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Ahadzi S, Ameka FK, Essegbey J (2015). Language use at home and performance in English composition in multilingual Ghana. AAeO, Vol. 2015. (urn:nbn:de:0009-10-42168)

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%0 Journal Article
%T Language use at home and performance in English composition in multilingual Ghana
%A Ahadzi, Sika
%A Ameka, Felix K.
%A Essegbey, James
%J AAeO
%D 2015
%V 2015
%N 1
%@ 1860-7462
%F ahadzi2015
%X Ghana has witnessed a recurrent debate on the usefulness of indigenous Ghanaian languages in childhood education. It is assumed that using the mother tongue as a Medium of Instruction (MOI) during the early years improves children’s ability to acquire knowledge and other languages. Not everybody subscribes to this view though. There are those who feel that a solid start in English offers children a better chance of succeeding in school and in their careers. Presently, some parents who subscribe to the latter view have taken the extra step of stopping the use of indigenous Ghanaian languages at home. This paper presents the results of our investigation into whether the home language practices of Ghanaian students have any impact on their performance in English written argumentative discourse. The results are based on an analysis of an assigned essay of 92 students from one of Ghana’s best senior high schools. We then correlated their per¬formance with responses they gave to a questionnaire interrogating their background and language use at home. While some speak the native language at home, others grew up speaking exclusively English. We show that students who combine English and native Ghanaian languages at home performed better than those who used only English or only Ghanaian languages.
%L 400
%K Ghana
%K Ghanaian languages
%K Language policy
%K Multilingualism
%K Senior High School
%U http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0009-10-42168
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@Article{ahadzi2015,
  author = 	"Ahadzi, Sika
		and Ameka, Felix K.
		and Essegbey, James",
  title = 	"Language use at home and performance in English composition in multilingual Ghana",
  journal = 	"AAeO",
  year = 	"2015",
  volume = 	"2015",
  number = 	"1",
  keywords = 	"Ghana; Ghanaian languages; Language policy; Multilingualism; Senior High School",
  abstract = 	"Ghana has witnessed a recurrent debate on the usefulness of indigenous Ghanaian languages in childhood education. It is assumed that using the mother tongue as a Medium of Instruction (MOI) during the early years improves children's ability to acquire knowledge and other languages. Not everybody subscribes to this view though. There are those who feel that a solid start in English offers children a better chance of succeeding in school and in their careers. Presently, some parents who subscribe to the latter view have taken the extra step of stopping the use of indigenous Ghanaian languages at home. This paper presents the results of our investigation into whether the home language practices of Ghanaian students have any impact on their performance in English written argumentative discourse. The results are based on an analysis of an assigned essay of 92 students from one of Ghana's best senior high schools. We then correlated their per{\textlnot}formance with responses they gave to a questionnaire interrogating their background and language use at home. While some speak the native language at home, others grew up speaking exclusively English. We show that students who combine English and native Ghanaian languages at home performed better than those who used only English or only Ghanaian languages.",
  issn = 	"1860-7462",
  url = 	"http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0009-10-42168"
}
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TY  - JOUR
AU  - Ahadzi, Sika
AU  - Ameka, Felix K.
AU  - Essegbey, James
PY  - 2015
DA  - 2015//
TI  - Language use at home and performance in English composition in multilingual Ghana
JO  - AAeO
VL  - 2015
IS  - 1
KW  - Ghana
KW  - Ghanaian languages
KW  - Language policy
KW  - Multilingualism
KW  - Senior High School
AB  - Ghana has witnessed a recurrent debate on the usefulness of indigenous Ghanaian languages in childhood education. It is assumed that using the mother tongue as a Medium of Instruction (MOI) during the early years improves children’s ability to acquire knowledge and other languages. Not everybody subscribes to this view though. There are those who feel that a solid start in English offers children a better chance of succeeding in school and in their careers. Presently, some parents who subscribe to the latter view have taken the extra step of stopping the use of indigenous Ghanaian languages at home. This paper presents the results of our investigation into whether the home language practices of Ghanaian students have any impact on their performance in English written argumentative discourse. The results are based on an analysis of an assigned essay of 92 students from one of Ghana’s best senior high schools. We then correlated their per¬formance with responses they gave to a questionnaire interrogating their background and language use at home. While some speak the native language at home, others grew up speaking exclusively English. We show that students who combine English and native Ghanaian languages at home performed better than those who used only English or only Ghanaian languages.
SN  - 1860-7462
UR  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0009-10-42168
ID  - ahadzi2015
ER  -
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ISI

