Re-examining the Status of the English Language in Anglophone Western Africa: A Comparative Study of Ghana and Nigeria

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 falling 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 falling standard of the language, 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

Re-evaluating the Hegemony of the English Language in Western Africa: A Critical Review of the Research

This paper seeks to analyse the hegemony of the English language in Western Africa. The originality of the approach stems from its reading of hegemony through the lens of educational policies and the socio-economic functions of the language and its examination of the premise that there is a positive link between English and development contexts (Coleman, 2010). The study aims to fill a gap in existing research on the role of English in the development of Western Africa by exploring the usefulness of English’s linguistic hegemony in the region, and to counter the negative connotations that it has always attracted. Based on a critical review of the research literature between 2003 and 2018, the paper concludes that the hegemony of English has resulted in the development of anglophone countries in Western Africa, while in the francophone/lusophone regions, industrial backwardness and low literacy rates have been consequences of English language marginalisation. In conclusion, it recommends, amongst other implications, the need for the early introduction of English into French curricula

The Changing Status of the Nigerian Native Speaker: Implications and Recommendations

Globalisation has taken its toll on different aspects of human life, having both positive and negative effects on the languages spoken around the world in particular. As a consequence, the concept of the native speaker is becoming increasingly blurred and is in danger of becoming lost. Researchers in different disciplines have highlighted the inimical import of the term (Cheng, Burgess, Vernooij, Solis-Barroso, McDermott & Naboodiripad, 2021). However, it is necessary to preserve the term in order to maintain the native speaker’s identity (Kim, 2022) and authenticity. Every Nigerian has an ethnic language by virtue of the fact that their parents are Nigerians which makes him/her the possessor of an L1 or first language. But, does the possession of a mother tongue qualify a person to be a native speaker in Nigeria in the traditional sense of the term? Some other children have acquired Nigerian English as their first language and cannot communicate in any other language except Nigerian English. As a consequence, could they also be termed ‘native speakers of English?’ Similarly, would children who have acquired Nigerian Pidgin (Niger Delta region) as their first language also be referred to as native speakers of Pidgin? There are also deaf people in Nigeria and similar questions emerge about how best to describe their native language. It is against this background that this paper undertakes a critical literature review to examine the changing status of the Nigerian ‘native speaker’ and the nuances associated with it, many of which are often ignored or concealed in the attempt to understand it as a homogenous term. Arising from the literature review, the paper argues that in future, Nigerian indigenous languages may become extinct and that to guard against this outcome, there is a need to preserve native languages in the country, hence the status of its speakers. The study concludes that the use of the term ‘native speaker’ is losing its currency and recommends the preservation of the concept as it symbolises the language rights of the minority and a model source of data for the language (Skutnabb-Kangas and Phillipson, 1989; cited in De Gruyter, 2012)

The status of English as a medium of instruction in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of Nigeria and Tanzania (2002-2023)

While research has considered the effectiveness of language policies on English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in Nigeria and Tanzania, no comparative studies of both countries currently exist. To address this gap, this paper adopted a systematic review approach. One of the principles arising from the British Council Jubal Language-inEducation Conference (2012), a key point of reference for language policy in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), states that the transition from one language to another as a medium of instruction should be a gradual process and not a sudden one; the change should take place after learners have become competent in their mother tongue and proficient in the second language. Arising from this, the aim of this study was to determine why students in Tanzania, who spend a longer time learning in their mother tongue before transiting to English (Kumar, 2015), still face significant challenges with English compared to Nigerians who follow the early transition model (NPE, 2014). The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach was used to ensure a robust analysis was undertaken (Sarkis-Onofre, Catala-Lopez, Aromatris & Lockwood, 2021). The paper concludes that the challenges in the Tanzanian context are not related to the policy but to its ineffective implementation. Recommendations for Nigeria’s use of the late exit model (NLP, 2022), stress that policymakers should draw lessons from the weaknesses of the Tanzanian case and develop strategies to implement the model effectively

Examining the Status of English as a Medium of Instruction in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Comparative Study of Botswana and Nigeria

This paper examines the status of English as a medium of instruction in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by comparing how it is taught and learned in Botswana and Nigeria. The paper’s argument is based on the premise that learners acquire literacy skills in a familiar language (Williams, 2011). The English language is an official language in the two countries and has been linked to their social, economic and political development (Cholakova, 2015). The aim of the study is to compare the status of English as a medium of instruction in Botswana and Nigeria, identify and examine the implications for its use, and recommend best practice for policymakers in the field. Based on a systematic review of research between 2000 and 2021, the paper identifies several key findings affecting both countries: the insufficient acquisition of literacy skills in English, the need for a language policy review in Botswana, and the need for a thorough review of teacher quality by the governments of both countries if United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.c is to be achieved by the deadline of 2030. The implications of the review for both countries are that pupils drop out of school as a result of their lack of understanding of English; a non-credit pass in English at the secondary level can hinder students’ career progression; English remains parents’ educationally preferred language; and policy makers need to have a strategic awareness of how English and other languages are used in their communities for educational purposes