French Education- “Why Students Fall Behind in Ghana”

The Challenges of Learning French Language

The failure of French education in Ghana has several reasons. I can suggest some of the reasons for this problem. Many Teachers teach students how to memorize lessons with past questions. They stick to the textbooks and syllabus to cover topics quickly instead of teaching outside the box. In turn, Students too learn purposely because they want to pass their exams not because they want to be imparted positively in society.

In this article I am going to share some of the reasons why I believe this is the case.
Is French Memorization an Effective Way of Learning?

French should be taught for deeper understanding, not mere memorization. French language is a second language and not a mother tongue. In order for students to learn, applying variety of methods will help students process the information in their brains. When content is taught better, students learn better.

Teachers feel obligated to cover a certain number of topics over a certain amount of time during the semester, so once syllabus is followed and covered that is it, even if students didn’t stick with the material. Whatever we feel is worth teaching students should be worth teaching well.

Let’s vow to teach for deeper understanding rather than giving students a quick glance at each topic. When it happens like that the brain of the child does not receive positive stimulation it needs to act on what his learning. The essential part to French education is the fact that memorization is not the best method of learning French language.

The main idea behind this article is to ensure all students, no matter where they find themselves, receive the knowledge they need to be successful after University, deeper French level knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a 21st-century world. If we want to compete in the global economy, we must be certain that all students receive the skills of another International language, French.

National Curriculum in Ghana

Stagnation can cause danger. A National Curriculum does not mean that everything should be taught the same way. It simply means that it has to be designed to suit student’s needs.
With my humble opinion, in order to promote French education in Ghana, a National Curriculum at the preschool level should be implemented to teach French Phonics Sound, French educational videos, French educational activities for kids and how to make children creative and smart in the French language.

This nation is blessed with many devoted and passionate Teachers, experts in their field. It is not wrong to turn to those Teachers when making changes in the National Curriculum. I hope we can use the expertise of those in the field to navigate the changes that are pending in education going forward.

Looking into the future we must learn to adapt our teaching to what our current students will be facing in the job market. A time may come, even to be a driver, employers might require job seekers to have background in French before they could be employed.

By: Michael Djan
French Tutor and Digital Marketing Blogger/Content Writer and GhanaWeb Professional Reporter/ frencheducationgh.com