Abstract:
Ghana after her independence adopted English Language as the official language of the country. English therefore enjoys the highest status more than other Ghanaian Languages since it is widely used as medium of communication in any national activities in jurisdiction, legislation, Government policy information and in the press. More so, despite the country being multilingual, English serves as the instructional language in our schools right from primary to tertiary. It is also the language in which major examinations are conducted. Dominant by status as it is over other Ghanaian Languages, English tends to have much influence in the written French of some students in Senior High Schools (SHS). The problem becomes much aggravated, as some grammatical notions especially concord in English are not similarly applicable in French. These phenomena have been the source of some of the major errors in French Grammar or syntax committed by students, hence a serious concern for West African Examination Council and the teachers of the language alike.
In this study, our attention is focused on three grammatical elements or parts of speech common to both languages namely: possessive adjectives, articles (definite and indefinite) and past participle. The study, based on tests conducted on third year students of some S.H.S. in the Metropolis of Cape Coast, reveals that students do commit many grammatical errors in written French due to some similarities and differences in both languages. These errors are committed not only as result of negative transfer of knowledge of English into French but also because of students’ inadequate knowledge of the target language. The thesis ends with useful pedagogical suggestions that can help minimize the problem.
