Rethinking English Language in Ghanaian Schools

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Agyeman 10 years ago

After this suggested rethink on english language is this a hidden agenda to have us adopt Ewe?

After this suggested rethink on english language is this a hidden agenda to have us adopt Ewe?
nonsense 10 years ago

is english the L of south africa? where is afrikaan language? south african and nigerian english is the same. check their pronunciations well. about new zealand, english is not their native same as australia

is english the L of south africa? where is afrikaan language? south african and nigerian english is the same. check their pronunciations well. about new zealand, english is not their native same as australia
KOO FORI 10 years ago

I WONDER HOW MANY AKANS, GAS OR EWES WOULD LEARN FRAFRA AS THE MAIN LANGUAGE IN SCHOOL. ARE WE ADVOCATING USING ALL THE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES TO TEACH THE KIDS?

IF WE CHOOSE TWI. THE PROBLEM IS IT IS NOT THE NATIVE TONGUE OF ...
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I WONDER HOW MANY AKANS, GAS OR EWES WOULD LEARN FRAFRA AS THE MAIN LANGUAGE IN SCHOOL. ARE WE ADVOCATING USING ALL THE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES TO TEACH THE KIDS?

IF WE CHOOSE TWI. THE PROBLEM IS IT IS NOT THE NATIVE TONGUE OF GAS, DAGARTIS. ADANGBES AND GRUSHIS. WE ARE THEREFORE FACED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.

THERE ARE SO MANY DIFERENT LANGUAGES IN GHANA. NO ONE LANGUAGE IS ANYONE'S NATIVE TONGUE.
Kwasi Pee 10 years ago

You prove truly that THE English language is not your language either. You lose the article THE in the sentence below:

"Yet THE English language is a second language to a vast majority of Ghanaian students regardless of th ...
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You prove truly that THE English language is not your language either. You lose the article THE in the sentence below:

"Yet THE English language is a second language to a vast majority of Ghanaian students regardless of their stage in the education ladder." Then again it should be "stage ON," not in the education ladder. Again, it should be EDUCATIONAL ladder, not education.

How do you define a second language? Your unstated definition excludes multi-linguistics!

The English langauge is not native to South Africa, not to whites or blacks!

Where did you go to school in Ghana? I ask this because of the statement below:

"Our primary concern is that the teaching and learning of English in Ghanaian schools is based exclusively on reading comprehension, spelling, grammar and writing skills. No pedagogical attention is given to the development of oral communication skills."

I went to a school in Ghana where communications skills were/are taught.

Then again "reading comprehension, spelling, grammar and writing skills" are the essences of communication.

The two of you are obviously outside of Ghana, so pray tell us how communication is taught overseas. Is it devoid of "reading comprehension, spelling, grammar and writing skills."

For scholars, who use "rethinking" your ideas are very archaic and unscientific, in fact full of a free-range generalizations. You are right education has gone to the dogs!
ManBelhomme 10 years ago

I shudder with awe at almost all the comments made, 14 in all, as I do make my own too.How could anyone take lightly, this all important topic for discussion and consideration? Folks! let me tell you that" it would be much ea ...
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I shudder with awe at almost all the comments made, 14 in all, as I do make my own too.How could anyone take lightly, this all important topic for discussion and consideration? Folks! let me tell you that" it would be much easier for a an eloquent pupils' teacher to persuade a panel of hardened judges to escape conviction for a murder than for a dumb professor to be convicted by a civil offence.This highlights the importance of oral communication. In the line of communication, "oral" comes before "written". Men are usually judged by what they say than what they write. I share the concern of these eminent writers who have chosen to focus the attention of the nation and the education service on this almighty impediment, that seems to cower our representatives in forum of ideas and negotiations. I have always admired great orators. Don't get me wrong, but it is a fact, that Adolf Hitler was so persuasive an orator that, he literally, bewitched, seduced and hypnotised all who listened to his speeches. Oral communication is an indespensable tool for progress. To end my comments, I would say to crirics of this article that, English is unfortunately the international medium of transaction,negocitiations etc and cannot be overlooked,love it or loathe it. I commend this great article to all progressive people in the world.
Abeeku Mensah 10 years ago