PT Journal
AU Ahadzi, S
   Ameka, F
   Essegbey, J
TI Language use at home and performance in English composition in multilingual Ghana
SO AAeO
PY 2015
VL 2015
IS 1
DE Ghana; Ghanaian languages; Language policy; Multilingualism; Senior High School
AB Ghana has witnessed a recurrent debate on the usefulness of indigenous Ghanaian languages in childhood education. It is assumed that using the mother tongue as a Medium of Instruction (MOI) during the early years improves children’s ability to acquire knowledge and other languages. Not everybody subscribes to this view though. There are those who feel that a solid start in English offers children a better chance of succeeding in school and in their careers. Presently, some parents who subscribe to the latter view have taken the extra step of stopping the use of indigenous Ghanaian languages at home. This paper presents the results of our investigation into whether the home language practices of Ghanaian students have any impact on their performance in English written argumentative discourse. The results are based on an analysis of an assigned essay of 92 students from one of Ghana’s best senior high schools. We then correlated their per¬formance with responses they gave to a questionnaire interrogating their background and language use at home. While some speak the native language at home, others grew up speaking exclusively English. We show that students who combine English and native Ghanaian languages at home performed better than those who used only English or only Ghanaian languages.
ER
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  <abstract>Ghana has witnessed a recurrent debate on the usefulness of indigenous Ghanaian languages in childhood education. It is assumed that using the mother tongue as a Medium of Instruction (MOI) during the early years improves children’s ability to acquire knowledge and other languages. Not everybody subscribes to this view though. There are those who feel that a solid start in English offers children a better chance of succeeding in school and in their careers. Presently, some parents who subscribe to the latter view have taken the extra step of stopping the use of indigenous Ghanaian languages at home. This paper presents the results of our investigation into whether the home language practices of Ghanaian students have any impact on their performance in English written argumentative discourse. The results are based on an analysis of an assigned essay of 92 students from one of Ghana’s best senior high schools. We then correlated their per¬formance with responses they gave to a questionnaire interrogating their background and language use at home. While some speak the native language at home, others grew up speaking exclusively English. We show that students who combine English and native Ghanaian languages at home performed better than those who used only English or only Ghanaian languages.</abstract>
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Full Metadata

Bibliographic Citation Afrikanistik Online, Vol. 2015, Iss. 1
Title

Language use at home and performance in English composition in multilingual Ghana (eng)
Author Sika Ahadzi, Felix K. Ameka, James Essegbey
Language eng
Abstract Ghana has witnessed a recurrent debate on the usefulness of indigenous Ghanaian languages in childhood education. It is assumed that using the mother tongue as a Medium of Instruction (MOI) during the early years improves children’s ability to acquire knowledge and other languages. Not everybody subscribes to this view though. There are those who feel that a solid start in English offers children a better chance of succeeding in school and in their careers. Presently, some parents who subscribe to the latter view have taken the extra step of stopping the use of indigenous Ghanaian languages at home. This paper presents the results of our investigation into whether the home language practices of Ghanaian students have any impact on their performance in English written argumentative discourse. The results are based on an analysis of an assigned essay of 92 students from one of Ghana’s best senior high schools. We then correlated their per¬formance with responses they gave to a questionnaire interrogating their background and language use at home. While some speak the native language at home, others grew up speaking exclusively English. We show that students who combine English and native Ghanaian languages at home performed better than those who used only English or only Ghanaian languages. Ghana hat erlebt wiederholt Debatten über den Vorteil des Gebrauchs einheimischer Ghanaischer Sprachen für die kindliche Früherziehung erlebt. Dabei wurde angenommen, dass der Gebrauch der Muttersprache als Unterrichtsmedium (Medium of Instruction = MOI) bei kleinen Kindern deren Lernfähigkeit allgemein und auch in Bezug auf den Erwerb anderer Sprachen fördert. Diese Ansicht ist jedoch nicht unangefochten. Es gibt auch Vertreter der Ansicht, dass ein solider Anfang in Englisch den Kindern bessere Chancen in ihrer schulischen und beruflichen Karriere bietet. Derzeit verzichten einige Eltern, die auf Früherziehung in Englisch setzen, auf den Gebrauch einheimischer ghanaischer Sprachen im häuslichen Umfeld. Dieser Artikel präsentiert die Ergebnisse einer Untersuchung darüber, ob und welche Auswirkungen der Gebrauch heimischer Sprachen darauf hat, wie gut die Schüler im schriftlichen Englisch argumentieren können. Die Ergebnisse basieren auf der Auswertung der Aufsätze von 92 Schülern aus Ghanas besten Sekundar¬schulen. Die Leistungen im Aufsatz wurden mit Angaben über das Sprachverhalten daheim korreliert. Einige der Schüler nutzen daheim die Muttersprachen, während andere rein englischsprachig aufwachsen. Es wird gezeigt, dass diejenigen Schüler, die daheim sowohl Englisch als auch ghanaische Sprachen benutzen, im Aufsatz besser abschnitten als diejenigen, die ausschließlich in Englisch oder in einheimischen sprachen kommunizieren.
Subject Ghana, Ghanaian languages, Language policy, Multilingualism, Senior High School
DDC 400 390 370 420
Rights DPPL
URN: urn:nbn:de:0009-10-42168