An analysis of the linguistic situation in Ghana

I own this language that everybody speaks

“…As expected, all the interviewees were found to be multilingual, confirming the views of Laitin (1994), Gifford (1998), Obeng (1997), Quarcoo (1994) and Adjaye (2005) found to speak between three and four languages, including English. Figure 2 provides more information on the percentages of respondents and the number of languages they spoke.…”

“…In informal communication, however, these same students preferred Akan, one of the three linguae francae in Ghana -the others being English and Hausa (cf. Obeng 1997). In another linguistic study undertaken by Anyidoho and Kropp Dakubu (2008), also at the University of Ghana, the researchers found that most students had a positive attitude toward the English language, with some claiming that it was their first language.…”

Re-examining the fluctuations in language in-education policies in post-independence Ghana

“…As a result, language choice in national but non-formal contexts is determined by social factors, such as the background of the interlocutors involved in the communication. However, English, Akan and Hausa have emerged as important lingua francas and forms of diglossia have developed in Ghana (Obeng, 1997). See Figures 2 and 3 below for the administrative map and the linguistic map (the regional/geographic distribution of the languages in Ghana.…”

Ghanaian English and code‐switching in Catholic churches

“…The total given number ranges between 30 and 60 (Spencer 1971; Grimes 1984; Dakubu 1988; Bamgboṣe 1991). Explaining the existence of such a wide range, Obeng (1997: 63) posits that the actual number of languages might be underestimated partly because of “the identification of particular languages with particular communities.” This identification might lead to the bundling of groups with different languages into one linguistic community based on cultural similarities.…”

“…In pursuance of their policy of political integration, the British introduced English to Ghana through education, which explains the later association between the classroom and facility in the country's official language (Nartey 1982; Dakubu 2000). As Adjaye (2005: 10) points out, in Ghana “being educated mean[s] being literate and having the ability to speak English.”Obeng (1997: 65) also argues that there is such a close connection between formal education and English in “that the number of English speakers directly depends on the extent of education.” Similarly, Mazrui (1966: 299) contends that, “although English did have a status independent of its role as a vehicle of literacy, there is no doubt that a connection did exist between the prestige of the English language and the prestige of education at large,” as one's ability to speak the language has consistently been used as a measure of one's level of education. Finally, Nartey (1982: 183) observes that, because of the close connection between English and education, “all educated Ghanaians are bilingual in English and at least one Ghanaian language,” noting that the extent of this bilingualism is contingent on such factors as one's age at the time of learning the official language, extent of education, socioeconomic status, level of aspiration, and whether or not English is spoken frequently at home, school, or the workplace.…”