The Language of Instruction Dilemma in Ghana: Making a Case for the Various Ghanaian Languages

Nyamekye, Ernest; Baffour-Koduah, Daniel

doi:10.47772/ijriss.2021.5105

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…In terms of learning the first languages within the classroom context, there seems to be a scarcity of empirical literature indicating some of the determinants of students’ intention to study. Scholars [ 22 , 25 , 43 ] constantly lament that, given the negative attitudes associated with the learning of indigenous languages, students are always reluctant to pursue indigenous languages at various educational levels. The current study therefore seeks to fill the identified empirical gap by adopting the TPB to explore the pressing determinants of Ghanaian university students’ intention to learn indigenous languages.…”

Section: Conceptualization and Development Of Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenous language learning in higher education in Ghana: Exploring students’ behavioral intentions using an extended theory of planned behavior

Nyamekye

2024

PLoS ONE

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This study investigated the predictors of indigenous language learning from an empirical and theoretical perspective. A quantitative approach was employed to explore the issue using an extended version of Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior that incorporates linguistic insecurity in measuring students’ language learning intentions. A total of 180 first-year undergraduate students in the Department of Arts Education and the Department of Ghanaian Languages and Linguistics participated in the study. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), measurement and structural models were evaluated. The results indicated that students’ attitudes (behavioral beliefs), subjective norms, language learning efficacy, and students’ sense of linguistic insecurity significantly predicted their intentions to study indigenous languages. The exogenous variables accounted for 47.8% of the variance in students’ intentions to study indigenous languages in higher education. The strongest predictor of intention was subjective norms (β = 0.399; p<0.01), followed by students’ sense of linguistic insecurity (β = -0.254; p<0.01), perceived language learning efficacy (β = 0.169; p = 0.013), and language attitude (β = 0.144; p = 0.045). These results underscore the need for concerned stakeholders to foster positive attitudes and address linguistic insecurity to enhance learners’ development of positive behavioral intentions toward indigenous language learning.

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Section: Conceptualization and Development Of Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenous language learning in higher education in Ghana: Exploring students’ behavioral intentions using an extended theory of planned behavior

Nyamekye

2024

PLoS ONE

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“…While the STAGE classes use the girls’ mother tongue in teaching and learning, schools use only the local languages in grades 1 to 3, and that language might be one the girls do not know. Starting in grade 4, local language instruction is a subject, and all other subjects are taught in English (Nyamekya, 2021 ). In addition, some of the teachers in the upper primary grades do not speak or understand the local language of their students.…”

Section: Culturementioning

confidence: 99%

A case study of support for girls’ access to primary school in Ghana

2022

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The Strategic Approach to Girls’ Education (STAGE) project developed and implemented an intervention that helped marginalized out-of-school girls in the northern regions of Ghana enter and be successful in primary school. STAGE builds on the Government of Ghana’s Complementary Basic Education policy, which supports an accelerated learning program that provides literacy and numeracy classes in mother tongue to out-of-school girls between 8 and 14 years of age. This article reviews the literature that informed the design of STAGE, describes the intervention, reports on the impact on its participants, and suggests a model for replicating this intervention in Ghana and adapting it for implementation in other countries.

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“…The following studies for Nigeria were selected: 1. Nyamekye & Baffour-Koduah (2021). The language of instruction dilemma in Ghana: Making a case for the various Ghanaian languages.…”

Section: Studies From Nigeriamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It was argued that on the heels of parents' preference, English language should be used as language of instruction at all levels of schooling. In 2007, the obnoxious policy was reversed (Nyamekye & Baffour-Koduah, 2021). All these inconsistencies have grossly marred progress of language in education policy in Ghana (Appia & Ardila, 2021).…”

Section: Linguistic Situation In Ghanamentioning

confidence: 99%

Language Policies in Nigeria and Ghana: A Plurilingual Perspective

Achike

Olaniyan

Atofarati

2022

EAJESS

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The purpose of this paper was to reveal the linguistic situations in Nigeria and Ghana by examining language policies in both countries so as to establish how plurilingualism is accommodated and implemented. Plurilingualism has been identified as a leeway for attaining linguistic democracy which offers inclusive opportunities. In this dimension, language in education policy is very sacrosanct as it gives a blueprint for language use in mostly educational settings. A design adopted for this paper is qualitative study approach in a case study form. Data was retrieved from Google scholar database and time filter was applied to select articles between 2015 to 2022 in addition to other inclusion criteria. Articles were analyzed in line with the theme that guided the study. Findings show that both countries have not adequately integrated the concept of plurilingualism in their language policies. Lack of proper implementation of language policies has largely marred the multilingual reality in those countries, thereby allowing English language to exert an excessive influence. However, Ghana was found to fare better in terms of implementation. It is therefore recommended that both countries should review their language policies and accommodate plurilingualism by creating room for both majority and minority languages to thrive through translanguaging in educational settings.

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The Language of Instruction Dilemma in Ghana: Making a Case for the Various Ghanaian Languages

Cited by 7 publications

References 9 publications

Indigenous language learning in higher education in Ghana: Exploring students’ behavioral intentions using an extended theory of planned behavior

Indigenous language learning in higher education in Ghana: Exploring students’ behavioral intentions using an extended theory of planned behavior

A case study of support for girls’ access to primary school in Ghana

Language Policies in Nigeria and Ghana: A Plurilingual Perspective

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