http://41.74.91.244:8080/handle/123456789/680 2026-04-05T20:07:16Z http://41.74.91.244:8080/handle/123456789/4397 Washback effect of BECE and WASSCE English language tests on teaching and learning of English language in Ghana Owusu, S. The term, washback or backwash is used in Applied Linguistics to refer to the influence high-stakes tests have on teaching and learning of second/foreign language. The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) English language tests administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) are high-stakes tests which have very important consequences for the junior and senior high school leavers respectively. The English language syllabus for both junior high school and senior high school levels has listening, reading, writing, and speaking components. Unfortunately, the BECE and WASSCE English language tests do not assess students on all the language skills. Although the WASSCE English language test has oral English component (which was introduced in 1999), it assesses candidates on listening comprehension only. Since teachers and students are likely to concentrate on what is going to be assessed, there may be negative washback effect on teaching and learning of English language in junior and senior high schools in Ghana. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of BECE and WASSCE English language tests on teaching and learning of English language in junior and senior high schools in Ghana. Questionnaires, interviews, classroom observation, and document analysis were conducted with 374 students (from 3 junior high schools and 5 senior high schools) and 24 English language teachers (from 4 junior high schools and 8 senior high schools). Qualitative and quantitative analysis of data revealed that although both the BECE and the WASSCE had negative washback effect on students, the BECE tended to exert a greater negative washback effect on the students than the WASSCE, and that this negative washback adversely affected students’ communicative competence in speaking. This means that the BECE/WASSCE English language test did not allow the students to concentrate on activities that would help them to speak the language fluently in real life situations. Thesis in the Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Foreign Languages Education and Communication, submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, University of Education, Winneba in partial fulfilment of the requirements for award of the Doctor of Philosophy (Applied Linguistics) degree 2017-05-01T00:00:00Z http://41.74.91.244:8080/handle/123456789/2333 Acoustic analyses of the oral vowels of Gbe Kpodo, P. The study aims at establishing the phonetic identity of each of the vowels of Gbe by determining the underlying phonetic parameters that characterize the vowel system. It also aims at comparing the vowel spaces of the Ewe and Gen dialects to state their similarities or differences. Finally, the study seeks to investigate the durational properties of the oral vowels of Gbe. The Kay Elemetrics Computerized Speech Lab (CSL-4500) and the SPSS software packages were used to analyse the oral vowels uttered by 120 purposively sampled native speakers. The CSL-4500 was used to generate the formant frequency and durational values of the vowels while the SPSS software was used to conduct tests of Analysis of Variance to determine the within-groups and between-groups differences. The study finds out that the vowel space of Ewe is slightly wider than the vowel space of the Gen dialect and that while there is significant variability between the comparable front vowels of Ewe and Gen, the back vowels of the two dialects are similar. The study further finds out that [a] in Gbe is a low central unrounded vowel and, therefore, there is no back unrounded vowel in Gbe. The study concludes that the rounding feature and the backness feature are redundant in Gbe. Hence, it is not necessary to specify both features in describing the Gbe vowels. In terms of duration, Gbe vowels are longer in the environment of voiceless consonants than the voiced ones and also in high-tone syllables than in low-tone ones. A Thesis in the Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Foreign Languages Education and Communication submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, University of Education, Winneba, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Award of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Education, Winneba AUGUST, 2020 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z http://41.74.91.244:8080/handle/123456789/2275 A cross-cultural analysis of refusal responses in British English and Ga (A language spoken in Ghana) Calys-Tagoe, P. N. D There are cultural differences between Ghana and Britain. Researchers like; Dzameshi (2001), Scollon (2000), Anderson (2009), Keleve (1995) and others argue that Ghana is a country with a collectivistic culture and Britain an individualistic culture. Therefore, cultural differences between Ghanaians and the British may be reflected in speech acts; (suggestion, request, invitations and offers) that elicited refusal responses. The study aimed to shed light on; how British and uneducated Ga differ from one another in their direct and indirect incomparable social situations; which sociolinguistic transfers affected educated Ga refusal responses; which politeness strategy did the British and uneducated Ga use and which factors influenced the choice of semantic formulae used by the British and the uneducated Ga. The present study employed ethnographic research methodology and complemented it with the Discourse Completion Test (DCT). One hundred and twenty-five respondents (125) participated in the study; fifty educated Ga respondents, twenty-five British respondents, twenty-five uneducated Ga respondents, fifteen Ga respondents in the focus group discussion and ten British respondents in the focus group discussion. The findings indicated that both British and uneducated Ga used less direct refusals, although different cultural values influenced their decisions. Educated Ga imported the norms of speaking in English and Ga into their responses, and this resulted in the negative pragmatic transfer and backward pragmatic transfer. Both Ga and British perceived the face threats inherent in the initiative act to refuse, but the British did not attend to ‘face’ in certain situations, but the uneducated Ga attended to ‘face’ in all the situations. The semantic formulae of the respondents were influenced by context internal and context external factors. The findings concluded that different understanding of social situations and cultural dimensions by British and uneducated Ga led to the cross-cultural variation in direct and indirectness strategies. It was evident that cross-cultural differences were not the only cause of communication conflict, but that pragmatic transfers could lead to miscommunication (educated Ga responses). Brown and Lenvinson’s (1987) claim that language is universal was made evident when both uneducated Ga and British used negative politeness strategy to mitigate the illocutionary force of their refusal responses. However, Wierzbicka (1991) counterclaim was revealed when the British attended to ‘face’ through direct ‘on record’ strategies and the uneducated Ga did theirs through indirect ‘on record’ strategies. Finally, context external factors and context internal factors led to cross-situational variations of the choice of semantic formulae used by uneducated Ga and British. The study recommends that refusal responses should be used appropriately for discourse suitability. A thesis in the Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Foreign Languages, submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, in partial fulfilment for the requirements of the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Applied Linguistics) in the University of Education, Winneba DECEMBER, 2020 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z http://41.74.91.244:8080/handle/123456789/2094 A cross-cultural analysis of refusal responses in British English and Ga (A language spoken in Ghana) Calys-Tagoe, P.N.D. There are cultural differences between Ghana and Britain. Researchers like; Dzameshi (2001), Scollon (2000), Anderson (2009), Keleve (1995) and others argue that Ghana is a country with a collectivistic culture and Britain an individualistic culture. Therefore, cultural differences between Ghanaians and the British may be reflected in speech acts; (suggestion, request, invitations and offers) that elicited refusal responses. The study aimed to shed light on; how British and uneducated Ga differ from one another in their direct and indirect incomparable social situations; which sociolinguistic transfers affected educated Ga refusal responses; which politeness strategy did the British and uneducated Ga use and which factors influenced the choice of semantic formulae used by the British and the uneducated Ga. The present study employed ethnographic research methodology and complemented it with the Discourse Completion Test (DCT). One hundred and twenty-five respondents (125) participated in the study; fifty educated Ga respondents, twenty-five British respondents, twenty five uneducated Ga respondents, fifteen Ga respondents in the focus group discussion and ten British respondents in the focus group discussion. The findings indicated that both British and uneducated Ga used less direct refusals, although different cultural values influenced their decisions. Educated Ga imported the norms of speaking in English and Ga into their responses, and this resulted in the negative pragmatic transfer and backward pragmatic transfer. Both Ga and British perceived the face threats inherent in the initiative act to refuse, but the British did not attend to ‘face’ in certain situations, but the uneducated Ga attended to ‘face’ in all the situations. The semantic formulae of the respondents were influenced by context internal and context external factors. The findings concluded that different understanding of social situations and cultural dimensions by British and uneducated Ga led to the cross-cultural variation in direct and indirectness strategies. It was evident that cross-cultural differences were not the only cause of communication conflict, but that pragmatic transfers could lead to miscommunication (educated Ga responses). Brown and Lenvinson’s (1987) claim that language is universal was made evident when both uneducated Ga and British used negative politeness strategy to mitigate the illocutionary force of their refusal responses. However, Wierzbicka (1991) counterclaim was revealed when the British attended to ‘face’ through direct ‘on record’ strategies and the uneducated Ga did theirs through indirect ‘on record’ strategies. Finally, context external factors and context internal factors led to cross-situational variations of the choice of semantic formulae used by uneducated Ga and British. The study recommends that refusal responses should be used appropriately for discourse suitability. A thesis in the Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Foreign Languages, submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, in partial fulfilment for the requirements of the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Applied Linguistics) in the University of Education, Winneba 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z