BECE · 18 topics

Ghanaian Language

G3N tutors you through the full BECE Ghanaian Language syllabus offline — from Strand 1: Customs and Institutions, Strand 2: Listening and Speaking, Strand 3: Reading and more — with adaptive lessons, instant quizzes and exam-ready summaries.

Study Ghanaian Language now All BECE subjects

Syllabus

What you’ll cover in Ghanaian Language.

The complete topic outline G3N teaches, mapped to the BECE curriculum.

Basic 7

6 topics

Strand 1: Customs and Institutions

Sub-strand 1: Rites of Passage – Childhood Rites
- Outdooring ceremony: meaning, process and significance
- Naming ceremonies in different ethnic groups in Ghana
- Puberty rites for children in Ghanaian communities
- Role of family and community in childhood rites
- Symbolism in childhood rites of passage
Sub-strand 2: Naming Systems – Day Names and Order of Birth
- Day names (Kra din) in Akan and other Ghanaian languages
- Birth order names and their significance
- Multiple naming traditions: day names, house names, Christian names
- Cultural identity through naming systems
Sub-strand 3: The Clan System
- Concept and structure of clans in Ghanaian societies
- Functions of clans: social identity and solidarity
- Totem systems and their meaning
- Clan leadership and responsibilities
Sub-strand 4: Chieftaincy – Installation and Destoolment
- The chieftaincy institution in Ghana
- Process of enstoolment or enskinment of chiefs
- Royal regalia and their significance
- Circumstances and process of destoolment

Strand 2: Listening and Speaking

Sub-strand 1: Conversation/Everyday Discourse
- Greetings and expressions of courtesy in Ghanaian language
- Introducing oneself and others
- Conversing about daily activities and routines
- Asking and answering questions appropriately
- Social protocols in Ghanaian communication
Sub-strand 2: Listening Comprehension
- Listening to and understanding spoken texts
- Identifying main ideas in oral narratives
- Following spoken instructions and directions
- Retelling stories and events heard
Sub-strand 3: Speech Sounds – Vowels and Consonants
- Vowel sounds in the Ghanaian language
- Consonant sounds including unique sounds
- Distinction between similar sounds
- Correct pronunciation of words and sentences
Sub-strand 4: Tone
- Concept of tone in Ghanaian languages
- High and low tones and their markings
- Effect of tone on word meaning
- Tonal patterns in sentences
Sub-strand 5: Vocabulary Development
- Building vocabulary of everyday words
- Thematic vocabulary: home, school, market, nature
- Proverbs, idioms and their meanings
- Word families and related words
Sub-strand 6: Presentation – Everyday Experience
- Oral presentations on personal experiences
- Describing objects, people and events
- Using appropriate register and style
- Storytelling and narrative techniques

Strand 3: Reading

Sub-strand 1: Reading
- Reading texts in the Ghanaian language with fluency
- Reading aloud with correct pronunciation and tone
- Comprehension of texts read
- Reading for different purposes: information, enjoyment
Sub-strand 2: Translation
- Translating simple texts from Ghanaian language to English
- Translating simple texts from English to Ghanaian language
- Understanding meaning across languages
- Cultural concepts that resist direct translation

Strand 4: Language and Usage

Sub-strand 1: Sentences – Simple, Compound and Complex
- Simple sentences: structure and construction
- Compound sentences using conjunctions
- Complex sentences with subordinate clauses
- Sentence transformation and variety
Sub-strand 2: Integrating Grammar in Written Language
- Nouns: common, proper and collective nouns
- Verbs: tenses and their forms
- Adjectives and their agreement with nouns
- Correct usage of grammar in writing
Sub-strand 3: Integrating Grammar in Written Language
- Pronouns and their usage
- Adverbs of time, place and manner
- Prepositions in Ghanaian language
- Subject-verb agreement
Sub-strand 4: Vocabulary, Spelling and Punctuation
- Correct spelling of words in Ghanaian language
- Punctuation marks and their uses
- Word meaning and usage in context
- Building academic vocabulary

Strand 5: Composition Writing

Sub-strand 1: Structure and Organise Ideas in Composition
- Planning and organising ideas for writing
- Introduction, body and conclusion in compositions
- Writing narratives and descriptions
- Formal and informal letter writing
- Developing paragraphs with supporting details

Strand 6: Literature

Sub-strand 1: Folktales, Songs, Prose, Drama and Poetry
- Ghanaian folktales: themes, characters and moral lessons
- Traditional songs and their cultural significance
- Reading and performing drama in Ghanaian language
- Poetry: identification and appreciation
- Oral literature and its place in Ghanaian culture

Basic 8

6 topics

Strand 1: Customs and Institutions

Sub-strand 1: Rites of Passage – Puberty Rites
- Puberty rites for girls and boys in Ghanaian cultures
- Cultural significance of puberty rites
- Changes in modern practices of puberty rites
- Comparing puberty rites across ethnic groups
Sub-strand 2: Naming Systems – Family Names and Kinship
- Family names and their origins
- Kinship terminology in Ghanaian languages
- Matrilineal and patrilineal naming systems
- Names as markers of identity and heritage
Sub-strand 3: The Clan System
- Clan exogamy and marriage rules
- Clan festivals and celebrations
- Modern relevance of clan systems
- Conflict resolution through clan structures
Sub-strand 4: Chieftaincy – Destoolment
- Grounds for destoolment of a chief
- Process and consequences of destoolment
- Chieftaincy disputes and their resolution
- Role of traditional councils in chieftaincy

