Proficiency-based analysis of English determiner identification by Francophone students in Ghana

Purpose This study investigates the ability of Francophone students to identify determiners in English sentences based on their proficiency levels. Design/methodology/approach A total of 100 first-year undergraduate foreign students from French-speaking countries were selected as study participants from two public universities in Ghana. The study employed two data collection tools: a questionnaire to collect data on the sociolinguistic profile of the students and a written test to assess their ability to identify English determiners in a sentence. Findings The analysis revealed differences in the mean test scores of the respondents across different English proficiency levels. The Welch’s ANOVA test indicated significant differences in the average test scores among the different English proficiency levels (Welch Statistic = 8.537, p-value = 0.000) at the 5% level of significance. Further multiple comparison tests showed significant differences between Beginner and Intermediate (p = 0.003), Beginner and Advanced (p = 0.000), and Beginner and Proficiency levels (p = 0.000). However, no significant differences were found among Intermediate and Advanced (p = 0.077), Intermediate and Proficiency (p = 0.662) or Advanced and Proficiency levels (p = 0.416). Research limitations/implications The study’s findings are limited to first-year Francophone undergraduate students in two public universities in Ghana and may not be generalised to all Francophone students. However, the results provide useful insights for language educators and curriculum developers. The pedagogical implications highlight the need for differentiated instruction and integration of contextual practice. Originality/value This study is the first of its kind to provide insight into the empirical evidence on the ability of Francophone students to identify determiners in English based on their proficiency levels.