 1949 ,,but because they cant overcome their ethnic mind set to use the Hindi language which is the most widely spoken language in India, they chose to use English as their language of education .. Now compare the two nations which are more or less equal in population with equal potential for economic success,, peoples Republic of China founded in 1949,, and and the Indian Federation founded in 1950 one year apart in their birth,, So ask yourself,, which nation today has achieved so much in science and social progress????And what do you think is the cause of the Chinese success, and why did India fall behind China in making technological and scientific advances??? even though India had all the advantages in the 1950's, that China didn't have as a nation.

The choice of language has played little or no role in the advancement of China.