There are nations on the face of this earth where other languages where the medium of instructions in their schools is not English. Graduating high school students, university/college graduates and post graduate students from ...
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There are nations on the face of this earth where other languages where the medium of instructions in their schools is not English. Graduating high school students, university/college graduates and post graduate students from those countries are still highly sought after in English speaking/English only Western nation despite their inability to be fluent in English, written or oral.
In Ghana where English has been the only medium of communication/instruction in our school system since Independence, university/college graduates, irrespective of their collection of university/college degrees continue to speak oral English by literally translating how they communicate in their local dialect into English when communicating. The essence of education in Ghana should not be centered around the perfection in oral or written English but should be about understanding and application of those subject students learn and if that can be achieved via common Ghanaian languages so be it. China, Russia, Brazil, Italians etc have not succeeded because of their mastery of the English language but because their education system is built on the use of their respective languages. Mastering oral and written English comes with practice, practice, practice as people all over the world do with other subjects. There are Ghanaians who have lived over 30 years in the Diaspora and their English has not been any better but for the slang and or local construct of sentences and pronunciation that distinguishes them from the average Joe in Ghana.
KOO FORI 10 years ago

EWE IS SPOKEN IN GHANA, TOGO AND BENIN. TWI IS SPOKEN IN GHANA AND COTE DIVOIRE. GA IS SPOKEN IN GHANA. SPEAKING ENGLISH ALLOWS ONE TO SPEAK TO THE WORLD. EVEN THE FRENCH AND GERMANS ARE LEARNING ENGLISH.

TWI, GA, EWE AND ...
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EWE IS SPOKEN IN GHANA, TOGO AND BENIN. TWI IS SPOKEN IN GHANA AND COTE DIVOIRE. GA IS SPOKEN IN GHANA. SPEAKING ENGLISH ALLOWS ONE TO SPEAK TO THE WORLD. EVEN THE FRENCH AND GERMANS ARE LEARNING ENGLISH.

TWI, GA, EWE AND DAGOMBA ARE NOT MY NATIVE TONGUES. SO WHAT LANGUAGE DO I LEARN IN SCHOOL? THIS WOULD MAKE THINGS MORE COMPLEX AND SOLVE NO PROBLEMS.

RIGHT HERE ON THIS FORUM, IF WE ALL ALL HAVE TO WRITE IN OUR NATIVE TONGUES, THERE WOULD BE SERIOUS PROBLEMS.
Fredua 10 years ago

One of the great disadvantages of using English language for learning and teaching is that you don't experiment with the language, no matter how creative you are.This is because it is somebody's language and you use it as tha ...
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One of the great disadvantages of using English language for learning and teaching is that you don't experiment with the language, no matter how creative you are.This is because it is somebody's language and you use it as that person taught you. According to Kwesi Pee, we should have used "educational ladder", not education. As a matter of fact, the British perfer "Educational system" but we have seen that "education system" is very much used in American literature as well as that of the EU. Again, which form does he prefer: schooling system or school system? The choice is a matter of personal style or preference.Becareful with some of these grammar rules.
1. We were taught in high school that we must never end a sentence with a preposition. But reality teaches us otherwise. For example what is wrong with this sentence? "I have no ideas what you are talking about?"
2 Never start a sentence with "But" or "And". Though not every sentence can be launched with But or And, but some sentences flow better when launched with these conjunctions.
3.Active sentences are stronger than passive sentences. Again, the passive voice is stigmatized as wrong, While grammatically sound, many writers think that stigmatizing passive voice compromises creative experimenting with the language. For instance, the following sentence in a passive voice may be accepted in a certain situation. "There were many grammartic mistakes made by the writer."
4. Singular/plural syntactic Disagreement. Look at this sentence:
"My family stops by that village regularly, and they give the people some mushrooms". If we go by a strict grammar rule, the sentence should be reworded as: "My family stops by that village regularly, and it gives the people some mushrooms." This sounds absurd compared to the first sentence.
5. Do not split an infinitive is another ruke.Examples: To quickly look instead of look quickly. But no leading English authority supports this rule. The thing is what is wrong or inappropriate depends on the context. Consider this sentence: "She quickly looked around to make sure that nobody was spying on her".
6. Never use hopefully in an absolute sense, such as in the beginning of a sentence beacuse it is a misplaced modal auxiliary. It is just one of those fuddy-duddy rules. What about similar words like admittedly, mercifully, happily, curiously, etc?

Enough with the grammar stuff. We are saying that English communication should not include reading comprehension, spelling, and grammar. Please read our article carefully. What we are saying is that an equal attention should be given to oral English communication.We also suggested that in lower primary grades, more emphasis should be placed on oral communication skills to allow the children to flow naturally in the language learning experience.
DAN 10 years ago

because they are too many illegals..So works like nurses and police and fire are required to learn to speak spanish!

because they are too many illegals..So works like nurses and police and fire are required to learn to speak spanish!
Kawaanopaado 10 years ago

The use of English in Ghana unites us and diminishes tribal tendencies so let us encourage the use of English but not neglecting our own indigenous languages.

