English in Tertiary Institutions and the Issues of Falling Standards: Expectations, Lessons and Challenges

Modestus Fosu

doi:10.63772/jocmas.v1n1.2

Authors

Modestus Fosu Ghana Institute of Journalism Author https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8032-8934

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63772/jocmas.v1n1.2

Keywords:

Tertiary Institutions, English, Falling Standards, Ghana

Abstract

This paper dwells on the mounting problem of English language incompetence among a significant number of graduates in Ghana. This is an issue that has received and continues to attract wide discussion in academic and media circles. It is incontrovertible that many prominent people, most of them products of our institutions of higher learning, are unable to use English - spoken and written - in a contextually, socially and technically approved and desirable manner. This communication problem calls for concern because of the developmental role of information and communication in the economic, political, technological, and social challenges of today’s global existence. The way English language - both as a school subject or discipline and as a competency to be mastered— is taught and treated with indifference at the pre tertiary and tertiary levels accounts for this unfortunate state of affairs. This paper, therefore, argues that the nation, tertiary institutions, and lecturers perceive this problem as a “crisis ” and take definite steps that will strengthen the English language ability of graduates, irrespective of their specific courses of study.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Usage Statistics

Abstract Views: 13
PDF Downloads: 3

References

Adika, G. S. K. (1999). An analysis of university students’ expository discourse (Unpublished PhD thesis). University of Ghana, Legon.

Adika, G. S. K. (2003). A theme-structure approach to evaluating aspects of university students’ expository texts. In K. Osam (Ed.), Legon Journal of the Humanities, 14, 55–76. Faculty of Arts, University of Ghana, Legon.

Adika, G. S. K. (2006). The Language Centre’s academic writing programme: Responding to the written communication needs of graduates for the job market. In G. S. K. Adika (Ed.), Language Centre Journal, 2, 1–18.

Adika, G. S. K. (Ed.). (2006). Language Centre Journal (Vol. 2).

Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 1–47.

Dako, K. (1997). Features of stylistic versatility in English as observed in the writing of English graduates. In K. Dakubu (Ed.), English in Ghana (pp. 263–285). Accra: Ghana English Studies Association.

Dako, K., Denkabe, A., & Forson, B. (1997). The Ghanaian university students’ knowledge of grammar. In K. Dakubu (Ed.), English in Ghana (pp. 53–68). Accra: Ghana English Studies Association.

Dakubu, K. M. E. (Ed.). (1997). English in Ghana. Accra: Ghana English Studies Association.

Dzamashie, A. K. (1997). Towards a communication approach to teaching English as a second language. In K. Dakubu (Ed.), English in Ghana (pp. 173–194). Accra: Ghana English Studies Association.

Gogovi, G. A. K. (1997). Intensifier + verb collocation in English: A case study of post-diploma usage in the University College of Education, Winneba. In K. Dakubu (Ed.), English in Ghana (pp. 46–68). Accra: Ghana English Studies Association.

Hackman, M., & Johnson, C. (1996). Leadership: A communicative perspective. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press.

Hymes, D. (1974). On communicative competence. In J. B. Pride & J. Holmes (Eds.), Sociolinguistics (pp. 269–293). Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books.

Osam, E. K. (Ed.). (2003). Legon Journal of the Humanities (Vol. 14). Faculty of Arts, University of Ghana.

Owusu-Ansah, A. (2008, July 21). Teach grammar: Learn grammar (I). Daily Graphic, p. 11.

Pearson, J. C. (2003). Human communication. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Silberstein, S. (2001). Sociolinguistics. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.