Language Choice Among Children of Couples of Different Languages: A Case Study of Techiman Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana

Abstract

Ghana is a multilingual country with an average Ghanaian being exposed to at least more than one language. This linguistic situation often impacts language choices among bi/multi-lingual families where parents from different linguistic backgrounds face the reality of deciding which language(s) to expose their children to. This study investigates possible opportunities and challenges that the children of Ghanaian couples of different languages face in choosing the language(s) to speak with either parents or both parents at home using families in Techiman in the Bono East Region of Ghana as a case study. The study, therefore, sought to answer the key question, “What language(s) do children of couples of different languages speak at home with their parents?” Using the purposive sampling technique, the study collected data using questionnaires which were analysed using the bivariate data analysis procedure of Content Analysis (CA). The analyses of the data show that the children of couples of different languages spoke English and Twi/Bono as the major unmarked codes used at home. Some other languages such as Dagomba/Mampruli, Gonja, Sissala, and Hausa were also used at home by a minority of the respondents. The study further found that speaking multiple languages helped the children to make friends seamlessly and to participate in school, church, and mosque activities, and the languages play certain roles in those domains. The study also shows that the main domains where the children of Ghanaian couples of different languages choose a particular code or language are schools, churches, and markets. The outcome of the study contributes to studies on family language use and has implications for language maintenance.