The use of English in Ghana unites us and diminishes tribal tendencies so let us encourage the use of English but not neglecting our own indigenous languages.
Whose's English? 10 years ago

The problem is not respect for one's heritage, it is how we see others. If seeing others as inferior creatures is part of our heritage that is what we must change. Let us not make becoming English a priority, since it is trad ...
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The problem is not respect for one's heritage, it is how we see others. If seeing others as inferior creatures is part of our heritage that is what we must change. Let us not make becoming English a priority, since it is trading one heritage for another.
KOO FORI 10 years ago

Let us not make becoming English a priority, since it is trading one heritage for another.

WE WEAR SUITS, PLAY SOCCER WHICH IS A FOREIGN HERITAGE.
WE USE FOREIGN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND FOREIGN MEDICAL TOOLS. FORIEG INVEN ...
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Let us not make becoming English a priority, since it is trading one heritage for another.

WE WEAR SUITS, PLAY SOCCER WHICH IS A FOREIGN HERITAGE.
WE USE FOREIGN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND FOREIGN MEDICAL TOOLS. FORIEG INVENTIONS LIKE THE TV, CEL PHONE, BICYCLES.

WE USE THE INTERNET.
WE EAT KENKEY AND BANKU, MAIZE IS A FOREIGN FOOD PRODUCT. TOMATOES IS NOT NATIVE TO GHANA. TODAY THESE FOODS ARE PART OF OUR CULTURE.

I CAN GO ON AND ON. LETS LEAVE ENGLISH ALONE AND FIND WHAT IS REALLY OUR PROBLEM. EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD IS PAYING TO LEARN ENGLISH. LANGUAGE IS NOT OUR PROBLEM.
JUNIOR 10 years ago

YOU CLAIMED YOURSELVES TO BE EXPERTS. IS THAT THE KIND ARTICLE YOU CAN WRITE?

YOU CLAIMED YOURSELVES TO BE EXPERTS. IS THAT THE KIND ARTICLE YOU CAN WRITE?
Fredua 10 years ago

The purpose of the article is to promote discussion on the issue. We place great importance on communication- when people have opportunities to express themselves on an issue of national proportion. We admit that not all Ghan ...
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The purpose of the article is to promote discussion on the issue. We place great importance on communication- when people have opportunities to express themselves on an issue of national proportion. We admit that not all Ghanaians have access to the internet to participate in this discussion.But the few who participate will have something to think and write about.
We are fully aware that there are people like you are going to write us off, say all kids of nasty things about what we have written.We are not deterred by your comments. You should note that this is not an academic forum and we are not presenting ourselves us as academics. Let's read what you can write on national issues.
Earl jones 10 years ago

Reading and writing English is one thing, communicating it orally is another. The inability to communicate English orally in the correct accent has become a handicap for a lot of Ghanaians especially in the UK where it matter ...
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Reading and writing English is one thing, communicating it orally is another. The inability to communicate English orally in the correct accent has become a handicap for a lot of Ghanaians especially in the UK where it matters. Syllable, stress,and intonation are vitally important in oral English. You can change the meaning of a sentence just by changing the intonation alone whilst maintaining the words in the sentence. One can often tell the tribal origin of a Ghanaian English speaker just by listening to their spoken English. The difference between right or wrong English does just lie in grammar but in intonation and stress as well. A lot of Ghanaians are denied jobs because they either are not confident enough to express themselves in oral English or speak in the wrong stress and intonation thereby confusing the listener. Such incoherence is rife in Ghanaian English speakers. Sometimes I wonder why they challenge the notion that English is a second language for them.
I agree with the writer; phonetics should be taught and practiced in schools. I find watching movies and intently listening to characters who speak with the correct accent .i.e. stress and intonation, helps.
Richard Mensah- Juaben 10 years ago

The writer must be commended. English is a universal language and as usch we need to well versed in it. We live in a global world and you will never know where you will be one day.
Thank you Fredua and Francis.

The writer must be commended. English is a universal language and as usch we need to well versed in it. We live in a global world and you will never know where you will be one day.
Thank you Fredua and Francis.
princewilly@ymail.com 10 years ago

