Polytechnic Skills and Competencies for National Development, the Role of Loan Word Integration in the Northern Region of Ghana

Abstract

The skills and competencies of the Ghanaian polytechnics become useful only after they have been well communicated to the necessary organizations and societies to enable them apply the knowledge for the benefit of the Ghanaian public. Language is the most effective tool of getting this done. The skills and competencies from the polytechnics come with new ideas alien in the Ghanaian languages. Therefore, languages, including Dagbanli, integrate the lexical items expressing these new ideas into their lexicon using some phonological processes. This paper postulates that Dagbanli uses such loan word integrative processes as vowel substitution, and consonant substitution, vowel lengthening, consonant deletion, diphthong and triphthong substitution, frication, epenthesis, and that the speakers of Dagbanli are motivated to borrow words to express a concept or thought that is not available in the language, or for the sake of the prestige they carry even though an equivalent exists. With loan word integration, speakers of Dagbanli get to understand skills and competencies with ease because they are effectively communicated to them. Once they understand well, the skills and competencies are applied confidently for national development.