The Effect of Englishisation on Language Use among the Ewe of Southern Volta in Ghana

The contact of English language with other languages in the world has significant impacts on language use in different domains. The coexistence of English with Ghanaian indigenous languages in Ghana, for example, has resulted to different language varieties in the country. Thus, presently, Ghana has three different language varieties: Unmixed-English, Unmixed-Ghanaian Language(s), and Mixed-English. The use of any of these varieties, as observed by Owusu-Ansah (1997) is, however, largely constrained by multiple domains of language use in Ghana. This paper, accordingly, discusses the extent at which the contact of English with Ewe language affects language use in the informal domain among the Ewe of Southern Volta. It highlights the use, and the domains of use of these varieties in contact situations, but focuses more on the informal domains such as homes, streets, recreational centres, markets and shops. The data were collected from 120 participants from different age groups, gender and different educational groups through participant observation and interview. The study has shown that the informal domains: homes, streets, shops, markets and recreational centres among the Aŋlɔ-Ewe are highly dominated by the use of English and Mixed-Ewe English varieties. This suggests that the Aŋlɔ-Ewe do not restrict themselves to language specific domains in Ghana, but manipulate the choice available to them to fulfill their communicative purposes; they choose the variety they feel most comfortable with. This finding thus contradicts Owusu-Ansah (1997). It nevertheless, contributes to the on-going discussion on language situation in Ghana, and also helps the Aŋlɔ-Ewe to work towards maintaining the Unmixed-Ewe variety so as to avoid its death.