Ghana Journal of Linguistics

Noun-noun compounds in Dagaare

2026-09-19T15:49:21+00:00

This paper presents a Construction Morphology account of Noun-Noun compounds in Dagaare, a Mabia language spoken in parts of northern Ghana, Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast. Based on primary and secondary data drawn from a variety of sources, the formal structure of Dagaare noun-noun compounds is discussed, showing that Dagaare noun-noun compounds can be made up of simplex or complex nouns, including derived nouns and other compound nouns. Turning to the implicit relations holding between the constituents of noun-noun compounds, it is shown that the underpinning semantic relations may include PART-OF, MEANT-FOR, LOCATION-OF, INGREDIENT-FOR, and MADE-OF/FROM. The study also classifies compounds based on the presence and position of a head element within the compound, yielding both right-headed and left-headed endocentric noun-noun compounds as well as exocentric compounds. It is shown, however, that exocentric compounds are quite few in the dataset used for the present study, and possibly the whole language, and they are normally interpreted metaphorically since they tend to be non-compositional.

Evaluating Phonological Awareness Standards in Ghana’s National Curriculum

2026-09-19T16:15:44+00:00

Phonemic awareness is a reliable predictor of later reading achievement and an essential component of early reading and language instruction. The evidence suggests that students who do not develop an understanding of the alphabetic principle, the relationship between phonological and orthographic units of language, are at increased risk for difficulties in word reading, fluency, and reading comprehension. While a substantial body of research has examined phonemic awareness through experimental and intervention-based studies, relatively little attention has been given to the extent to which national curriculum standards align with evidence-based practices in phonological awareness instruction. This study addresses this gap through a content analysis of Ghana’s national language and literacy curriculum standards. Using the stages of the Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST) as an analytical framework, the study examined the presence and frequency of phonological awareness skills across the early, basic, and advanced developmental stages. Findings indicate that Ghana’s curriculum standards are predominantly focused on the early and basic stages of phonological awareness development, with comparatively limited emphasis on advanced phonemic awareness skills. The results suggest a need to strengthen curriculum standards to better reflect the full developmental continuum of phonological awareness and evidence-based literacy instruction, particularly for early grade learners.

Learning French in Multilingual Contexts: The Impact of Extracurricular Activities Among Students in Postsecondary Institution in Ghana and Nigeria

2026-09-19T20:51:05+00:00

In anglophone multilingual countries like Ghana and Nigeria, extracurricular activities have long supported the learning of French. Activities such as French club, exposure to francophone culture, and excursions to cultural or historical sites allow learners to practise French beyond formal classroom hours. However, there is limited research on their influence in anglophone multilingual contexts. Drawing on language socialisation theory, which highlights language learning through social interaction and participation, this study examines how these activities influence the learning experiences of students studying French in public postsecondary institutions. Using a mixed-methods design, it combined an online questionnaire with semi-structured interviews. Data were collected from 401 survey respondents and 24 interview participants at postsecondary institutions that offer French in Ghana and Nigeria. Survey data were analysed descriptively, while interview data were analysed thematically. Findings show that regular participation in extracurricular activities improves students’ communicative competence and sustains engagement in French, although funding and organisational challenges continue to limit full participation. This study contributes to understanding how extracurricular activities support French learning in multilingual Anglophone countries.

Influence of Social Factors on the Use of English Prepositions Among Ewe-English Bilingual Children

2026-09-19T21:23:46+00:00

Despite substantial evidence of difficulties in learning English prepositions among L2 speakers, empirical studies on the role of social factors remain limited. This study fills this gap by exploring how Ewe-speaking school-going children in Ghana use English prepositions and whether variations in their learning outcomes may be linked to social factors (age, gender, parents’ educational background, birth order, language learning environment, and familiarity with L1 spatial expressions). The Variationist Sociolinguistics approach informed the data collection. The Topological Relation Picture Series was used to collect data from 40 purposively sampled Ewe-English bilingual children aged 3–13 years. A cross-sectional quantitative research design was adopted for this study. IBM Statistical Package (Version 22) was used to provide a descriptive analysis employing mainly means and frequencies, and the first language interference was qualitatively analyzed. Findings show that age and gender are significant factors in influencing preposition usage, whereas parents’ educational background, birth order, and language learning environment had minimal influence. Findings further suggest L1 interference: some learners experience confusion regarding the meanings of certain English prepositions, a difficulty that appears to stem from their misunderstanding or improper learning of the L1 equivalents of those prepositions.