Journal articles on the topic 'Dagbani'

This study explores themes in Dagbani movies which enhance peace-building, and discusses cultural conflict resolution techniques employed in Dagbani movies for peace-building. Qualitative research design was employed for the study. Focus group discussions and interviews were used for data collection. The study used Agenda Setting theory as analytical framework, and undertook thematic analysis to tease out messages in the content of selected movies. It showed that Dagbani movies contain lessons on peace-building and have become reference materials for opinion leaders and peace campaigners within Dagbon. Out of 11 movies sampled, six exposed bad traditional leadership with a view to admonishing Dagbon chiefs to desist from acts that could promote conflicts. Dagbani movies, re-establish working relations among warring factions, deal with systemic issues underlying conflicts and rebuild mutual relationships. The movies advocate the use of traditional peace-building techniques for conflict resolution. The study concludes that if movie producers get the support of relevant stakeholders, Dagbon movies could be effective in resolving conflicts. It recommends that film makers solicit funding from donor agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to produce movies targeted at maintaining peace in Dagbon. Keywords: Dagbani Movies, Peaceful Co-existence, Chieftaincy Disputes, Conflict Resolution and Culture

Abstract This paper presents a detailed analysis of nasality in Dagbani, a Gur language of Ghana, and the role it plays in Dagbani prosody. It demonstrates that the nasal is at the centre of defining the range of what is possible in Dagbani prosodic patterns. Nasals provide the basis for determining the full range of syllable types and the tone bearing unit of Dagbani; nasals are the only coda consonants that licence vowel lengthening; and nasals provide the only cases of phonological non-vocalic geminates. The overall effects of the influence of nasality is the emergence of complex prosodic structures. Contrary to the crosslinguistically acclaimed marked position of the coda, the CVN syllable is the default, unmarked syllable in Dagbani.

Cross-linguistically, personal pronouns are noted as being deficient in relation to some morphosyntactic and phonological properties. Some striking asymmetries have been identified between strong and weak personal pronouns in relation to modification, coordination/conjunction, whether they have a semantic referent, and can encode focus. This study explores the personal pronominal system of Dagbani along Cardinaletti and Starke’s (1994) typology and observed asymmetries. Using insights from published literature on Dagbani pronouns as well as my understanding as a native speaker, I argue that, unlike personal pronouns in Romance/Germanic languages, Dagbani personal pronouns can be modified by quantifiers, can be coordinated, and can occur in conjunction constructions, as well as encode topic and focus as salient semantic discourse properties. Furthermore, the pre/post verbal distinctions among nonemphatic pronominal forms in Dagbani still hold, even as these occur in coordinated and modified constructions, due to structural constraints imposed on them by coordinating conjuctions and quantifiers.

AbstractThis study investigates the acquisition of articles in L2 English by L1 speakers of Dagbani, a Gur language spoken in Ghana. Dagbani differs from English in that it has two definite articles, no indefinite article, and a zero-article which may express definiteness, indefiniteness as well as genericity. The study consisted of a Forced-choice task (FCT) and an Acceptability judgement task (AJT) which were administered to Dagbani teenagers with an intermediate proficiency in English (n = 45) and a group of native English speakers as controls (n = 8). The results showed that the learners’ article choice was based on definiteness, not specificity (i.e., no fluctuation between the two) and that they had slightly more problems with indefinite than definite contexts, while generic contexts were the most problematic. Except for a certain task effect as well as a possible interference of instruction (in the FCT), the results can be argued to generally be due to influence from the L1 and to the difficulty of feature reassembly.

This paper attempts to describe and analyze the relation between aspect and transitivity in Dagbani, a Gur language spoken in the Northern Region of Ghana by the Dagbamba. The author does this by focusing on the fact that there are different (perfective and imperfective) aspectual markers that correlate with the presence or absence of NP objects or adjunct phrases, such as adverbs. I conclude that pronouncing any syntactic element after a Dagbani verbal phrase or otherwise is determined by the aspectual suffixes of that verbal phrase.In an attempt to find explanations to this transitivity alternations, I make two hypothesises; the incorporated pronouns hypothesis and the focus hypothesis. None of these however, seems to adequately address the problem and I leave the working out of this to future research. It is shown that the correlation between aspect and transitivity in Dagbani sounds (at least superficially), very similar to the so-called “conjoint/disjoint” or “short/long” verb phenomenon that is found in a number of Bantu languages.

Abstract This paper examines the linguistic means by which spatial relations are expressed in Dagbani, a Mabia (Gur) language spoken in the northern region of Ghana (West Africa). I pay particular attention to the grammar of Dagbani “postpositions” demonstrating that the system of locative expressions comprises words that share heterosemic relations with some body parts and landmark terms. I show that although these locative expressions are related both segmentally and suprasegmentally to the nominal items they might have developed from, they are distinct in terms of their semantic, syntactic and morphological properties. Consequently, I conclude that the body-part nouns in locative constructions are distinct syntactic categories due to the morphosyntactic and semantic differences they exhibit. These body-part nouns are thus analysed as grammaticalized items, which function as postpositions and instantiate a postpositional phrase (PostP) category. Finally, I propose possible series of semantic changes that could account for the development of the body-part terms as postpositions.

