Former students’ retrospective experiences with vocabulary-based Greek and Latin instruction in Accra, Ghana

Abstract This paper investigates former students’ retrospective experiences learning Greek and Latin through a vocabulary-based pedagogical approach in a private pre-tertiary institution in Accra, Ghana. The study used a mixed-methods case design, and data were collected through classroom observation, semi-structured interviews with school administrators, and an online questionnaire distributed to 22 former students. The school’s Classical language instruction employed a vocabulary-based pedagogy, emphasising etymological breakdowns connected to science, social studies, and everyday life. The study reveals three key findings: (1) teacher demeanour emerged as the most influential factor in student experiences; creative, approachable teachers inspired engagement while intimidating instructors created fear that impeded learning; (2) students’ perceptions of the relevance of lessons evolved over time, sometimes finding lessons boring during instruction but invaluable retrospectively once they encountered technical terminology in tertiary education; and (3) the core transferable skill of breaking down unfamiliar words using classical roots proved valuable whenever students encountered new terminology, regardless of discipline. The findings suggest that vocabulary-based classical language instruction can provide lasting benefits even in resource-limited, non-examinable contexts, but success depends critically on teacher quality and pedagogical strategies that make future relevance visible to students during instruction.