Paul and Natalie’s IDEALAB research on multilingualism in Ghana is going viral!

5. March 2025 Off By IDEALAB

Language shapes identity and culture, and in Ghana, multilingualism is a way of life. A recent study by our very own Paul Omane and Natalie Boll-Avetisyan with their colleague Titia Benders published in Cognitive Development reveals that infants in Accra grow up hearing between two and six languages from birth. The study highlights that multilingual exposure is not an exception but a fundamental part of Ghanaian life.

Unlike Western settings where children typically learn one primary language, Ghanaian babies are immersed in diverse linguistic environments. They acquire languages through direct interactions with caregivers and indirect exposure from conversations, radio, and television. Extended families and communal living further enrich their linguistic experiences. While local languages like Akan, Ga, and Ewe are learned through daily interactions, English is often introduced through media. This challenges the traditional view that direct interaction is the primary method of language acquisition.

By expanding research beyond Western perspectives, researchers gain a clearer understanding of how children naturally acquire multiple languages. Rather than being a challenge, multilingualism is a cognitive and social strength that should be embraced in education and policy.

Some of the articles written about this exciting resarch:

CategoryAllgemein