David Dankwa-Apawu

Senior Lecturer

David Dankwa-Apawu is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Language & Communication Skills at Ghana Insitute of Journalism.

David is an educational/applied linguist and creative writing coach committed to nurturing a life-long love for knowledge through academic inquiry, professional collaboration, and meaningful social engagements with members of the academic community and beyond. Using a unique combination of his education, over 20 years’ professional experience and versatile communication and interpersonal skills, David is contributing to building a network of creative, enthusiastic, and skillful generation committed to local and global creative problem solving.

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

PhD (Student) Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)
MPhil Linguistics
MA TESL
Ed. English
Teacher’s Certificate ‘A’

INSTITUTIONS ATTENDED

University of Ghana, Legon (Ghana)
European Graduate School (Switzerland)
University of Education, Winneba (Ghana)
Enchi College of Education, Enchi (Ghana)

PROFESSIONAL BODY MEMBERSHIP

Member, University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), GIJ Branch
Former member, National Executive Committee (NEC)
Former Secretary, UTAG GIJ Branch
Member, International Literacy Association (ILA)
Member, International Language Testing Association (ILTA)
Member, International Society for the Advancement of Writing Research (ISAWR)
Member, TESOL International Association
Member, Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR)
Member, Internet Society (ISOC) Ghana Chapter
Member, Ghana Association of Writers (GAW)

AWARDS

Fellow: 2016, International Summer School on “Risk Communication and Narratives of Risk” at The School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
Fellow: 2016, CogNovo Summer School “ColLaboratoire” at Plymouth University, UK
Mercy Busia Excellence Awards: SOS Ghana (Best Worker for 2006 – for Hermann Gmeiner School Project, Asiakwa)

COURSES TAUGHT

Creative Writing
English Language Usage
Language & Study Skills
Introduction to Literature
English Grammar and Writing
Business Communication
Speech Writing & Public Speaking
Review & Criticism

PUBLICATIONS

Dankwa Apawu, D & Anani, G. (2017). From Diagnosis to Prognosis: What Instructors Know about Their Students’ Writing Apprehension. Journal of Education and Practice. Vol 8(4), 91-96
Dankwa-Apawu, D. (2010). Eliminating Cross-Cultural Communication Barriers through Curricular Interventions. A full paper presented at the 2^nd World Journalism Educators Congress (WJEC 2) held in Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa in July, 2010. https://www.academia.edu/3182074/Eliminating_barriers_to_crosscultural_communication_through_curricular_interventions

RESEARCH CONDUCTED

Dissertation: The Impact of Social Context on Proficiency in a Second Language: A Study of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) in SOS Hermann Gmeiner School, Asiakwa. Presented to the Linguistics Department of University of Ghana, Legon-Accra for a Master of Arts Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), August, 2007.

Project work: The Impact of Literature Circles in Ghanaian Classrooms: A Study of the Teaching of Literature in Two Selected Primary Schools at Madina, Accra. Presented to University of Education Winneba for a 4-Year Bachelor of Education (English) Degree, August, 2003.

Project work: The Effects of Child Abuse on Children in Aowin Suaman District. A project work presented to Institute of Education, University of Cape Coast, for Teachers’ Certificate A (3-Year Post Secondary Teacher Education at Enchi Training College, Enchi), June, 1997

CONFERENCE ATTENDED

Conference presentation: Help me to stand and teach! Strengthening mentoring in teacher education. A paper accepted for presentation at the Tenth International Conference on Language Teacher Education, from February 2-4, 2017 at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Conference presentation: In search of language identity among urban youths in ESL context: A study of Ghanaian Students of Ghana Institute of Journalism, Accra. A paper presented at the Sociolinguistics Symposium 19 held in Berlin (Freie Universitat Berlin), Germany, from August 21 to 24, 2012.

Conference presentation: Eliminating Cross-Cultural Communication Barriers through Curricular Interventions. A full paper presented at the 2^nd World Journalism Educators Congress (WJEC 2) held in Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa in July, 2010.

Conference presentation: Trends in Contemporary Ghanaian Education and Beyond. A paper presented at the First Annual Conference of Teachers and Headteachers of The Apostolic Church-Gh. Schools held in Accra from 16^th – 21^st August, 2003.

RESEARCH INTEREST

Teaching and learning English as a second language
Testing, assessment and evaluation in higher education
Creative writing
Issues of language and testing
Writing research
Critical literacy and pedagogies
Language Policy, education and development
Language, society and discourse
Postcolonial literary studies and criticism
World literature and criticism
language and orature
Language, media and communication

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Convenor, Creative Cave (Ghana)
Founding Patron, The Creative Arts Society (GIJ Campus), Ghana
Coordinator, Write for Children Project, African Heritage Stories Project, Creative Writing Forum (Ghana)
2012-2015: Associate Editor, Journal of Communications, Media & Society (JOCMAS)