Scientific Director & Chief Editor
Komla M. Avono (Ph.D.)
ISSN 2710-4699 Online
3 issues per year
Poetry as a Travelogue: AncestralLogic & CaribbeanBlues as a Journey back to the African People’s Fragmented History
Abstract
AncestralLogic & CaribbeanBlues (1993) is the fourth collection issued by the Ghanaian poet Kofi Anyidoho. The book represents an important literary endeavour through which the poet reflects from a pan African perspective on the mutilation of the black race throughout history. This article analyses the collection of poems from a postcolonial theoretical lens, arguing that it serves as a poetic travelogue through which Anyidoho revisits the fragmented, traumatic history of African peoples and highlights their enduring resilience. This is done through the concept of Sankofa that allows the reader to capture the particular interest that the poet devotes throughout the entire collection to the conditions of the descendants of Africans in the Caribbean. The survey has thus allowed to shed light on the people’s enduring challenge against Western hegemonic tutelage allowing them to progressively rise up from the endemic subaltern conditions that is their lot.
English SMS Language Use: Between Linguistic Appropriation and Identity Affirmation Among English Learners
Abstract
This article explores the role of English SMS language as a vehicle for linguistic appropriation and identity affirmation among non-native English learners. Drawing on linguistic identity theories and the sociocultural approach to learning, it analyses how digital exchanges, digital interactions via WhatsApp, constitute spaces for linguistic experimentation, socialization, and identity construction. Using a qualitative methodology combining corpus analysis and questionnaires, this research highlights learners’ linguistic creativity and their ability to negotiate their English-speaking identities in a multilingual environment. The results invite us to reconsider pedagogical practices by valuing the skills developed during these digital interactions and to recognize text messaging as a powerful tool for learning and social emancipation.
The Role of Machine Translation in African Languages: Potentials and Pitfalls
Abstract
This article examines the evolving role of machine translation (MT) in the context of African languages, highlighting its potential for linguistic equity and digital inclusion. With over 2,000 languages spoken across the continent, MT technologies present a unique opportunity to bridge linguistic divides, enhance access to information and services, and promote cultural and educational inclusion across diverse linguistic communities. However, deploying MT in African contexts is fraught with challenges. These include the scarcity of high-quality linguistic data, the structural and typological complexity of many African languages, and the lack of culturally adaptive translation models. The majority of extant MT systems are optimized for high-resource languages, frequently resulting in low accuracy and cultural misrepresentation when applied to African languages. The article posits a multidisciplinary, locally grounded approach to MT development, prioritizing the creation of inclusive datasets, investing in low-resource language technologies, and integrating cultural and contextual awareness into translation models. It is imperative that these issues are addressed in order to ensure that MT can serve as a tool for linguistic equity and digital inclusion across the continent.
Beyond Dystopian Tragedy: Louise O’Neill’s Dystopian Martyrs as Models of Resistance to the Beauty Myth
Abstract
Louise O’Neill’s Only Ever Yours is received as a young adult dystopian novel which, through its fatalistic depiction of women’s oppression, functions as a cautionary tale about the normative beauty discourses conveyed by contemporary popular media. Without questioning the effectiveness of the dystopian tragic scenarios to warn and educate, this article investigates whether the martyrs of O’Neill’s dystopian regime embody resistance. Through the lens of Naomi Wolf’s theory of the beauty myth, it examines the politics of O’Neill’s characterisation and argues that, though grounded on dystopian fatalism, O’Neill’s portrayal of women goes beyond mere dystopian tragedy to serve as a model for resistance to dominant beauty ideologies in post-Celtic Tiger Ireland. While the character of isabel [sic], through her defiant eating and dressing habits, demonstrates a rejection of consumerism and the aesthetic conformity, freida’s [sic] critical awakening offers a confessional narrative that encourages readers to question internalised beauty standards.
