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UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
(All rights reserved)

B.A. SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATION: 2015/2016

LNGS 204: Languages in Ghana

INSTRUCTIONS
(a) ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.
(b) USE THE QUESTION PAPER FOR ALL YOUR ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS.

(c) RESIT STUDENTS SHOULD WRITE "RESIT"AGAINST THEIR INDEX NUMBERS

TIME ALLOWED: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Candidate' s Number and Signature

Course Code and Title

Faculty / School/Institute

Date of Examination

Examination Venue

EXAMINER: DR. SETH ANTWI OFOR!

Candidate's Number Signature __________
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Question 1. (9 marks)

CIa) Define language as a linguistic construct. (lb) Use your definition to explain the nature of
languages in Ghana to a group of people in your community who do not have your level of
education.

(1 a) Definition oflanguage in linguistics: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _

_________________________________________________________ ~marks)

CIa) Explaining the nature oflanguages in Ghana based on (1a): (6 marks) __________

EXAMINER: DR. SETH ANTWI OFOR! 2

Candidate's Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
1D3 Signature _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Question 2. (J 2 marks)

Discuss how and why the following four factors have contributed to multilingualism in Ghana
today: (2a) colonialism, (2b) migration, (2c) education and (2d) employment (8 marks). Support
your discussion with the relevant indigenous example(s) (4 marks).

(2a) Colonialism: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

(2b) Migration: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

EXAMINER: DR. SETH ANTWI OFORI 3

 \_O_lf'
Candidate's Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Signature _ _ _ _ _ _ __

(2c) Education: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

(2d) Employment:, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ __

EXAMINER: DR. SETH ANTWI OFORI 4

Candidate's Number Signature _______________
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Question 3 (J 2 marks)

(3a) Mention any three domains where the English language is used in Ghana today. (3 marks)
(3a-i)
(3a-ii) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
(3a-iii) _______________________________________________________

(3b) What function(s) does English play in each of your three domains (in (3a»? (3 marks)
(3b-i)

(3b-ii) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

(3b-iii) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

(3c) Discuss the socio-cultural factors in each of your three domains that have preferred the use
of English in these domains over indigenous Ghanaian languages. (6 marks)

(3c-i)

(3c-ii) ____________________________________________________

(3c-iii) _________________________________________________

EXAMINER: DR. SETH ANTWI OFORI 5

Candidate's Number Signature _______________
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Question 4 (12 marks)
(4a) What is individual multilingualism? Support your definition with an example from the
Ghanaian socia-cultural context. (2 marks + 1 mark = 3 marks)

(4b) What is societal multilingualism? Support your definition with an example from the
Ghanaian socio-cultural context. (2 marks + 1 mark = 3 marks)

(4c) (0.5 + 1.5 + 1 = 3 marks)

(4c-i) Are you multilingual? _______________________________________________
(4c-ii) When is a person described as multilingual? _______________________________

(4c-iii) Based on your answer in (4c-i), what qualifies you as, or disqualifies you from being,
multilingual?

(4d) (0.5 + 1.5 + 1 = 3 marks)

(4d-i) Are you monolingual? ______________________________________________
(4d-ii) When is a person described as monolingual? _______________________________

(4d-iii) Based on your answe; in (d-i), what qualifies you as, or disqualifies you from being,
monolingual?

EXAMINER: DR. SETH ANTWI OFORI 6

Candidate's Number Signature _________________
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Question S

(Sa) What is genetic classification? (2 marks)

(Sb) Mention the three steps involved in the genetic classification oflanguages. (3 marks)

(Sc) Genetic grouping of languages/dialects in Ghana: Place a variety (c-i) after its genetic
name in table (c-ii) below. (0.4 x 25 x 2 = 20 marks)

(5 c-i) List of languages or language varieties (25 of them):

Bassari Sisaala Batrugbu Osudoku Lebir
Efutu Tampulma Avedakpa Avatime Likpe
Dagaari Twi Shai Fante Dagbani
Gichode Nzema Atumfuokasa Fodome Konkomba
Gonja Ahanta Gyogoh Baraka Cherepong

(Sc-ii) Group languages/dialects in (Sc-i) under genetic labels in this sub-part:

Genetic Name Languages
Write-in a language in (a) in the rows below,
against, or after, its _genetic group

Mande

Gur

Kwa

Proto-Gurma

EXAMINER: DR. SETH ANTWI OFORI 7

Candidate's Number s·ignature

Volta-Comoe languages
III (Guang)

Ligbi

Volta-Comoe languages
II

Volta-Comoe Languages
I (Bia group)

Bisa

Proto-Western

WesternKwa

Ghana Togo Mountain

Languages

The Ewe Group

Proto-Southwest

EXAMINER: DR. SETH ANT WI OFORI 8