Abstract:
"Morphosemantic false friends" refer to words in two languages that are similar in form (morphology) but differ in meaning (semantics). This linguistic phenomenon explores words in both English and French that often cause confusion, particularly among learners of French as a Foreign Language at Kwanyako Senior High School. These false friends do not only lead to misunderstandings but translation errors if their exact meanings are not properly understood. Studying these false friends helps in understanding the linguistic and cultural nuances between English and French, emphasizing the importance of precision in translation and language learning.This research aims to identify the most common false friends found in the written expressions of learners, investigate the sources of these false friends, and propose effective pedagogical strategies for teaching and learning them. A qualitative research method was employed, utilizing two tests and a questionnaire as tools for investigation. The findings confirmed the prevalence of false friends, a lack of awareness among learners, the influence of cultural differences, linguistic transfers and highlighted the need for curriculum enhancement. Based on these findings, we recommend that stakeholders incorporate the topic of false friends into the curriculum, provide teacher training and professional development, develop specialized teaching materials, utilize interactive learning methods, and initiate student awareness campaigns. We believe that if these recommendations are implemented, they will help resolve the issue and improve the teaching and learning of French as a foreign language in Ghana, particularly for students at Kwanyako Senior High School.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of French Education,
Faculty of Foreign Languages Education and Communication
Submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies, In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for the Award of
Master of Philosophy (French Education)
at the University of Education, Winneba
