Africa is a multilingual continent and many adults speak several languages fluently. An empirical study conducted by a research team led by Potsdam Psycholinguists Prof. Dr. Natalie Boll-Avetisyan and Paul O. Omane now shows that the roots of this multilingualism can be found in childhood: in Ghana, most babies grow multilinguals, with most of them they come into contact with two to six to six to six languages and so many regular speakers of each language. The researchers also showed that babies heard some languages mainly indirectly, that is, through radio, television or background conversations, while their caregivers used other languages to communicate directly with them. The study results have now been published in the “Cognitive Development” magazine.
The study, which examined 121 babies from three to twelve months in ACCRA, the capital of Ghana, demonstrates a notable variety of language contributions in the first months of life. Children are regularly exposed to six to six languages. Surprisingly, the number of caregivers that children also have a ranks between two and six, and babies who have more adults in their daily lives that regularly take care of them also listen to more different languages. In Ghana, families often live in the so -called “compound buildings”, where many everyday interactions take place in the patio, where family, neighbors and other relatives play an important role in the life of children.
“The idea that a child learns only a particular language of a single caregiver, as it is often supposed to western cultures, does not apply to these communities. Rather, children are surrounded by a rich spectrum of linguistic contributions from the beginning,” says Paul O. Omane, the first author of the study. “Most studies on the acquisition of children’s language have been carried out in Western industrialized nations, so they often focus on a fairly narrow conception of multilingualism. Our research shows that other societies show a much more vibrant multilingual environment,” adds the main researcher of the study, Professor Dr. Natalie Boll-Salvetisy.
A key finding of the study is the distinction between the entry of direct and indirect language. Although English is acquired mainly through indirect channels such as television and official communication, children receive most local languages (such as Akan, GA and sheep) through direct contact with their caregivers. Consequently, the proportion of direct entry is greater in local languages than in English, which is predominantly present as an indirect entry.
It is often emphasized how important the direct language contact for language acquisition, “says Natalie Boll-Avetisyan.” However, our results suggest that indirect contribution, especially through the media and official communication, also plays an essential role in the daily life of children, particularly in urban contexts. “
As a result of their empirical study, researchers ask for a broader vision in language research. Common assumptions do not reflect the diversity and complexity found in other cultural contexts such as Ghana. The study makes it clear that it is not only the number of languages that a child listens, but also the diversity of people and the different forms of contributions that have a decisive influence on language acquisition. “Our research shows that for many children, a multilingual environment is a dynamic and vibrant reality from the beginning. Multilingualism is not only an advantage, but a fundamental part of the identity and social structure of children,” says the researcher.