One day an Ghanaian Man went to a restaurant in Spain and wanted two pieces of toast, and the waiter gives him one, and the Ghanaian man says "I want two piece" The waiter said "go to the toilet" The Man says "You no understa ...
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One day an Ghanaian Man went to a restaurant in Spain and wanted two pieces of toast, and the waiter gives him one, and the Ghanaian man says "I want two piece" The waiter said "go to the toilet" The Man says "You no understand I want two piece on my plate" then the waiter says "You better not piss on the plate you son of a bitch!" The man says "I did not even know her and she calls me a Son of a Beach?" Then he goes to a bigger restaurant and finds himself with a spoon and a knife but no fork, he says "I want a fock" the waiter says "Everybody wants to fuck" and he says "You no understand I want to fock on the table" and the waiter says "You better not fuck on the table you son of a bitch!" Then later he goes to a hotel and in bed he doesn't have a sheet "Call the manager im telle him i wanna sheet!" says the Ghanaian man, then the other guy says "Go to the toilet" and the Ghanaian man say "You no understand I wanna sheet in my bed!" and the other guy says you better not shit in the bed you son of a bitch!" and the Ghanaian man goes to the check out corner and the check out says "Peace on you" and the Ghanaian man says "PISS ON YOU TOO, YOU SON OF A BEACH! I'M GOING BACK TO Ghana!"
LARYEAH 10 years ago

XEBIESO WILL FIND YOUR PEACE(PISS) MORE FUNNY SINCE EWES PRONOUNCE 'PEACE' AS 'PISS'. HENCE THE TROKOSI-ENGLISH IS IN DISPLAY IN SPAIN.

XEBIESO WILL FIND YOUR PEACE(PISS) MORE FUNNY SINCE EWES PRONOUNCE 'PEACE' AS 'PISS'. HENCE THE TROKOSI-ENGLISH IS IN DISPLAY IN SPAIN.
princewilly@ymail.com 10 years ago

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
DO YOU STILL HAVE PAIN OR SPAIN FROM THE TOGOLESE?
HAVE YOUR FRIENDS BEEN SUFFERING FROM
PNEUMONIA{NIMOS BROTHER IN TWI}

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
DO YOU STILL HAVE PAIN OR SPAIN FROM THE TOGOLESE?
HAVE YOUR FRIENDS BEEN SUFFERING FROM
PNEUMONIA{NIMOS BROTHER IN TWI}
LARYEAH 10 years ago

HEY BRO I DEY, I AM JUST PREPARING POLITICAL TO TAKE OVER GHANA THROUGH DEMOCRATIC FORCE. TOGOLESE ARE NOT MY ENEMIES BUT RATHER THEIR VOODOO CHANT.

HEY BRO I DEY, I AM JUST PREPARING POLITICAL TO TAKE OVER GHANA THROUGH DEMOCRATIC FORCE. TOGOLESE ARE NOT MY ENEMIES BUT RATHER THEIR VOODOO CHANT.
princewilly@ymail.com 10 years ago

There was this guy from Lome. He often went away on trips, far from home, Long trips. While this man was away on his trips to Ghana to discuss business with Mr Laryeah, his wife would get very very dissatisfied. Thus, she che ...
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There was this guy from Lome. He often went away on trips, far from home, Long trips. While this man was away on his trips to Ghana to discuss business with Mr Laryeah, his wife would get very very dissatisfied. Thus, she cheated on him, but when he came back, she felt guilty, so she always told him. Well, after a while, the man got very frustrated with his wife's adultery, so he went to an adult toy shop. He looked around, but saw nothing special.
The man knew he needed something special, so he decided to tell the salesclerk. "I need something really amazing for my wife. All I see here are normal toys."

"Well, there is the voodoo dick, but I don't want to sell you THAT." replied the clerk.

"Let me see it anyway!" Answered the man.

The salesclerk took him into a room and pulled out a box. He opened the box, and inside was something that looked like a normal toy.

"That's not special!" cried the man.

"Ah, but look. Voodoo dick, THE DOOR." The dick in the box got up and began to hump the door.

"I'll take that, but how do you get it to stop?"

The salesclerk sold him the voodoo dick, then, said simply "Voodoo dick? The box."

So the man took voodoo dick back home to his wife and showed her how to get it to hump something. Then, he left for a trip.

The wife waited and waited and waited, but she couldn't stand her urges. She took out the voodoo dick and said "voodoo dick? My-" well, we know what she said. So, it was the best she had ever known, and she kept at it for about 3 hours. Then, she wanted it out. She pulled and pulled, but in vain, for her husband had forgotten to tell her about the little box trick. Finally, she decided to go to the hospital to get it out. She drove kind of wacky, well, because there was something in her. Finally, a police man pulled her over for her driving.

"But..." She told the police man of the voodoo dick, to get out of the ticket.

