Ghanaian language as a national language : perspectives of Ghanaian university students

• Authors: Manu James Gyimah , ResCue Elvis , Nutakor Afi Enyo , Akoto Osei Yaw
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

This article was propelled by some calls for the enactment of a language policy on an indigenous national language for Ghana. It explores the perspectives of Ghanaian university students on the choice of a Ghanaian language as a national one, using descriptive statistics from a questionnaire survey conducted at the Faculty of Social Sciences, KNUST. The analysis of the survey results on key questions on the subject revealed that there is a place for indigenous language(s), such as Asante Twi, as the national language. However, respondents hold a slightly more positive attitude towards the English language than Ghanaian language(s) in national communication.

Keywords

EN

national language; university students; KNUST; Ghana; Asante Twi; language policy; Ghanaian languages

• Publisher: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
• Journal: Studies in African Languages and Cultures
• Year: 2024
• Volume: 58
• Pages: 67-96

Contributors

author

Manu James Gyimah

• Department of English, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4418-2307

author

ResCue Elvis

• Aston University, Birmingham

• https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7414-9287

author

Nutakor Afi Enyo

• Mampong Technical College of Education

• https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0959-9184

author

Akoto Osei Yaw

• Department of English, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi

• https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6014-7600

References

• Abidin, M., M. Mohammadi & H. Alzwari. 2012. “EFL students’ attitudes towards learning English language: the case of Libyan secondary school students”. Asian Social Science 8(2). 119-134.
• Aboagye-Dacosta, C. & A. Adade-Yeboah. 2019. “Language practice and the dilemma of a national language policy in Ghana: the past, present and future”. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science 9(3). 142-149.
• Adu-Gyamfi , J. 2014. “There is need for a national language”. Graphic Online. Online: https://www.graphic.com.gh/features/opinion/there-is-need-for-a-national-language.html [04.07.2024].
• Afrifa, G.A., J.A. Anderson & G.N. Ansah. 2019. “The choice of English as a home language in urban Ghana”. Current Issues in Language Planning 20(4). 418-434.
• Ampratwum-Mensah, A. 1998. Call for a national language. Accra: The Daily Graphic.
• Dakubu, E.K. 1988. The languages of Ghana. London: Kegan Paul Ltd.
• Dakubu, E.K. 2006. “Languages of Ghana”. National Commission on Culture. Online: http://www.ghanaculture.gov.gh [07.01.2019].
• Dolphyne, F.A. 2006. The Akan (Fante-Twi) language: Its sound systems and tonal structure. Accra: Woeli Publishing Services.
• Dzameshie, A K. 1988. “Language policy and the common language controversy in Ghana”. Research Review 4(2). 16-27.
• Eberhard, D.M., G F. Simons & C.D. Fennig (eds.). 2022. “Ghana”. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Online: www.ethnologue.com [07.12.2022].
• Fasold, R.W. 1987. The sociolinguistics of society. Oxford: Blackwell.
• Fathi, S. 2023. “Official or national language?”. Recherches en littérature, traductologie et linguistique, ed. by M. Jadir. London: Editions Universitaires Européennes. 1-17.
• Hall, E. 1983. Ghanaian languages. Accra: Asempa Publishers.
• Hofstede, G. 1997. Cultures and organizations: software of the mind. New York: McGraw Hill.
• Huber, M. & K. Dako. 2004. “Ghanaian English: morphology and syntax”. A handbook of varieties of English, ed. by B. Kortmann, K. Burridge, R. Mesthrie, E. Schneider & C. Upton. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter. 854-865.
• Kwesi, R. 2011. “Constructing a national language as a vehicle for national identities”. Identity meets nationality: voices from the humanities, ed. by H. Lauer, N. A. Amfo & J. A. Anderson. Accra: Sub-saharan Publishers. 135-148.
• Main, R. 2004. The rupture of time: synchronicity and Jung’s critique of modern Western culture. London: Routledge.
• Morris, L. 1998. The function of English in contemporary Ghanaian society. African Diaspora ISPS 52 (SIT Study Abroad). SIT Graduate Institute, USA. Online: http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/african_diaspora_isp/52?utm_source=digitalcollections.sit.edu%2Fafrican_diaspora_isp%2F52&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages [11.11.2019].
• Obeng, S.G. 1997. “An Analysis of the linguistic situation in Ghana”. African Languages and Cultures 10(1). 63-81.
• Osam, E.K. 2003. “An introduction to the verbal and multi-verbal system of Akan”. Proceedings of the workshop on multi-verb constructions: Trondheim Summer School 2003, ed. by D. Beermann & L. Hellan. 1-29.
• Prempeh, K. 2004. “Call for united Ghana with one language”. Modern Ghana. Online: https://www.modernghana.com/news/115950/call-for-united-ghana-wih-one-language.html#google_vignette [04.07.2024].
• Sadat, M. 2023. “Sociolinguistic aspects of the spoken version of Hausa in Ghana”. Ghana Journal of Linguistics 12(1): 1-23.
• Sadat, M. & A.A. Kuwornu. 2017. “Views from the streets of Accra on language policy in Ghana”. Journal of Education and Practice 8(2): 185-191.
• Sasu, D.D. 2022. “Languages in Ghana 2021, by number of speakers”. Statista. Online: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1285335/population-in-ghana-by-languages-spoken/ [22.03.2023].
• Sey, K.A. 1973. Ghanaian English: an exploratory survey. London: Macmillan. Stephens, M. 2005. “Language rights: moving the debate forward”. Journal of Sociolinguistics 9(3). 319-347.
• The Bureau of Ghana Languages. 2006. “Languages of Ghana”. National Commission on Culture. Online: ghanaculture.gov.gh [11.10.2019].
• White, L.A. 2022. “Culture”. Encyclopedia Britannica. Online: https://www.britannica.com/topic/culture [22.03.2023].

Identifiers

DOI

doi.org/10.32690/SALC58.3