This paper investigates the function(s) of the post verbal particle la in Dagbani, a Gur language spoken in Northern Ghana. I contend that the particle marks neither imperfective aspect nor contrastive focus on NP objects and adjuncts, as suggested by earlier researchers. Here, I refine the existing analyses and put forth an alternative proposal in which the particle la marks presentational focus. I suggest that la could mark presentational focus on NP complements, adjuncts or the entire VP. I demonstrate that full NPs follow la, while object pronouns precede it, suggesting that object pronouns either undergo object shift or are syntactically bound to the verb. I also discuss ka and n, which have been proposed to have functions similar to la. More information on the interaction of these elements will be relevant for the understanding of the latter’s function. I further show that there is co-occurrence restrictions between ka/n and post verbal la, as has been claimed by earlier research. I show that although we can have la that co-occurs with the focus markers ka/n, that la is probably a deictic discourse particle and not the presentational focus marker. I propose that when the deictic la co-occurs with ka/n, it appears only clause finally. I conclude that the use or non-use of the post verbal la is due to discourse-pragmatic considerations.

Using a sub-sample of ever-married women from the 1993 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS), this study examines differentials in contraceptive use in six cultural groups: Ga-Adangbe, Twi, Fante/other Akans, Ewe, Guan/others and Mole-Dagbani. Multivariate analysis is used to explore whether reported ethnic differentials in contraceptive use can be attributed to ethnicity or to other characteristics that distinguish the ethnic groups. Overall, the findings are generally more consistent with the 'characteristics' hypothesis, because contraceptive use differentials by ethnic group is accounted for by differences in socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of these women. However, for the Fante/other Akans, even after the necessary controls, ethnicity continued to emerge as a significant determinant of contraceptive use. Programmatic implications of these results are discussed.

SummaryPostpartum sexual abstinence may be a major determinant of fertility and of maternal and child health in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines the relationship between ethnicity and abstinence using data from the 1988 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. There is considerable diversity in the length of abstinence although only for one ethnic group, the Mole-Dagbani and other Ghanaians, is abstinence, both actual and ideal, very long. Respondents in most ethnic groups believe their abstinence to be adequate. A key motivation for abstinence is the unwillingness to have sexual intercourse with nursing mothers. Education, urbanisation, changes in marriage patterns and religious traditions are major factors shaping the ethnic differentials in abstinence. In comparison to breast-feeding, abstinence appears to have relatively little impact on the length of the birth interval and, for Ghana, has relatively few implications for fertility and child health.

Abstract (Dagbanli)Dini niŋ ka tuma kalinsi mini pukparigu ni labiri nyanga saha ŋɔ la zuɣu, dabba ban be Tuduyaɣili polo (Northern Region) di niŋdi tom pam tiba zaŋ jandi bɛ biɛhigu ni bɛ laɣi dibo soya diyi ti kana dotali polo. To ayi yuli zaŋ chaŋ kali wahi din jandi Dagbamba Sapashin nim polo, sabbu ŋɔ wuhirila waligimsim din be dotali mini kali wahi yeltɔɣa. Gun Gon nyala kali tuun kpeiŋ din wuhiri dotali tuun tumsa Sapashin nim ni Dagbaŋ pulini, kadi wuhiri ka kpaŋsiri dotali ni nye sheli zaŋ ti dabba ban tumdili.

Microbial and physicochemical analysis was performed on randomly sampled Poha Beer manufactured and vended in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Ghana. Poha Beer as it is referred to in Dagbani, is a Tamarindus indica fruit extract, a local nonalcoholic beverage originally processed and sold by rural women of the Dagomba ethnic descend. Morphological examination of bacterial cultures, Gram staining, and biochemical confirmatory tests were used to detect the presence of microbial pathogens in 45 samples of Poha Beer. A refractometer, a flame photometer and an atomic absorption spectrometer were used for the elemental analysis. All Poha Beer samples obtained from the Bolgatanga Municipality were positive for yeast, E. coli, Enterobacter sp. and Bacillus cereus. Pb was not detected in any of the samples. Chemical components detected include Zn2+ (average, 0.154 mg/L), Cd2+ (0.056 mg/L), Na+ (1.723 mg/L), Ca2+ (2.262 mg/L) and K+ (3.96 mg/L). All samples were acidic with an average pH value of 3.55. The Brix value of samples, however, was between 9.0 and 11.4 % per 40 mL of Poha Beer. Therefore, Poha Beer processed and sold in the Bolgatanga Municipality is acidic and contains detrimental amounts of Cd2+ and bacterial pathogens which may render it unwholesome for human consumption.

