By Jibril Abdul Mumuni
Accra, Nov. 21, GNA – French language stakeholders in Ghana are calling for a shift in the teaching and assessment of French.
They advocated for a move from a purely assessment-based to a comprehensive curriculum-based approach to boost students’ practical fluency.
They said that despite having a “fantastic curriculum,” Ghanaian students are unable to express themselves fluently in the language, attributing this deficiency primarily to the current mode of assessment.
The call was made during the celebration of La Journée Internationale du Professeur de Français (International Day of the French Teacher) in Accra, an event held with support from International Organisation of La Franchophone in line with Ghana’s commitment to the Francophonie movement, which it joined as an Associate Member in 2006.
French has a long history in Ghana, having been introduced into the educational curriculum as far back as 1948 at institutions like Achimota College.
Today, however, fluency remains a critical challenge.
Mr. Tchitchi Kondo-Ayiga, President of the Ghana Association of French Teachers, highlighted the core said,
“We have been teaching for so many decades but our students are not able to speak the language.”
Data of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) indicated in 2018 that only about one per cent of the over 30 million Ghanaians can speak French.
Studies on student proficiency in key areas show low mean scores, particularly in speaking and comprehension of French.
Experts note that many students who have studied French for several years often cannot sustain a meaningful conversation for more than five minutes.
To address this gap, Mr. Ayiga stressed the need for policymakers to look at integrating oral communication with allocated marks starting from the primary to the Junior High School (JHS) level, rather than it being largely absent at the terminal examination.
He compared Ghana’s curriculum to international certifications like the DELF/DALF, where mandatory speaking components ensured communicative competence.
Mr. Julien Lecas, the Head of Cooperation at the French Embassy, affirmed the Embassy’s commitment, emphasising the role of innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in teaching.
He noted that AI can be “very useful for the teachers” in preparing lessons and during courses.
Mr. Lecas underscored the importance of an ethical approach to AI in the classroom, expressing pleasure in the partnership with Ghana to manage these emerging educational challenges.
Ghana’s status with the organisation International de la Francophone(OIF) changed from associate to full member in October 2024.
This upgrade grants the country full privileges including decision-making rigths, capacity building, and enhanced cooperation in trade, education, culture , security, and governance.
GNA
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong