Ginyanga recorded text testing

This paper presents a sociolinguistic survey conducted in the Ginyanga speech community Guang language family) of Togo. The survey was designed to help SIL Togo-Benin administrators determine whether there is a need for SIL participation in Ginyanga language development and, if so, the priority and strategy for such involvement.

Through the administration of a Recorded Text Test (RTT), we evaluated the Ginyanga speaker’s comprehension of Gikyode. Gikyode is a speech variety spoken in Ghana, which is closely related to Ginyanga. In this paper, we give the results for the RTT and briefly investigate testing of written Gikyode. In addition, we present information collected pertaining to dialectology, multilingualism, and the religious situation.

In general, the test results show “mixed levels” of comprehension of Gikyode. This means, no segment of the population scores below 80%, but some segments score below 90%” Marmor 1996:2). The reported level of bilingualism in Ewe is high, but there are few indications of language shift.

The results from the RTT and information presented in this paper are one part of a larger sociolinguistic survey. More information, such as language attitudes and contact patterns between the Anyanga and the Akyode, is discussed in a separate report titled, “Ginyanga Literacy Development,” which primarily addresses recommendations for literacy development.