Language Needs of Francophone Students in an English as a Second Language Context

Authors

  • Adeline Borti Wisconsin International University College, Ghana University of Ghana, Ghana University of Wyoming, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8587-7562

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4314/gjl.v10i2.166

Abstract

In this study, I examined the English language needs of 73 Francophone students who enrolled to pursue their undergraduate degree in an English as a Second Language context. The setting for this case study was a private university in Ghana. The focus of this study addresses an important gap in the literature on meeting the needs of francophone undergraduate students. The participants in this study were French-speaking students who mostly lived and learned in French-speaking countries prior to their arrival in Ghana; thus, their language needs differed from those of Ghanaian students who typically learn in English over the course of their educational careers. Due to the disjuncture of these Francophone participants’ previous educational and lived experiences with the English language, I investigated the relevance of the available English language courses to their academic and career needs.  Data collection took the form of a questionnaire and interviews, for the purpose of eliciting information about participants’ demography, language skills, and tasks relevant to their academics and future careers. In addition, the participants provided interview responses describing their reasons for learning in an English medium university. Findings indicate that Francophone ESL undergraduate students ascribe varying degrees of relevance and importance to English courses, and these reported differences in perceived relevance cohere with participants’ varying academic and career goals and needs.

Author Biography

Adeline Borti, Wisconsin International University College, Ghana University of Ghana, Ghana University of Wyoming, USA

Adeline Borti is a graduate of University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast and Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).  Her interest is in English as a second language acquisition, reading and literacy, bilingualism and academic writing. She is a member of Linguistics Association of Ghana and International Association for World Englishes Inc and Literacy Research Association, USA. Over the years, she has engaged in some research activities in her area of interest.  She has a book and an article. She has a second article that she co-authored with Prof. Adika of the University of Ghana. She was a full-time lecturer at Wisconsin International University College, Ghana, an adjunct lecturer at the University of Ghana and now a Ph.D. student in Curriculum and Instruction with specialization in Literacy Education at University of Wyoming, USA.
Language Needs of Francophone Students in English as a Second Language Context

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Published

12/29/2021

How to Cite

Borti, A. (2021). Language Needs of Francophone Students in an English as a Second Language Context. Ghana Journal of Linguistics, 10(2), 175–202. https://doi.org/10.4314/gjl.v10i2.166