A leading academic has urged Ghana’s universities to rethink how they teach academic writing, warning that current approaches are limiting students’ ability to compete in global research spaces.
Joseph Benjamin Archibald Afful, a Professor of Applied English Linguistics at the University of Cape Coast, says many academic writing programmes in Ghana remain overly focused on error correction rather than building discipline-specific and research-driven writing skills.
Delivering his inaugural lecture titled “A tale of two cities: The case of an applied English Linguist,” Prof Afful argued that this approach leaves graduate students underprepared for the demands of international publishing, particularly in areas such as synthesis of ideas, referencing, and academic language use.
He called for a shift in curriculum design that moves away from remediation and instead prioritises specialised academic writing tailored to different disciplines, supported by modern teaching methods such as technology-assisted learning and critical pedagogy.
According to him, many postgraduate researchers in Ghana also struggle with understanding global publishing conventions, including rhetorical techniques such as hedging, meta-discourse, and evaluative language—skills he described as essential for publication in international journals.
Prof Afful further proposed the introduction of structured academic writing courses for postgraduate students across public universities, alongside regular review of existing programmes, noting that some have remained unchanged for years.
He also recommended targeted training for lecturers, thesis supervisors, and early-career academics in “English for Academic and Publishing Purposes,” as well as institutional support for research writing development, including funding for workshops and mentorship programmes.
Beyond academic writing, the linguist drew attention to his work in socio-onomastics—the study of naming and address systems in society—explaining how language use reflects identity, authority, and social relationships in Ghanaian communities.
He warned that misunderstandings of local naming and address practices can create communication barriers and social tension, especially in multicultural or formal institutional settings.
Prof Afful therefore encouraged policymakers to support the preservation and promotion of indigenous naming systems, urging ministries responsible for culture, local government, and tourism to develop guidelines that protect Ghana’s linguistic and cultural heritage in public naming practices.