He laughed at her foolish story. "Voodoo dick my ass!" he cried.
Whose's English? 10 years ago

English is not a static language, the English we learned is not the same language that is spoken today, besides we have to learn a different form of English wherever we go. A majority of Ghanaians do not engage in internatio ...
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English is not a static language, the English we learned is not the same language that is spoken today, besides we have to learn a different form of English wherever we go. A majority of Ghanaians do not engage in international discussions.
Natural Mystic 10 years ago

"South African and Nigerian English is the same". Really? No wonder you sign off as Nonsense. Your assertion is not true due to the following reasons: (1) there are first language English speakers in South Africa (mostly whit ...
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"South African and Nigerian English is the same". Really? No wonder you sign off as Nonsense. Your assertion is not true due to the following reasons: (1) there are first language English speakers in South Africa (mostly whites and some Indians) as well as second and third language speakers (mostly Blacks, Afrikaners and Coloureds); (2) the pronunciations, syntax, accent etc are not the same and (3)most if not all Nigerians speak "West African English" while South Africans - second and third language - speak "Southern African English".
Chinese kebab seller 10 years ago

Yesterday somebody posted on these pages something about the TWI language. Language issues can turn to a serious civil war. Almost all radio stations and some TV stations believe they make a point by pushing forward this TWI ...
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Yesterday somebody posted on these pages something about the TWI language. Language issues can turn to a serious civil war. Almost all radio stations and some TV stations believe they make a point by pushing forward this TWI agenda. Indeed TWI is now being forced through the throats of all Ghanaians. And yet listen to some intelligent TWI speaking people trying to speak TWI on air. Each sentence is half English words and half TWI words. This is nauseating. What is this TWI business if it is not only about nationalistic or tribalistic something. Has science and technology provided for TWI. How do we translate sin or cosin or square root into TWI and how would the mathematics be worked out. ENGLISH is not our mother tongue, but also is it not the mother tongue of other countries that were colonized and are making head ways in development and technological advancement. Listen to a football commentary in TWI and you wonder where the ball is on the pitch.
LARYEAH 10 years ago

FOOL, SIN AND COSINE ARE TECHNICAL TERMS. SO WE CAN USE THAT IN TWI OR DEVELOPMENT OUR OWN. EVEN THE NAME MARY IS NO WHY IN THE SO CALLED TWI VOCAB. YET WE HAVE 'MARIA' WHICH WAS COINED FROM MARY. A LOT OF SPANISH AND ITALIAN ...
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FOOL, SIN AND COSINE ARE TECHNICAL TERMS. SO WE CAN USE THAT IN TWI OR DEVELOPMENT OUR OWN. EVEN THE NAME MARY IS NO WHY IN THE SO CALLED TWI VOCAB. YET WE HAVE 'MARIA' WHICH WAS COINED FROM MARY. A LOT OF SPANISH AND ITALIAN WORDS AND COINED FROM ENGLISH WORD AND A LOT OF ENGLISH WORDS ARE COINED FROM LATIN.
KOFI 10 years ago

DONT ALLOW GHANAIANS TO IGNORE THE ISSUE CONCERNING ENGLISH AND A GHANAIAN LANGUAGE. WHICH GHANAIAN LANGUAGE DO WE USE? TWI? THEN LET SOMEBODY START DEVELOPING THE VOCABULARY FOR TWI. USUALLY THOSE WHO SPEAK GOOD TWI ARE WEAK ...
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DONT ALLOW GHANAIANS TO IGNORE THE ISSUE CONCERNING ENGLISH AND A GHANAIAN LANGUAGE. WHICH GHANAIAN LANGUAGE DO WE USE? TWI? THEN LET SOMEBODY START DEVELOPING THE VOCABULARY FOR TWI. USUALLY THOSE WHO SPEAK GOOD TWI ARE WEAK IN ENGLISH AND THOSE WHO SPEAK REALLY GOOD ENGLISH ARE LOST WHEN IT COMES TO TWI. SO THE USE OF LANGUAGE OUTSIDE ENGLISH IS ONLY A SENTIMENTAL MATTER. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERN WE SHOULD DEVELOP OUR USE OF ENGLISH TO MATCH THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE ENGLISH SPEAKING WORLD OTHERWISE WE HAVE NO CHANCE.
appiah 10 years ago

Well-written. It is all the question of resources. Teachers in Ghana are not well resourced in all areas. Apart from professional development avenues, effective supervision, teacher assessment and policy reviews should be enc ...
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Well-written. It is all the question of resources. Teachers in Ghana are not well resourced in all areas. Apart from professional development avenues, effective supervision, teacher assessment and policy reviews should be encouraged. What does the research department of the ministry of education do? Has anybody seen any of their reports or publications for the past decade? We just need to take education more seriously in this country because therein lies our future.
Fredua 10 years ago

You are absolutely right that the Ministry of Education is very unproductive.So it is with all the other ministries. It seems we don't know the purpose of these ministries. As you stated, the ministry of education must produc ...
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You are absolutely right that the Ministry of Education is very unproductive.So it is with all the other ministries. It seems we don't know the purpose of these ministries. As you stated, the ministry of education must produce periodic reports on our education system but it hasn't done that for many decades. Nor has it done any research. This explains our backwardness- not that we lack intellectual capacity but we lack commitment and seriousness. Commitment and seriousness are the basis of productivity.
NON-ALIGNED 10 years ago

PART 1
Kwarteng and Ahia......I was hoping for ideas for an alternative African Language to be used by WE....AFRICANS in our schools to EDUCATE ourselves. And here you are advocating more of the same old English - colonialis ...
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PART 1
Kwarteng and Ahia......I was hoping for ideas for an alternative African Language to be used by WE....AFRICANS in our schools to EDUCATE ourselves. And here you are advocating more of the same old English - colonialist education which you've raised concerns about.

