Language Choice Among Commuter Bus Conductors (Drivers' Mates) and Passengers at Kumasi Kejetia Bus Terminal, Ghana

Abstract

This research examines the language used by commuter bus conductors and passengers traveling to and from the Kejetia bus terminal in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. The study adopts a sociolinguistic approach. Data were obtained from the utterances of bus conductors and passengers on board the commuter buses. Observation and audio recording were employed as data collection instruments. Data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings indicate that the Asante Twi dialect is the most dominant language among the sampled population, while unmarked code-switching in conversational discourse was also common. English was found to be the second most dominant language in participants' verbal interactions. These findings suggest that, apart from Akan, the other seven languages are at risk of language shift, which may eventually lead to language loss if the respective ethnic groups fail to maintain their languages.