Human Predicament in Stoppard’s Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead (1966)
Abstract
This article investigates the theatrical and philosophical representation of the human condition in Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead (1966). It explores Stoppard’s tragicomic depiction of modern existential anxieties, with an emphasis on the meaning of existence and mortality within a world stripped of spirituality and direction. It also analyses the role of drama performance in confronting life’s uncertainties and in fostering meaningful human connections. While closely analysing the existential dilemmas of Stoppard’s characters, this study situates his work within a broader intellectual tradition. It engages in a rich dialogue with the writings of prominent twentieth century poets, playwrights, and philosophers. In doing so, it positions Stoppard’s play as a significant contribution to modern philosophical theatre. It is a compelling reflection on the collective search for meaning in a chaotic, modern cultural landscape.
A Study of Phonological Correlates between the Lingua Franca Core (LFC), Received Pronunciation and the Nigerian English Accent (NEA)
Abstract
English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) has shifted global linguistic priorities by emphasizing mutual intelligibility over adherence to native-speaker norms. This study examines the extent to which the Nigerian English Accent (NEA) aligns with Jenkins’ Lingua Franca Core (LFC) – a set of pronunciation features identified as essential for effective ELF communication. Using comparative phonological analysis, the study draws on segmental descriptions of Nigerian English by Awonusi (2004) and Adetugbo (2004), alongside Jenkins’ (2000, 2007) LFC framework. The findings reveal that NEA shares significant phonological features with the LFC, particularly in the preservation of voicing contrasts and initial consonant clusters, suggesting strong potential for intelligibility in ELF contexts. However, divergences such as vowel neutralization, interdental fricative substitutions, and inconsistent nuclear stress may hinder clarity in more complex communicative settings. These features, while common in many World Englishes varieties, highlight areas for targeted pedagogical attention. The study concludes that Nigerian English, as a localized variety, aligns more closely with intelligibility-focused ELF norms than with traditional native-speaker models like Received Pronunciation. Consequently, pronunciation teaching in Nigeria should prioritize features affecting intelligibility rather than enforcing native-like accuracy, supporting learners to communicate effectively while maintaining linguistic identity.
Investment in Human Capital and the Ghanaian Sustainable Development in Darko’s Between Two Worlds
Abstract
When developing his theory of human capital, Theodore William Schultz contends: “The quality of human effort can be greatly improved and its productivity enhanced…. The investment in human capital accounts for most of the impressive rise in the real earnings per worker” (1). The theory sustains that investing in human capital develops his or her productivity, economy and life. This vision is not different from the African postcolonial politics. Africa, conceived as a local space, requires its nations to invest in its human capital to get rid of the colonial poverty. This has always been the concern of the postcolonial Pan-African thinkers. Marcus Garvey’s “Africa for the Africans” is the nativist slogan that perfectly translates this Pan-African vision of investing in human capital for the sustainable development of the African countries. Using the theory of investing in human capital, this article argues that Amma Darko represents in Between Two Worlds this Pan-African leaders’ politics of investing in human capital for the local development of the African countries. Since with colonial heritage in Ghana the dying of the traditional economic system by Western monetary system gives room to the colonial poverty, Nkrumah invests in the human capital for the development of Ghana. Analysing Darko’s novel from the point of view of Theodore William Schultz’s economic concept of investment in human capital, this article concludes that Nkrumah invests in local and diasporic human capital for the sustainable development of the Ghanaian society.
General Ulysses S. Grant: From the American Civil War Battles to the White House
Abstract
This article examines General Ulysses S. Grant’s political and military legacy, in his progression from being a Union general during the American Civil War to the President of the United States. As a war leader with decisive battlefield records, Grant emerged as a national hero whose success on the battlefield propelled him to the White House. As the eighteenth U.S. president (1869–1877), Grant had the challenging task of reconstructing a fragmented nation during the Reconstruction era. The article explores how Grant’s military experience influenced his political values, especially his dedication to upholding the Union and protecting the rights of emancipated African Americans. It also addresses the significant challenges he faced in office as well, such as corruption scandals that plagued his administration and damaged public trust. By analysing key moments from both his military campaigns and presidency, the study offers a more balanced understanding of Grant as a war-tested leader motivated by moral conviction, and rooted in political complexity. From his speeches, letters, and contemporary records, Grant emerges not only as a man of action but also as a pivotal figure in America’s transformation during the post-war 19th century. This article employs a mixed- research approach drawing on New historicism, and Psychobiography as interpretive frameworks.