The problem with English language in Ghanaian schools is neither oral English nor balanced English or whatever you choose to call it....That is not the problem at all.

The question to you and your twin – Ahia.....is.........

What were Africans educating themselves in, in the past before English or the French languages?

Which African language did all the scholars from all walks of life (from and beyond our continent), who achieved greatness from the first university in the world, located in Timbuktu – Mali were educated in?

Why was there an explosion of African Civilization which stretched from the North and South of the Great Nile River before the English language?

Why don’t we look to our past achievements to shape and secure our future as a continent, just as any other nation does?

Why the choice of a language IMPOSED on us by the colonialists who had enslaved us and suppressed the minds of our people?

Why the choice of a language, wholly alien to our African cultural heritage, good traditions and values?

Why not an AFRICAN LANGUAGE to educate ourselves to carve up a future for us and OUR unborn generations?

What have we Africans achieved since embarking on educating ourselves in a suppressive language that breeds inferiority complex towards the colonialists and other foreigners?
For some bizarre reason, you lot seem surprised with the negative effects of the use of a foreign language being used to educate us. As your quotes rightly points them out........

YOUR QUOTE: “We observed with an increasing worry the confidence difficulties most Ghanaian representatives and delegates in international forums encounter when they have to speak or make presentations. Even some times because they lack the confidence to speak most of them would remain silent or merely acquiescent by either nodding their heads or say yes or no. This is very appalling.”

ANSWER: Is that not rather unfortunate? Can you imagine the brains of wisdom and unbelievable knowledge we have ignored and discarded to their graves………..due to the lack of confidence in communicating and expressing their God-given views in English. What a waste!

PART 2 TO CONTINUE……………….

GOD BLESS GHANA! AFRICAN FOREVER!
Fredua 10 years ago

Hi Non-Aligned. we agree with you that a Ghanaian language should be used as a means of teaching and learning in our schools.At the same time, we need to learn a language of wider international communication so that we can in ...
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Hi Non-Aligned. we agree with you that a Ghanaian language should be used as a means of teaching and learning in our schools.At the same time, we need to learn a language of wider international communication so that we can interact with the international community. Anyway, thanks for your thoughts on the issues.
KOFI NSIA. 10 years ago

STOP PEDDLING THE MYTH THAT THE FIRST UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD WAS ESTABLISHED IN TIMBUKTU.IT WAS IN MOROCCO.THEY TAUGHT IN ARABIC.I WOULD RATHER LEARN ENGLISH THAN ARABIC.EVEN SWAHILI TOUTED IN EAST AFRICA IS A BASTARDIZED VE ...
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STOP PEDDLING THE MYTH THAT THE FIRST UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD WAS ESTABLISHED IN TIMBUKTU.IT WAS IN MOROCCO.THEY TAUGHT IN ARABIC.I WOULD RATHER LEARN ENGLISH THAN ARABIC.EVEN SWAHILI TOUTED IN EAST AFRICA IS A BASTARDIZED VERSION OF ARABIC AND AFRICAN LANGUAGES.THE GREAT MANSA MUSA WAS A MUSLIM CONVERT.
NON-ALIGNED 10 years ago

PART 2
The lack of confidence has nothing to do with your analysis at all…..the problem is deeply rooted in the fact that we are continually shoving square pegs into round holes and can’t get th ...
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PART 2
The lack of confidence has nothing to do with your analysis at all…..the problem is deeply rooted in the fact that we are continually shoving square pegs into round holes and can’t get them to fit.

In other words, the ‘lingo’ is not an African ‘lingo’ and any how or means we teach it, would never ever work for us.

I am sure you can see the results of such ‘mis-education’ there on the ground in Ghana……… Nothing seems to work in our country since we ever embarked on this colonialists education of oppression and enslavement of our minds – which stems our progress into believing we are POOR………whilst literally sitting on the richest commodities,……………those we are mimicking around would kill for.

YOUR QUOTE: “There is also a psychological unintended consequence to that policy. It causes students to look at their culture, of which language is an integral component, in a negative way. In some cases, it leaves a deep, indelible psychological scar on the students which they carry throughout their lives. The absurdity of the policy is this: Only in Africa are students punished for merely speaking their own language in the name of English literacy development.”

ANSWER: Did you say unintended? Well,.........as a product of such an education system I am not surprised about your assertions. The psychological scar you have pointed out is not the only scar but, the ‘mis-education’ embedded in the English language placed within our cultural heritage is also a deep scar, indeed! Are you guys for real??????

If language, as you have rightly stated, is an integral component...why on earth are we not embarking on OURS then??????? Meaning an AFRICAN language! I think you are confused with the core basis of your own article.

In addition, our understanding of ‘Education’ is all about perfecting other peoples ‘powerful tools’ (language) based on collecting knowledge without the basic understanding of its origins and values. It is basically all about aping other humans’ lifestyle, totally contrary to our cultural heritage and good traditional beliefs.

Our so-called ‘Education’ system is deeply-rooted in the concept of reading books (in someone else’s languages and of their experiences totally alien to ours), memorizing them again, again and again, regurgitating them out of the ‘memory box’ (that is, if one has one) unto exam papers, get so-called good grades and eventually attain a degree/masters and forget everything after the process.

Another sequence for this kind of education system is called – ‘chew’, ‘pour’, ‘pass’ and ‘forget’ – which gives no room for any form of analytical thinking that stimulates the COMMON SENSE (the gift from GOD), within every human being.

Please let's come together and challenge our minds and reach a better way forward because history, if it’s anything to go by, tells us that we are barking the wrong tree…….in the hope of being like other people we can never be........like, just by aping around like them and speaking their ‘lingo’.

If that was the case, we would have surpassed them by now, because of the number of our citizens with wisdom – we fail every year for not passing their English???

AN AFRICAN SAYING: “A fool and water will go the way they are diverted”. (it's only an analogy, please).

GOD BLESS GHANA! AFRICAN FOREVER!
Fredua 10 years ago

Non-Aligned, I have posted a comment before that we agree to your assertions.We are passionate advocate of using a Ghanaian language as a mean of learning and teaching (LOLT). But as we stated we also need to learn an interna ...
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Non-Aligned, I have posted a comment before that we agree to your assertions.We are passionate advocate of using a Ghanaian language as a mean of learning and teaching (LOLT). But as we stated we also need to learn an international language for communicating with the rest of the world. It is very unfortunate that the international language of English has dominated your schools and we call it our national language when in reality it is not.We are worried about this state of affair because we know that it has hampered our ability to move our country forward. We have two book chapters on that issue, in which we have laid out those arguments clear.
Please if you want us to engage in that conversation, contact me at efredua_2000@yahoo.ca
KPANDO MAN. 10 years ago

AT LEAST ENGLISH GOT YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.I HAVE NO INTENTION OF LEARNING ANY AKAN LANGUAGE IN GHANA OTHER THAN MY OWN AND ENGLISH.FREDUA, TAKE NOTE.

AT LEAST ENGLISH GOT YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.I HAVE NO INTENTION OF LEARNING ANY AKAN LANGUAGE IN GHANA OTHER THAN MY OWN AND ENGLISH.FREDUA, TAKE NOTE.
Nii Lantey 10 years ago

I HAVE NO INTENTION OF LEARNING TWI. IF ENGLISH IS NOT MY NATIVE TONGUE, TWI IS NOT NEITHER.

I HAVE NO INTENTION OF LEARNING TWI. IF ENGLISH IS NOT MY NATIVE TONGUE, TWI IS NOT NEITHER.
Diasporic Ghanaian 10 years ago

The writer makes a valid point that confidence is the key for those learning a second language.

As a speaker of English as a first language, I have found that many Ghanaians have a substantial understanding of basic Engli ...
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The writer makes a valid point that confidence is the key for those learning a second language.

As a speaker of English as a first language, I have found that many Ghanaians have a substantial understanding of basic English terms. There seems however to be an unnecessary preoccupation with emulating an English (whether UK or US based) accent. More focus should be placed on ensuring correct grammar usage, as it is within this construct that speakers can communicate effectively with speakers of English across the globe.

Teachers could look at more interactive and imaginative ways of engaging students in learning, and instilling confidence.

