This study was conducted to first investigate the state of Autism in Ghana and then to unravel the language choices that parents make for their children and the factors that influence the choices they make. It is concluded that children schooled in a second language, and teachers teaching in language that they do not master well enough may represent a potential barrier for the social, scientific, and economic development of sub-Saharan African countries, such as Ghana.Ībstract One of the most crucial decisions to make for parents of children with Autism in Ghana (just like for others in most bilingual and multilingual environments) is what language(s) to use with their children.
Ghana, however, has been a strong advocate of the so-called “African personality” and the use of English as the medium of instruction is in overt opposition to this ideology. It is argued that these international schools may have adverse consequences on Ghanaian children who attend them. The question of so-called “international schools” in Ghana is also examined most of these schools do not teach any of the Ghanaian languages, but a foreign language, such as French, Spanish, or Portuguese.
Because this association between language and school learning, speaking English provides not only significant social prestige, but also results in better working opportunities. Commonly, English is used as the primary school language. It is pointed out that in Ghana during recent years frequent changes have been introduced in school language. The specific example of Ghana is examined. This situation results in potentially negative consequences affecting school learning. It is observed that quite often, children are schooled in a second language, and teachers must teach in a foreign language. After their independence, many countries have continued using that language as the instructional language. During colonial times, the colonizer language generally dominated in schools. Until recently, most of these countries were European colonies. Sub-Saharan Africa represents a world region with a significant linguistic diversity. The language used in school represents a crucial and polemic question in multilingual societies.
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