Immigration Dreams, Gender Struggles, and Disillusionment in the Cosmopolitan Spaces of The Empress by Tanika Gupta
Abstract
In The Empress, the British female playwright Tanika Gupta describes the immigrant experience in Cosmopolitan London. Through the narratives of the main protagonists Abdul Karim and Rani Das, the play puts forward the cultural exchange between Indian and English subjects. It depicts both the difficulties and opportunities encountered by these characters as a result of cultural exchange and integration. This study aims to show how cosmopolitanism shapes and is shaped by the immigrant experience, revealing both the advantages and disadvantages of multicultural interactions. Homi Bhabha’s (1994) postcolonial concepts will serve as a theoretical basis for this analysis.
The Functional Uniqueness of Wessex in the Works of Thomas Hardy
Abstract
This article examines the literary and symbolic functions of Wessex in the novels of Thomas Hardy. Wessex, a fictionalized version of southwest England, serves both as a physical setting and a narrative device that shapes themes such as progress, sexuality, fate, and naturalism. The Wessex is single eyes, alone in the world, beautiful place and meaningful area which is not a surprise guest in the life of Thomas Hardy. The aim is to demonstrate the intrinsic value of this mythical region on Hardy’s literary production and worldview.
Translinguism as a Reason for Transculturality in the Narrative Fiction of Kangni Alem
Abstract
Translinguism is becoming more and more motif which crosses the diegetic universe of Francophone narrative fiction. By its obsessive redeployment, the concept aligns with the dynamics of transculturality. Thus, in the corpus, which serves as the basis for this development, languages interact with the French language to produce coherent and intelligible narratives. From the perspective of Basarab Nicolescu’s transdisciplinarity, this article aims to explore the functioning of translinguism and its axiology through the writing of the Togolese writer Kangni Alem. For that purpose, the argumentation addresses the aesthetic and symbolic dimensions of the English language as well as the inclusion of the writer’s mother tongue gbe in the lens of language globalization.
Private Sphere, Public Sphere and Political Sphere: Angelina Emily Grimké (1805-1879) and Sarah Moore Grimké (1792-1873), Two Symbols of Social Commitment and Resilience
Abstract
The Grimké sisters, through their exemplary social commitment and unparalleled resilience, represent a typical example of women who came to feminism through abolitionism. These examples are especially remarkable considering their backgrounds. Our study focuses on how the Grimké sisters, drawing on their daily lives and personal experiences, were able to wage intense and courageous lifelong struggles for the abolition of Black slavery and the reconsideration of the place and role of women in American society. Their political career was all too short. But, with fascinating resilience, they were among the very first women to seriously analyze women’s oppression, even though most of their arguments were based on the Bible. They violently condemned patriarchy and made women feel the bonds that united them.
Economic empowerment of women in rural areas of Benin: the case of beneficiaries of the Single Window for Social Protection – GUPS in Bonou
Abstract
This research analyzes income management strategies and economic empowerment of artisan and merchant women in Damè-Wogon, Bonou commune, Benin. Through a qualitative approach supported by quantitative data involving 50 GUPS beneficiaries, the research draws on methodological individualism of Simmel and Weber (1977) and strategic analysis of Crozier and Friedberg (1977) to analyze the influence of social protection mechanisms on economic empowerment. Data collected through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and direct observation reveal that small businesses (food vendors, spice sellers, fish sellers and manufactured goods vendors) and small crafts (hairdressing, tailoring, weaving and photography) constitute the main income-generating activities. Analysis of management strategies shows that 42% of income is invested in children’s education, 18% in personal needs, 16% in reinvestments, 10% in goods purchases, 8% in savings, 4% in workshop construction and 2% in taxes. These findings reveal diversified income utilization strategies and highlight the significant contribution of GUPS to women’s economic empowerment in the Beninese rural context
Social Status, Sexual Division of Labor and Socioeconomic Role of Female Slaves in Pre-Colonial Baoulé
Abstract
Before colonization, Baoulé society assigned social roles based on gender: men and women performed specific tasks deemed appropriate to their sex. However, this division was not applied equally to everyone, particularly enslaved women. This study shows that, although they assisted their mistresses, enslaved women did not fully enjoy the rights associated with femininity in the gender-based division of labor. Based on oral interviews conducted in several Baoulé villages and the analysis of colonial written sources, the research reveals that enslaved status restricted women’s access to certain gender-based protections. Often considered movable property, they were forced to carry out tasks deemed masculine, especially when there was a shortage of male slaves. Moreover, their reproductive role within the servile system deprived them of any rights over their children, who automatically became the master’s property. This study thus highlights a double marginalization: enslaved women were denied the privileges granted to free women and subjected to a system that exploited both their bodies and their labor, disregarding the gender norms that otherwise governed Baoulé society.
Impact of Study Grants on the Choice of Academic Programs in Public Universities of Benin
Abstract
This article analyzes the impact of study allowances on the choice of university courses in Benin, revealing a tension between state regulatory strategies and the individual aspirations of students. Through a mixed approach combining the analysis of regulatory texts (2016-2023) and interviews with 25 key players (institutional managers, teachers, students), the research shows that the coupling of study allowances with study courses introduces a fundamental bias of assessment that massively orients enrolment on the basis of baccalaureate performance alone. Students, constrained by financial imperatives, adopt “calculatory” choices, favouring certain courses despite a personal lack of interest in them, all of which leads to high dropout rates and academic demotivation. The government, via the MESRS, justifies this regulation by a logic of controlling the cost of study grants, but reproduces a hierarchy of knowledge (Bourdieu 17) and limits freedom of choice. The article highlights the responsibilities shared between the State, universities and students, and advocates for a reform integrating individualized criteria (cognitive potential; alignment between study and professional projects) and a balance between strategic courses, fundamental studies and classical humanities, in order to reconcile economic efficiency, educational equity and the preservation of academic diversity in Benin
Impact of Study Grants on the Choice of Academic Programs in Public Universities of Benin
Abstract
This article analyzes the impact of study allowances on the choice of university courses in Benin, revealing a tension between state regulatory strategies and the individual aspirations of students. Through a mixed approach combining the analysis of regulatory texts (2016-2023) and interviews with 25 key players (institutional managers, teachers, students), the research shows that the coupling of study allowances with study courses introduces a fundamental bias of assessment that massively orients enrolment on the basis of baccalaureate performance alone. Students, constrained by financial imperatives, adopt “calculatory” choices, favouring certain courses despite a personal lack of interest in them, all of which leads to high dropout rates and academic demotivation. The government, via the MESRS, justifies this regulation by a logic of controlling the cost of study grants, but reproduces a hierarchy of knowledge (Bourdieu 17) and limits freedom of choice. The article highlights the responsibilities shared between the State, universities and students, and advocates for a reform integrating individualized criteria (cognitive potential; alignment between study and professional projects) and a balance between strategic courses, fundamental studies and classical humanities, in order to reconcile economic efficiency, educational equity and the preservation of academic diversity in Benin
New Technologies and Cinema in the Promotion of Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Ouidah History Museum
Abstract
Located in the former Portuguese fort of Ouidah, the Ouidah History Museum serves a dual purpose: as a site of remembrance for the transatlantic slave trade and as a space for promoting local cultural expressions. Despite the richness of the region’s intangible heritage—particularly vodoun rituals, songs, dances, and artisanal knowledge—traditional museographic methods struggle to make this heritage accessible. This article explores the potential of new technologies and cinema as innovative tools for cultural mediation and the safeguarding of living heritage. It begins with an analysis of digital technologies applied to museums in Africa and worldwide, highlighting immersive tools such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and interactive installations, which can transform museum visits into sensory and participatory experiences. Although technical and financial constraints can hinder their implementation in African contexts, pioneering initiatives such as the Zinsou Foundation in Benin show promising developments. The case study “Vodoun, Voices and Visions of a Living Heritage” proposes a hybrid museum project combining documentary film, immersive recordings, digital animations, and community participation. The article advocates for the creation of an audiovisual production center, the training of young filmmakers, the development of regional networks of connected museums, and the design of a national digital museology strategy
The Rhetorical Effects of Inversion Techniques: A Case Study of Germinal, The Red and the Black, Dangerous Liaisons
Abstract
This paper examines the rhetorical effects of interrogative inversion constructions in Germinal by Emile Zola, The Red and the Black by Stendhal, and Dangerous Liaisons by Laclos. The analysis is based on three complementary approaches: syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic. Syntactically, the insertion of words or groups of words into interrogative constructions gives them a rhetorical character. We conclude that rhetorical interrogative constructions are polyphonic and represent a highly stylistic linguistic phenomenon.
