“I Like the Story Very Mach”: Impact of Access to Books and Teacher Read-Alouds on Primary School English Language Discourse Development in Ghana

• In Event: Educational Evaluation and Reform in Africa and in the Caribbean

Abstract

In sub-Saharan African countries where English is the official and school language, adequate and grade level English literacy is critical for all students. Despite evidence that abundant books and regular teacher read-alouds significantly raise second language discourse mastery, students in most Ghanaian public primary schools continue to be book-starved. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to provide an infusion of books and teacher familiarity with read-aloud strategies in order to help expedite the development of English written discourse in a 3rd/4th grade rural Ghanaian classroom. A mixed methods design complemented with discourse analysis and analytic induction techniques was utilized to explore the phenomenon. Preliminary results showed dramatic improvements in narrative and modest improvements in expository retelling abilities.

Author

• Amma K. Akrofi, Texas Tech University