A study of attitudes towards learning Chinese as foreign language in Ghanaian universities: A comparative study of University of Ghana and University of Cape Coast

Abstract

This study examined attitudes of second language learners in Ghanaian universities. In recent times, due to increasing number of Chinese companies in Ghana, it has become very crucial to learn Chinese language, especially in the universities. This study targets students who are pursuing Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) in University of Ghana (UG) and University of Cape Coast (UCC). The study employed primary and secondary data to gain insight into students’ attitude towards Chinese language in both UG and UCC. All students participating were giving open-ended questionnaires for the purpose of study. The study found out that there are several factors that affect the Chinese language learning such as feeling reluctant, gender, peer pressure, social class, age, anxiety, encouragement and motivation. The study recommend that local Chinese teachers needed, more scholarship should be given to Ghanaian students who have desire and interest in the learning Chinese language. Moreover, China needs to send more native Chinese speaking teachers to support local teachers of the Chinese language in both universities and organizing cultural activities quarterly to inspire and enhanced their studies.