“Speak English!” A prescription or choice of English as a lingua franca in Ghanaian schools

Abstract

One of the common practices in many basic schools in Ghana is the constant reminder to students to speak English at all times, and the threat of sanctions to those who do not abide by this language regulation. Considering that Ghana is a multilingual country, one would have thought that any of the Ghanaian languages can be used by students at different times. Using self-reported and interview data, the paper sets out to find out whether Ghanaian students speak English as a choice of lingua franca or due to some ideological underpinnings. The discussion opens a window into the motivations that move Ghanaian students to speak English both in and out of the classroom. The paper has implications for education, language policy and the National Literacy Acceleration Programme, NALAP.