The use of grammatical concord and its associated Semantic effects

Abstract

One of the basic grammatical rules often abused by basic school students is that regarding the use of grammatical concord. Thus, many JHS learners are challenged in the appropriate use of grammatical concord which obstructs communication. In this regard, the study explored students’ use of grammatical concord and the associated semantic effects among JHS students in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The theoretical arguments of this study are grounded in the syntactic theory, the referential theory of meaning and the attribution theory. The qualitative research approach was used in the study. In all, 18 students and six teachers participated in the study. Data collection for the study was done using in-depth interviews, classroom observations and content analysis of the essays of students. Data analysis was done using thematic analysis. The students had very poor knowledge of general basic grammar, especially in the area of agreement (concord). Tenses used were particularly chaotic. The pedagogical treatment of grammatical structures by the teachers has been ineffective. The inappropriate use of grammatical concord among the students has resulted in several semantic effects including expressions that are difficult to make meaning out of. The Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service and the Metropolitan Director of Education are advised to frequently organise workshops, seminars and refresher courses that will help enhance the professional skills and knowledge of the teachers. Teachers are advised to use a more creative and simulative approach to the teaching of grammatical concord to build students’ confidence in grammar.