Project Lead: Prof. Gladys Ansah, Department of English
Research has established that a person’s linguistic repertoire, which is considered as a part of their human capital, contributes to their economic wellbeing. Studies (e.g., in Florida and Swit-zerland) have shown that the ability to speak more languages is believed to boost one’s earnings - with bilinguals earning more yearly compared to monolinguals. Ghana has been described as a highly multilingual country. Accra, the capital and largest city in the country is the home of indigenous Ga speakers. Nevertheless, as the economic and administrative centre of the coun-try, Accra has become the home of many migrants. The languages spoken in Accra include the indigenous Ga, Akan, Ewe, Nzema, Dangbe, Dagomba, Kasem, Gonja, Dagaare, Hausa, Pidgin and English. Even though English is the official language in Ghana, when it comes to the lan-guage for informal day-to-day economic activities, there is no policy and so multiple languages are used. This project therefore sought to conduct a survey involving female migrants working in Accra as head porters as well as traders, to explore whether, and how the ability to use multiple languages affects their economic fortunes and ultimately their general wellbeing.