Strand 2: Listening and Speaking

Sub-strand 1: Conversation/Everyday Discourse
- Extended conversations on social and community topics
- Discussions and debates in Ghanaian language
- Expressing agreement, disagreement and opinions
- Formal and informal speech registers
Sub-strand 2: Listening Comprehension
- Listening to folktales and cultural narratives
- Comprehending extended spoken texts
- Critical listening: evaluating what is heard
- Listening for details and inferences
Sub-strand 4: Tone
- Advanced tonal patterns and their meanings
- Tonal alternation and grammatical function
- Tone in proverbs and oral poetry
- Effect of tone in poetry and song
Sub-strand 6: Presentation – Everyday Experience
- Extended oral presentations with supporting evidence
- Using visual aids in presentations
- Storytelling competitions and oral performance
- Public speaking skills in Ghanaian language

Strand 3: Reading

Sub-strand 1: Reading
- Reading longer texts and literary works
- Oral reading performance with expression
- Reading for comprehension and analysis
- Research reading in Ghanaian language
Sub-strand 2: Translation
- Translating complex texts between languages
- Idiomatic translations and cultural equivalents
- Challenges of translation: cultural concepts
- Comparing translation choices

Strand 4: Language and Usage

Sub-strand 2: Integrating Grammar in Written Language
- Advanced verb forms and tense usage
- Causative constructions in Ghanaian language
- Complex noun phrases
- Passive voice constructions
Sub-strand 3: Integrating Grammar in Written Language
- Discourse markers and cohesive devices
- Complex sentence patterns
- Stylistic features of written language
- Error analysis and correction in writing

Strand 5: Composition Writing

Sub-strand 1: Structure and Organise Ideas in Composition
- Argumentative and persuasive writing
- Descriptive essays: people, places and events
- News reports and articles
- Creative fiction: short stories
- Editing and revising written work

Strand 6: Literature

Sub-strand 1: Proverbs, Idioms, Prose, Drama and Poetry
- Ghanaian proverbs and their meanings and applications
- Idiomatic expressions in everyday speech
- Analysis of prose literary works
- Dramatic performance and script reading
- Appreciating and writing poetry

Basic 9

6 topics

Strand 1: Customs and Institutions

Sub-strand 1: Rites of Passage – Marriage
- Marriage rites and customs in Ghanaian cultures
- Traditional marriage ceremonies: dowry and bride price
- Christian, Islamic and traditional marriage rites
- Changes in marriage practices in modern Ghana
Sub-strand 2: Naming Systems – Circumstantial Names
- Circumstantial names: names reflecting events of birth
- Names of twins and their meanings
- Names as historical records
- Modern naming trends in Ghana
Sub-strand 3: The Clan System
- Clan totems and taboos
- Inter-clan relations and alliances
- Preservation of clan identity in urbanised societies
- Clans and national identity
Sub-strand 4: Chieftaincy – Traditional Government
- Organisation of traditional governance
- Queen mothers and women in traditional leadership
- Chieftaincy and local government
- Chieftaincy and national development

Strand 2: Listening and Speaking

Sub-strand 1: Conversation/Everyday Discourse
- Professional and formal conversations in Ghanaian language
- Interview and negotiation skills
- Expressing complex viewpoints and arguments
- Cross-cultural communication strategies
Sub-strand 2: Listening Comprehension
- Listening to and analysing oral literature
- Critical evaluation of spoken content
- Synthesising information from multiple oral sources
- Academic listening strategies
Sub-strand 4: Tones
- Tonal morphology: how tone changes word class
- Tone in oral literature and its aesthetic effects
- Tone and intonation in extended discourse
- Regional tonal variations
Sub-strand 6: Presentation – Everyday Experiences
- Advanced public speaking and oratory
- Debate and argumentation in Ghanaian language
- Multimedia presentations using Ghanaian language
- Community engagement through language

Strand 3: Reading

Sub-strand 1: Reading
- Reading and analysing literary texts critically
- Reading research and academic texts
- Evaluating author's purpose, style and audience
- Reading texts from different historical periods
Sub-strand 2: Translation
- Advanced translation of literary and formal texts
- Interpreting cultural nuances in translation
- Translation as a bridge between cultures
- Comparative study of translated texts

Strand 4: Language and Usage

Sub-strand 2: Integrating Grammar in Written Language
- Complex grammatical structures in academic writing
- Aspects of Ghanaian language verbs: completive, progressive
- Advanced modifier phrases and clauses
- Grammatical analysis of literary texts
Sub-strand 3: Integrating Grammar in Written Language
- Syntactic analysis of complex sentences
- Register and style in formal writing
- Stylistic devices in Ghanaian language
- Academic writing conventions

Strand 5: Composition Writing

Sub-strand 1: Structure and Organise Ideas in Composition
- Extended essays and research writing
- Speech writing and formal presentations
- Writing for different media and purposes
- Critical and analytical writing
- Portfolio and reflective writing

Strand 6: Literature

Sub-strand 1: Drum/Horn/Xylophone Language, Prose, Poetry and Drama
- Drum language and its role in Ghanaian communication
- Horn and xylophone language traditions
- Analysis of prose and poetry of prominent Ghanaian authors
- Drama performance and appreciation
- Literary criticism of Ghanaian literary works

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