On Negative Contraction in Baoulé
Abstract
This study investigates negative contraction in Baule, a Kwa language of Côte d’Ivoire. It is based on fieldwork conducted with Baule speakers from the Tiébissou department. The analysis identifies two primary negative morphemes: má̰ for verbal clauses and ná̰ for non-verbal clauses and imperative statements. In spoken discourse, these morphemes undergo contraction to á and á̰ due to linguistic economy. Within complex sentences containing multiple verbs, contraction manifests as the deletion of one of the negative markers. Negative constructions in Baule thus apply to a wide range of syntactic structures, demonstrating the flexibility of the negative system, where contraction serves as a syntactic optimization mechanism while preserving the negative meaning across diverse types of utterances.
Germany and African Americans: An Analysis of an Overlooked InteractionOn Negative Contraction in Baoulé
Abstract
Globalization has profoundly transformed the humanities and social sciences, compelling these disciplines to rethink their theoretical and methodological frameworks in light of global cultural and political interdependencies. In this context, the study of relations between Germany and Black America reveals complex historical dynamics, major political stakes, and significant cultural transformations. This article explores transatlantic interactions through an interdisciplinary approach, highlighting intellectual exchanges, identity representations, and contemporary debates. By examining German studies from a globalized perspective, it addresses the new challenges and opportunities related to integrating voices and narratives that are often marginalized in the analysis of international and cultural relations. Drawing on a diverse corpus comprising diplomatic archives, Afro-American literary texts translated into German, and scholarly articles from both cultural spheres, this study employs a comparative and historical approach to examine the modes of circulation and resonance of identity representations within the transatlantic space
Reasons for Use and User Experience of WhatsApp as an Informal Teaching Tool in Distance Learning
Abstract
This study examines the informal use of WhatsApp as a teaching tool by distance learning learners. It analyzes the reasons for using this application as well as the experience of using it in a training context. The results highlight that ease of access and ease of use are the main reasons for its adoption. WhatsApp is primarily used for coordination and sharing resources and information. The study demonstrates the importance of integrating accessibility, availability, and usability criteria when choosing digital platforms for distance learning.
Honoré de Balzac, or the Eternal Return of the Dead
Abstract
Honoré de Balzac stands among the most influential novelists in French literature. His prolific output includes Le Colonel Chabert (1832), a work that explores social mores and delves into themes such as war, identity, betrayal, death, and the notion of eternal return. The narrative follows Hyacinthe Chabert, a colonel in Napoleon I’s Grand Army who, presumed dead and buried, reemerges to challenge the social order and reclaim his former identity.
This article seeks to examine the motif of the dead returning in Balzac’s novel, as embodied by Colonel Chabert, and to illustrate how the character’s fate is shaped by a persistent and tragic misfortune. Specifically, it investigates the recurring patterns and symbolic structures that underpin Chabert’s resurrection, drawing on the theoretical framework of ethnocriticism developed by Jean-Marie Privat and Marie Scarpa.
Socio-cultural and Economic Contribution of Pottery in the Bolou Canton (Zio 2 Municipality) in Togo
Abstract
Honoré de Balzac stands among the most influential novelists in French literature. His prolific output includes Le Colonel Chabert (1832), a work that explores social mores and delves into themes such as war, identity, betrayal, death, and the notion of eternal return. The narrative follows Hyacinthe Chabert, a colonel in Napoleon I’s Grand Army who, presumed dead and buried, reemerges to challenge the social order and reclaim his former identity.
This article seeks to examine the motif of the dead returning in Balzac’s novel, as embodied by Colonel Chabert, and to illustrate how the character’s fate is shaped by a persistent and tragic misfortune. Specifically, it investigates the recurring patterns and symbolic structures that underpin Chabert’s resurrection, drawing on the theoretical framework of ethnocriticism developed by Jean-Marie Privat and Marie Scarpa.