Language choice in churches in indigenous Gã towns: a multilingual balancing act

Akua Asantewaa Campbell; Jemima Asabea Anderson

doi:10.1515/multi-2021-0063

Article

Language choice in churches in indigenous Gã towns: a multilingual balancing act

Akua Asantewaa Campbell and Jemima Asabea Anderson

Published/Copyright: October 6, 2021

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From the journal Multilingua Volume 42 Issue 4

Abstract

This paper examines the determinant factors motivating language choice in churches in coastal Accra, an area characterized by a high degree of urbanization and multilingualism. As this region is also ethnically Gã, we survey the attitudes of Gã congregants to the use of other languages in their churches, bearing in mind the pressure faced by Gã from the more dominant vehicular languages, Akan and English. Data was obtained via participant observation, questionnaires and interviews. Using domain analysis, we show that language choice in the church domain is guided by the diametric principles of inclusiveness and church expansion on the one hand, and the conservation of a homogeneous socio-cultural identity on the other. Multilingual churches espouse the former while monolingual churches prize the latter. Gã congregants in churches that make extensive use of Akan and English report feeling satisfied with the language choices in their churches as they see these lingua francas as necessary for reaching out to the wider community. Although in other spheres of life there is irritation among Gã natives about the diminishing role of their language, in the church domain, this is readily tolerated for the greater good of advancing the church’s work.

Keywords: churches; Ghana; language attitudes; multilingualism; religion

Corresponding author: Akua Asantewaa Campbell, Department of Linguistics, College of Humanities, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana, E-mail: acampbell@ug.edu.gh

Funding source: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Award Identifier / Grant number: RBE9

Research funding: This research was supported by an Andrew Mellon grant RBE9 awarded to the College of Humanities at the University of Ghana.

Appendix

RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE I

To be filled in by the research assistants:

Church ______________________________________________

Suburb _______________________________________

Date and time ____________________________________________________

For Traditional Orthodox Churches (Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist)

Q1. In what language was the first reading done?

Q2. In what language was the second reading done?

Q3. In what language was the gospel read?

Q4. In what language(s) did the congregation pray or recite rituals like:

The confession __________________________

The creed ______________________________

Eucharistic prayers __________________________

Others (Specify) _____________________________

For Charismatic/Pentecostal churches

Q5. In what language(s) were the Bible readings done?

Q6. In what language(s) were prayers said?

For all

Q7. In what language(s) was the preaching/sermon done?

Q8. In what language(s) did the choirs/singing bands sing? (Enter the name of each choir/band and the language(s) used, indicating the number of songs for each language. If a song contains two languages, for example, count it twice – one for each language it contains)

Q9. In what language(s) were announcements made?

Q10. When a given language was used in the service, what specific activities were going on?

RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE II

For Priests/Pastors

1. Name _____________________________________

2. Age ___________________________________________

3. Church _________________________________________

4. How long have you been a priest/pastor at this church? ________________

5. What is your native language? _____________________________

6. What other language(s) do you speak? Indicate level of proficiency: very fluent, fluent, intermediate or basic.

7.Is there one language or more than one language that a majority of the congregation speaks very fluently? _________________________

8. Name it (them) ____________________________________________________

9. What factors motivated the choice of the various languages used during the service? Referring to answers on questionnaire I, RAs should ask about the reasons why particular languages are used for particular activities.

For example: “Why is the sermon preached in English and interpreted into Ga and Twi?”

“Why are announcements given in Ga?” etc.

Interview guide for Gã congregants

1. Name ___________________________________________________

2. Age _____________________________________________________

3. Church attended ____________________________________________

4. No. of years in church ________________________________________

5. What is your native language? ___________________________________

6. What is your hometown? ________________________________________

7. Which other language(s) do you speak? Estimate your level of proficiency for each language: very fluent, fluent, intermediate, basic

8. Which language(s) are used in your church?

9. Are you satisfied with the choice of language(s) used in your church?

10. Why?

11. Which language(s) do you think should be used in your church?

12. Why?

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Received: 2021-05-31

Accepted: 2021-09-17

Published Online: 2021-10-06

Published in Print: 2023-07-26

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/multi-2021-0063

Keywords for this article

churches; Ghana; language attitudes; multilingualism; religion