The Head of the Department of Languages at St Joseph's College of Education, Dr Dominic Frimpong, has called on the government to establish language laboratories in all the colleges of education to improve practical instruction and strengthen the communication skills of teachers.
He expressed concern over the lack of such facilities in teacher-training institutions and described the situation as a major setback to efforts aimed at improving language teaching and learning and producing competent instructors.
He told the Daily Graphic that none of the country's teacher-training institutions had established a language laboratory to support practical language instruction despite the critical role language played in teaching and learning.
Digital literacy
He said the situation was surprising, particularly at a time when the country's education reforms were promoting digital literacy, innovation and technology-driven learning.
On the importance of the laboratories, Dr Frimpong said the facilities provided students with opportunities to improve listening, speaking, reading and pronunciation skills through the use of computers, audio systems, headphones and specialised language software.
He said language laboratories also supported the teaching and learning of phonetics, phonology, pragmatics, literacy, communication skills and Ghanaian languages, making them indispensable for colleges responsible for training teachers.
"Language is the lifeblood of academia. Colleges of education are expected to produce competent teachers with strong communication skills, yet students are denied access to facilities that offer practical language learning experiences," he said.
Dr Frimpong said traditional language teaching methods offered limited opportunities for practice, while language laboratories promoted active learning through listening exercises, discussions, dialogues and pronunciation drills.
Student-teachers struggle
He said many student-teachers struggled with pronunciation and oral communication, leading to avoidable cases of miscommunication.
He explained that language laboratories would enable students to repeatedly listen to and practise correct pronunciation.
That, he said, would help improve their confidence and gain exposure to different accents and speech patterns.
Beyond improving communication skills, he said the facilities would help preserve and promote Ghanaian languages by integrating their study with modern technology.
He said language laboratories fostered independent learning, creativity, self-assessment and active student participation while making language learning more engaging and practical.
Technology-driven
Dr Frimpong further argued that the facilities would equip teacher-trainees with the communication competencies required in today's technology-driven and highly competitive job market.
While acknowledging challenges such as inadequate funding, limited technical support and unreliable electricity supply, he said those obstacles should not prevent stakeholders from investing in language laboratories.
Dr Frimpong called on the government, development partners, non-governmental organisations and alumni associations of colleges of education to collaborate to establish language laboratories across the country's teacher-training institutions.
He said such investments would significantly enhance the quality of teacher education and ultimately improve learning outcomes in schools nationwide.
