LANGUAGES
(1) STANDARD OF THE PAPERS
The Chief Examiners reported that the standard of the papers was the same as that of previous years. They noted that the questions were understandable and pertinent to the syllabuses.
(2) PERFORMANCE OF CANDIDATES
The Chief Examiners detected that candidates’ performance in the various subject papers varied. They noted an improvement in candidates’ performance in the following papers: Literature-in-English 2, Arabic 2, Dangme 1 and 2, Fante 1 and 2, Dagaare 1 and 2, Dagbani 1, Kasem 1, Ga 1 and 2, Twi (Akuapem) 1 and 2, Twi (Asante) 1 and 2, Gonja 1 and 2, Nzema 1 and 2.
For English Language 2, Ga 2, Kasem 2, and Dagbani 2, the performance remained almost the same whereas there was a decline observed in Literature-in-English 3, French 2 and French 3.
(3) SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ STRENGTHS
The candidates’ strengths identified by the Chief Examiners were assessed based
on the following:
(a) Good Organisation of Essays
The Chief Examiners noted that a good number of candidates presented well-organised essays, especially the informal letters. Candidates used good linking words and transitional phrases to connect their paragraphs. Thus, they scored high marks for organisation with the English Language 2. Also, the Chief Examiners for Literature-in-English 2 and 3 noted that candidates presented well-structured essays. In their introductory paragraph, candidates stated the general theme of the text and described correctly the characters/ literary devices as demanded by the question.
(b) Precise Responses to Comprehension Passages
The Chief Examiners for Arabic 2, Gonja 1, Dangme 1, Kasem 1, Ga 1, Twi (Akuapem) 1, Twi (Asante) 1, Fante 1 and Dagbani 1 specifically,
commended candidates for their remarkable handling of questions on comprehension passages. They highlighted candidates’ short and precise presentation of responses. The Chief Examiner for English Language 2 also reported a similar strength in the summary aspect of the paper.
(c) Adherence to Rubrics
The Chief Examiners for English Language 2, Literature-in-English 2 and
3, and French 2 reported that a good number of candidates adhered to the rubrics of the papers. That is, candidates chose a question per section as required.
(d) Ability to Appreciate Selected Texts
The Chief Examiners for Literature-in-English 2 and 3, Arabic 2 and papers for the Ghanaian Languages reported that a good number of candidates could recall at least the plots and themes of the various selected texts for study. This made it easy to answer questions on themes and plots.
SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ WEAKNESSES
The weaknesses of candidates identified by the Chief Examiners of the various languages were summarised as follows:
(a) Poor Stock of Vocabulary
The Chief Examiners for English Language 2 reported that most candidates faced challenges in their usage of appropriate vocabulary to express themselves, especially in the section where they candidates were to provide appropriate synonyms for listed words from the passage. Most of the candidates had similar words running through their responses. Similarly, the Chief Examiners for French 2, Nzema 2, Kasem 2 and Dangme 2 cited that most candidates often repeated basic words, showing limited lexical range. In composition tasks, this led to monotonous writing and lack of expressiveness.
(b) Poor Use of Language
It was observed by Chief Examiners for Literature-in-English 2 and 3 as well as the Ghanaian Languages 2 that, even though candidates knew plots and themes of the texts in detail, they lacked the appropriate concord and tense to communicate the sequence of events when required to. There was also the issue of the usage of social media diction and pidgin in English Language 2.
(c) Poor Analysis of Selected Texts
The Chief Examiners for Literature-in-English 2 and 3 and the Ghanaian Languages 2 as well as Arabic 2 reported that the candidates resorted to bland narration instead of strong illustrations to buttress their responses when it came to questions on the selected texts.
(5) SUGGESTED REMEDIES TO CANDIDATES’ WEAKNESSES
The following remedies were recommended to address the weaknesses
identified:
(a) Candidates should be encouraged to read extensively in order to enrich their stock of vocabulary. It is also recommended that they consult a Thesaurus/ Dictionary in areas of difficulty.
(b) Teachers should encourage the right use of language among candidates during class hours and on campus.
(c) Regular in-service training sessions should be organized for language teachers to update their knowledge in content and methodology especially on comprehension, essay, grammar, summary and translation.
(d) Candidates should also be encouraged to embrace the practice of solving past questions and studying the Chief Examiners’ Reports so as to acquaint themselves with the trends of questions and how to tackle them
effectively.