Abstract
This paper re-examines the status of English as a Second Language (ESL) in Anglophone Western Africa by comparing its use in Nigeria and Ghana. The research is based on the premise that the medium of instruction impacts the quality of education (Ferguson, 2013). The significance of the research is that it is one of the first studies to compare the standard of English language usage in the two countries to establish whether there is a positive link between the quality of education and the language of instruction (Williams, 2011). Predicated on a critical literature review, some of the issues and perspectives analysed include educational language policies, the attitude of students, the quality of teachers and the prospects of the language in the two countries. Findings indicate that the implementation of educational language policies remains an important challenge in the two countries, as there has been a falling standard of English usage (though Ghana has a higher standard of English language usage) and a dearth of English specialists. In identifying the factors that impact on the quality of education in Nigeria and Ghana, the paper concludes that English has significant potential in both countries, and if relevant strategies for its improvement are adopted, both countries will benefit from the socio-economic gains inherent in its adoption and use.
Highlights
There are 7,117 spoken living languages in the world (Ethnologue, 2020)
English has over 350 million native speakers and 430 million people, who speak it as a second language (Wil, 2015)
Ghana and Nigeria achieved independence in 1957 and 1960 respectively and their indigenous governments adopted English as the official language shortly thereafter; the policy has not been without educational challenges, as Williams (2011, p.40) has argued: African politicians do not seem to have fully understood the difficulties of conducting state education in a language that few learners, and not all teachers, have mastered, nor have they understood the advantages of educating learners in their own languages
Summary
There are 7,117 spoken living languages in the world (Ethnologue, 2020). Of these languages, the English language has attained the status of a global language and been described as the language “on which the sun never sets” (Quirk, 1985; cited in Crystal, 2003, p.10). English is spoken by an estimated 1.2 billion inhabitants of the world (Ethnologue, 2019) It has its roots in the Germanic branch of the Indo-European family and it is the official or semi-official language of more than 42 countries in the world, compared to French with 27, Spanish with 20 and Arabic with 17 respectively (Genc & Bada, 2010). In the view of Ulpepper (1997; cited in UK Essays, 2018), three criteria help to explain the emergence of a language as ‘global’ and the maintenance of its status: its political, military and economic power This view corroborates the point noted by Crystal (2003), who argued that traditionally a language attains global status mainly as a result of military and political power. Ghana and Nigeria achieved independence in 1957 and 1960 respectively and their indigenous governments adopted English as the official language shortly thereafter; the policy has not been without educational challenges, as Williams (2011, p.40) has argued: African politicians do not seem to have fully understood the difficulties of conducting state education in a language that few learners, and not all teachers, have mastered, nor have they understood the advantages of educating learners in their own languages
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
