Language Policies in Nigeria and Ghana: A Plurilingual Perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to reveal the linguistic situations in Nigeria and Ghana by examining language policies in both countries so as to establish how plurilingualism is accommodated and implemented. Plurilingualism has been identified as a leeway for attaining linguistic democracy which offers inclusive opportunities. In this dimension, language in education policy is very sacrosanct as it gives a blueprint for language use in mostly educational settings. A design adopted for this paper is qualitative study approach in a case study form. Data was retrieved from Google scholar database and time filter was applied to select articles between 2015 to 2022 in addition to other inclusion criteria. Articles were analyzed in line with the theme that guided the study. Findings show that both countries have not adequately integrated the concept of plurilingualism in their language policies. Lack of proper implementation of language policies has largely marred the multilingual reality in those countries, thereby allowing English language to exert an excessive influence. However, Ghana was found to fare better in terms of implementation. It is therefore recommended that both countries should review their language policies and accommodate plurilingualism by creating room for both majority and minority languages to thrive through translanguaging in educational settings.