TO BE OR NOT TO BE: Codeswitching in the Ghanaian Multilingual Classroom
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22333/ijme.2026.11528Keywords:
codeswitching, Ghanaian multilingual classroom, medium of instruction, directed conversation, accidental ethnographyAbstract
Codeswitching (CS) as a linguistic strategy available to the multilingual teacher in a multilingual classroom is usually undermined despite a good body of literature available outlining its pedagogical relevance. Though some research has been done in Ghana on codeswitching, not much has been done on how the medium of instruction inhibits teachers and learners’ efforts in employing CS to bring life into the classroom. This paper has examined the reactions of both teachers and learners towards CS in the Ghanaian multilingual classroom. Accidental ethnography was employed as a method and the research instruments employed were observations and directed conversation. It was revealed that both teachers and learners employ codeswitching because they feel confident and comfortable expressing their ideas. CS is not a predetermined linguistic pedagogical resource but a situational linguistic pedagogical strategy that brings the multilingual classroom to life. Despite that CS brings about linguistic inclusivity and mostly brings the class to life, there are instances of linguistic exclusivity in complex multilingual contexts. Policy makers were considered to be detached from the realities that prevailed in the classroom. This work argues for language policies that are appropriate for African multilingual classroom situation. This work contributes to the discussion of teachers utilising CS in multilingual contexts to meet learners’ needs
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