Language Policy in Ghana as a Societal Factor of Change (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2015 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,0, University of Constance (Anglistik/Amerikanistik), course: Documentation and Revitalization of Endangered Languages, language: English, abstract: This term paper gives a concise understanding of language policy in Ghana. The West African region has recently suffered from a number of serious problems. The horrendous outbreak of the Ebola virus has affected countries like Mali, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. According to the WHO, the official death toll in the region has already exceeded an alarming 5,160 people out of more than 14,000 Ebola cases by mid-November 2014. Although Nigeria's recent declaration of being Ebola free has given some hope, the upcoming elections are overshadowed by terrorist attacks of the Boko Haram group. Burkina Faso's military coup beginning of November led to an interim government; uncertainties still remain whether the county will find its way back to civilian rule.

Against the above-mentioned issues of health and political instability, language and education may indeed seem fairly irrelevant. Still, if we consider the more general socio-cultural dimension of a positive transformation of the African region, language is an important factor in the process. Accordingly, Bernard Spolsky emphasizes the importance of language policy as one of the new major topics in dealing with a society's situation.