Publication Date
Spring 2004
Abstract
Historical evidence contends that as a country, Ghana (formally the Gold Coast) had not need for a pidgin. Additionally, the colonial administration made deliberate attempts to acknowledge and teach Standard English, exclusively, in school, as a result of these factors, there is a minimal need to speak Pidgin in Ghana, as compared to Standard English; further, it is not socially considered an attractive option for interpersonal communication as it is in other West African countries, particularly, Nigeria. Nevertheless, a new phenomenon of non-standard English has developed among students n senior secondary schools in Ghana. This rapidly progressing variety of English has almost become, as one scholar asserts, a shibboleth among students in senior secondary schools. The Student Pidgin variety is being cultivated in an environment where the students are strictly limited to the exclusive use of Standard English. The focus of this research is to examine the reasons behind the utilization of student pidgin in senior secondary schools.
Disciplines
African Languages and Societies | Arts and Humanities
Recommended Citation
Pipkins, Desiree, "Pidgin! Make we hear your speak, Make we know why chaw students dey luv you" (2004). African Diaspora ISPs. 57.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/african_diaspora_isp/57