Princess Lawer - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
English Language and Literature Educator and Researcher.
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British English is the variety of English taught in Ghanaian schools, but influences of American ... more British English is the variety of English taught in Ghanaian schools, but influences of American English due to different media exposure have affected students' use of English. The objective of this study was to investigate the extent to which University of Ghana students mix American English with British English and their ability to differentiate between the two varieties. It also sought to examine students' attitudes towards these two varieties of English. The sample group used in this investigation consisted of twenty students from University of Ghana. They filled in a questionnaire which investigated vocabulary and had a spelling dictation to investigate spelling. The study showed that all of the students mixed American and British features but could not differentiate between the two varieties. Though students chose British English as the correct form of English in Ghana, a majority of the students had a higher preference for American English. However, most of them thought that none of the two varieties was superior to the other. The study has shown that American English is gradually finding its way into the Ghanaian community and is affecting students' correct usage of British English.
The central argument of this paper stems from the growing discussion whether postcolonial critics... more The central argument of this paper stems from the growing discussion whether postcolonial critics should adopt western inspired theories in the discourse. While insisting that as far as Africans look towards Europe for knowledge in our discourse especially in postcolonialism we are experiencing a form of neo-colonialism, the paper contends that Africa had established, well before the dawn of colonialism, a form of home-grown political and educational systems, governance process and generally acceptable institutional rule-making arrangement, such that there was progression in the pace of civilisation of Africa and potential measure of technological development. Some scholars have suggested that although most countries have gained independence from their colonisers, they are still indirectly subjected in one way or another to the forms of neo-colonial domination. The critical nature of postcolonial theory entails destabilizing the western way of thinking, therefore creating space for the marginalized groups to speak and produce alternatives to dominant discourse. The paper talks of how a colonized person's knowledge was used against him in serving colonizer's interests, and how knowledge about the world is generated under specific relations between the powerful and the powerless, circulated repetitively and finally legitimatized in view of imperial interests. It argues that western theories are the quest of westernizing the world. The paper further submits that the growing elites in Africa can look back into the history of Africa and retrieve a great deal of workable knowledge to challenge or match up to western ideas. The paper analyzes the literary works of postcolonial creative writers Ayi Kwei Armah and Chinua Achebe to drive home this point. It points out that western educational systems, language, political, cultural and religious ideas control the thinking pattern and culture of Africans.
British English is the variety of English taught in Ghanaian schools, but influences of American ... more British English is the variety of English taught in Ghanaian schools, but influences of American English due to different media exposure have affected students' use of English. The objective of this study was to investigate the extent to which University of Ghana students mix American English with British English and their ability to differentiate between the two varieties. It also sought to examine students' attitudes towards these two varieties of English. The sample group used in this investigation consisted of twenty students from University of Ghana. They filled in a questionnaire which investigated vocabulary and had a spelling dictation to investigate spelling. The study showed that all of the students mixed American and British features but could not differentiate between the two varieties. Though students chose British English as the correct form of English in Ghana, a majority of the students had a higher preference for American English. However, most of them thought that none of the two varieties was superior to the other. The study has shown that American English is gradually finding its way into the Ghanaian community and is affecting students' correct usage of British English.
The central argument of this paper stems from the growing discussion whether postcolonial critics... more The central argument of this paper stems from the growing discussion whether postcolonial critics should adopt western inspired theories in the discourse. While insisting that as far as Africans look towards Europe for knowledge in our discourse especially in postcolonialism we are experiencing a form of neo-colonialism, the paper contends that Africa had established, well before the dawn of colonialism, a form of home-grown political and educational systems, governance process and generally acceptable institutional rule-making arrangement, such that there was progression in the pace of civilisation of Africa and potential measure of technological development. Some scholars have suggested that although most countries have gained independence from their colonisers, they are still indirectly subjected in one way or another to the forms of neo-colonial domination. The critical nature of postcolonial theory entails destabilizing the western way of thinking, therefore creating space for the marginalized groups to speak and produce alternatives to dominant discourse. The paper talks of how a colonized person's knowledge was used against him in serving colonizer's interests, and how knowledge about the world is generated under specific relations between the powerful and the powerless, circulated repetitively and finally legitimatized in view of imperial interests. It argues that western theories are the quest of westernizing the world. The paper further submits that the growing elites in Africa can look back into the history of Africa and retrieve a great deal of workable knowledge to challenge or match up to western ideas. The paper analyzes the literary works of postcolonial creative writers Ayi Kwei Armah and Chinua Achebe to drive home this point. It points out that western educational systems, language, political, cultural and religious ideas control the thinking pattern and culture of Africans.