“Speak English!” A prescription or choice of English as a lingua franca in Ghanaian schools

One of the common practices in many basic schools in Ghana is the constant reminder to students to speak English at all times, and the threat of sanctions to those who do not abide by this language regulation. Considering that Ghana is a multilingual country, one would have thought that any of the Ghanaian languages can be used by students at different times. Using self-reported and interview data, the paper sets out to find out whether Ghanaian students speak English as a choice of lingua franca or due to some ideological underpinnings. The discussion opens a window into the motivations that move Ghanaian students to speak English both in and out of the classroom. The paper has implications for education, language policy and the National Literacy Acceleration Programme, NALAP.

► Multilinguals have to choose the language to use in any interaction.
► Choice of Ghanaian language motivated by desire to mark ethnolinguistic identity.
► Preference for using English constructs identities linked to power group.
► Participants choose to speak English out of their own volition not by prescription.