Translingual Ewe Identities in the Akan Diaspora: Observations from Koforidua

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the emerging Akan-English duopoly in Ghana’s language space and the unspoken tension between ethnic and national identities, this linguistic ethnography examined the in-group language practices and ethnic identity posturing of the Ewe community in Koforidua, a Twi-speaking city in Ghana. The study aimed to determine whether in-group translingual behaviour was the norm among the people and to establish their motivation for such fluid language practices. In addition, the study examined their attitude toward their translingual practices and the implications for their ethnic identity.
The uniqueness of this project is in its application of the translanguaging lens to the everyday in-group communication of a speech community and the diversity of natural settings in which this was studied. Using observation and informal conversation, the study analysed speech and sociolinguistic data from homes, workplaces, recreational spaces, and a special occasion. The study established that in-group translingual behaviour was unmarked in this speech community, and that, in the fluid language practices, they deployed linguistic features from Ewe, Twi, English, and more. The participants cherished Ewe as their heritage language but also valued Twi, English, and their translingual practices. Their translingual practices were motivated by the multilingual environment of fluid language practices in the city and the multilingual’s natural urge to freely and creatively deploy the most readily available resources in negotiating meaning.
The study concludes that the fluid language practices of these people were driven by the translanguaging instinct. Informal in-group settings offer the least inhibiting spaces for translanguaging. Beyond the Ewe identity, these people constructed and expressed trans-identities through their reflexive, creative, and emergent translingual practices.
The study further argues that the translanguaging perspective offers a more comprehensive explanation for the interplay between language and identity in our world, where diversity, hybridity, and fluidity have become the norm.

Date of Award	13 Oct 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Portsmouth
Supervisor	Mario Saraceni (Supervisor) & Glenn Hadikin (Supervisor)