I would encourage Ghanaians who are interested in learning English to partake in, and create opportunities to practice what they already know. Learning doesn't have to stop in the classroom.
OKOE 10 years ago

YOU AND PEOPLE LIKE AHOOFE THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS LANGUAGE. WE ARE NOT IN ENGLAND. EMPHASIZE MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE. WE WILL NOT GET FOOD, WATER AND MANY OTHER THINGS WITH THIS YOUR ENGLISH. YOU ENGLISH BUFFS LIKE AHOOFE ...
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YOU AND PEOPLE LIKE AHOOFE THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS LANGUAGE. WE ARE NOT IN ENGLAND. EMPHASIZE MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE. WE WILL NOT GET FOOD, WATER AND MANY OTHER THINGS WITH THIS YOUR ENGLISH. YOU ENGLISH BUFFS LIKE AHOOFE WRITE THEIR LONG ESSAYS THINKING IT WILL BRING BREAD. IF YOU WANT MORE ENGLISH, GO TO ENGLAND. WE WANT TECHNOLOGY AND A LITTLE ENGLISH WILL DO THE JOB ALRIGHT.
MY MECHANIC CAN FIX MY CAR WITHOUT YOUR ENGLISH, UNDERSTOOD?
Whatever 10 years ago

How do we master the English language when common English morphemes or even it's inflections is alien to us? Many of us adults when we speak English are like babies of English native speakers. We just babble unnatural incoher ...
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How do we master the English language when common English morphemes or even it's inflections is alien to us? Many of us adults when we speak English are like babies of English native speakers. We just babble unnatural incoherent nonsense. Our national development has been stunted because of our inability to master English which is the vehicle to convey planning ideas since it's our OFFICIAL LANGUAGE. If you can't master and develop a language, you can't develop your surroundings. This is how God has arranged things. It's natural and common sense that we seek to master the oral side of that language to lingually be at par with natives in other place. This is not to say we should copy them. It is to say we develop a cultural root for it like you said. An to do that, there has to be an evolution of an identifiable person, a family, a clan and a tribe alongside the growth of English language here in Ghana. This article is the kind of reality and probing that will help shed light on the problems that many of us face in expressing ourselves in the English language. The article is spot on and I agree entirely with it.
Doctor 10 years ago

The Ghana school system have to rethink and be changed!.Ghanaians have to learn how to teach at the Schools,and Universities with Ghanaian Languages, we are no more under the British rule!It would be better to teach Ewe,Ga,Tw ...
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The Ghana school system have to rethink and be changed!.Ghanaians have to learn how to teach at the Schools,and Universities with Ghanaian Languages, we are no more under the British rule!It would be better to teach Ewe,Ga,Twi and more other languages at the classrooms than to use those colonial Masters language, now is the time for new and young Generation to move forward with their native languages,the old school system was set-back for our unity and Development for our nation.Let the British teach Ghanaian languages too at their Schools to change their old fashion.
The Sentinel 10 years ago

The concept seems to defeat the precept...English is not a second language, but "LINGUA FRANCA"of the country. And, English also is the "de facto" medium of communication in the BUSINESS world today! I do agree with the write ...
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The concept seems to defeat the precept...English is not a second language, but "LINGUA FRANCA"of the country. And, English also is the "de facto" medium of communication in the BUSINESS world today! I do agree with the writer that teacherS should be "well equiped" (well trained) and WELL PAID to enable them guide students towards absorbing the language. Seems to me also that the writer is also "furtively" advocating a local language to replace the English language in the country, which seems to be a wishful thinking. Another point: there is too much vernacular...especially twi-- which has permeated and dominated the overall daily communication in busienss, home and in the CLASSROOMS!

Beats me

The Sentinel
Asangba Reginald Taluah 9 years ago

I should commend writers of this article. I agree with them to an extent but not entirely and guess i should make my point known. Permit me if only briefly to recount this proverb of old: when trees fall on each other, the to ...
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I should commend writers of this article. I agree with them to an extent but not entirely and guess i should make my point known. Permit me if only briefly to recount this proverb of old: when trees fall on each other, the topmost one must be picked up first. Now, with relation to the arguments made here i strongly maintain that the actual problem is that there are virtually no qualified teachers of the English language. Our institutions produce very inadequate staff to teach a mandatory course as English. And i bet you, only a few students are ever privileged to have encountered a qualified English teacher.
Verdell Brookens-Capps 6 years ago

I love the points that you made in this article. I am new to the language teaching field and have a great interest in teacher methodology, attitudes and beliefs and second language acquisition. I am currently working on a Mas ...
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I love the points that you made in this article. I am new to the language teaching field and have a great interest in teacher methodology, attitudes and beliefs and second language acquisition. I am currently working on a Masters in TESOL and I will be starting research looking at teachers' attitudes toward language teaching curriculum etc; comparing UK teachers and Ghanian teachers. I would love to connect with you to hear more about English language teaching and learning in Ghana. If by any chance you see this post please email me
verdell.brookens-capps@kcl.ac.uk
or vbrookens@gmail.com

I would love to interview you!

Kind Regards,
Verdell

Rethinking English Language in Ghanaian Schools

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