L'Usage de Ressources Technologiques dans l'apprentissage du Français au Ghana

Abstract

Given technological advancements, studies (Knisely 2018 ; Pun, 2013 ; Mitchell, 2012 ; Clark & Gruba, 2010, Cetto, 2008 ; Furstenberg et al., 2001) show the great potential of technological resources in the optimization of the language-learning experience. This said, this project attempts to find out whether technological resources are exploited and optimized in tertiary institutions for the learning of French in Ghana. In the Ghanaian context, French is an important foreign language due to its membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS, a community dominated by francophone countries) and the fact that its neighboring countries are all francophone. Owing to this, French is a subject taught at almost all the levels of education in the country, although it is compulsory only at certain levels. However, some factors hinder the teaching and learning of French in Ghana. Considering the status of French and the factors that militates against its teaching and learning, our first aim is to find out whether French learners are aware of the technological resources that are available for enhancing their language learning. Secondly, we would like to find out what kind of technological resources they use, how they use them and finally, whether courses are structured to integrate technology. In order to get answers to these crucial questions, French students from all levels in the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Ghana Institute of Languages were asked to take an online survey. The thirty-two questions asked on the survey are related to materials used for French instruction in their institution, the kind of technological devices they own, their awareness and use of technological resources for French learning as well as the type of resources they would want their lecturers to include in the teaching of French. The result of our study shows that Ghanaian students who are aware of technological resources constitute the majority (N = 146, 73.36%) of students. The results also show that students use their Smartphones (N = 186, 77.17%) and the internet (N = 193, 93.24%) in their learning of French. Furthermore, the results show that they use these resources in fun ways such as listening to French music, listening to French audios, watching French films. Finally, the results indicate that lecturers integrate technological resources with audiovisuals (N = 190, 65.51%) being the most used and the internet (N = 103, 35.51%). being relatively less used. Based on the results of this survey and acknowledging that the restructuring of French programs could be a gradual process, we suggest that lecturers should integrate different technological resources in a coherent way in their teaching in order to make French teaching interesting, fun, attractive, varied and efficient for Ghanaian learners.