Malaria and Pneumonia are major killers of children underfive. However, fever and cough are major signs of Malaria and Pneumonia respectively and hence making proper management of fever and cough indispensable in the fight against underfive mortality. This study therefore investigated the factors that influence the choice of first healthcare provider for children with fever or cough in Ghana. The study used the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) as the main source of data. By employing the multinomial probit model, the study found that urban children, children with higher birth rank, older children, children from the Ga/Dangme, Akan, Mole-Dagbani, Ewe, Mande and Gurma ethnicity and children of mothers with big problems with regards to permission and distance to seek self-medical care were more likely to be given self-medication or to be sent to a traditional practitioner initially for fever or cough. Contrary, mothers with health insurance, aging mothers and wealthy households were less likely to first resort to self-medication or a traditional practitioner in order to seek care for children with fever or cough. The study therefore concludes that ethnicity, residence, permission and distance to seek medical care by mother, mother’s health insurance, household wealth, child’s age, mother’s age and birth order are the factors that influence the choice of first healthcare provider for children with fever or cough in Ghana.

With the advent of Anti-Retroviral Therapy, Human Immune Virus, and Acquire Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome is increasingly becoming a chronic disease as life expectancy among People Living With HIV/AIDS has increased. For Children Living With HIV/AIDS the role of the caregivers becomes essential as caregivers’ decisions affect CLWH health. However, the experiences of these caregivers are often unnoticed while all interventions are directed at PLWH. This study aimed at exploring the experiences of caregivers of CLWH in some selected hospitals in northern Ghana. This study employed a qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach. Purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 9 participants from 3 public hospitals in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. Data was manually analyzed using the approach of Collaizi and the findings were presented in themes and sub-themes. We conducted individual face to face interviews in English and Dagbani from September to November 2019. These interviews were conducted at the convenience of the participants in hospitals and at their homes. They were introduced to the study while awaiting to take antivirals for their CLWH. Five themes emerged: changed family dynamics, discovery of diagnosis, reaction to diagnosis, disclosure, stigma and discrimination, and burden and challenges of care. Caregivers were severely impacted by caring for CLWH and traumatized by changed family dynamics which exposed them to many difficulties. Stigma was widely perpetrated by immediate family members and majority reacted badly to their children HIV-positive status with fear, shame, guilt and even suicidal ideation.

Background. Each year, not less than three million women are circumcised, and more hundred million females have already been circumcised. In many African societies, the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is a serious cultural practice. Aim: This current study is aimed at identifying the socioeconomic predictors of female genital mutilation in Ghana. Methods. The design adopted for this study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey relying on data from the Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2017/18. SPSS software was used for data analysis. Chi-square and binary logistic regression were used for associations. Results. Overall FGM prevalence, this study recorded was 11.7%. The region with the highest (50.5%) prevalence was the Upper West Region. Area of residence predicted rural ( AOR = 2.30 , 95 % C . I . = 1.75 – 3.00 ) Upper West/western Region ( AOR = 1.84 , 95 % C . I . = 1.23 – 2.75 ). In terms of ethnicity, the tribes that predicted FGM when compared with the Akan tribe were Guan ( AOR = 8.91 , 95 % C . I . = 3.53 – 22.51 ), Gruma ( AOR = 6.45 , 95 % C . I . = 2.91 – 14.31 ), Mole-Dagbani ( AOR = 38.10 , 95 % C . I . = 21.20 – 68.49 ), Grusi ( AOR = 45.30 , 95 % C . I . = 24.47 − 83.49 ), Mande ( AOR = 68.58 , 95 % C . I . = 30.85 − 152.42 ), and other tribes ( AOR = 29.33 , 95 % C . I . = 16.11 – 53.39 ). Women in the richest/poorest wealth index quintile ( AOR = 1.80 , 95 % C . I . = 1.19 – 2.72 ). Conclusion. The study prevalence of FGM is still high in the northern part of Ghana, and the predicted factors were residence region, ethnicity, educational level, and economic status.

Background: Stroke has undergone different medical constructions over the years. While the medical profession posits that disease is a biological condition, universal and unchanging, social constructionists perceive illness as the social meaning of the biological condition. Even though the medical notion of stroke is monolithic and sometimes contradicts the representations by local community residents, little attention has been paid to understanding the cultural meanings of stroke. This study explores the cultural meanings of stroke in five different cultural settings in Ghana. Methods: 30 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with local community members in five communities (Ga Mashie, Tafo, Gyegyeano, Chanshegu and Agorve) located in five regions in Ghana. The FGDs were conducted in Ga, Twi, Fante, Ewe and Dagbani, and were transcribed verbatim into English. The transcripts were analysed thematically. Results: The local words used for stroke in all the five cultural settings focused on physical disability associated with stroke after its onset, and this formed the dominant source of fear about the condition. Participants mentioned that spiritual and left-side stroke have the most debilitating impact on the sufferer. Although there was a general consensus that anyone can be at risk of stroke, there was a gender dynamics in the explanation of risk relativity. Participants believed that stroke can be cured through early detection and treatment, use of herbal medicines, and availability of financial resources. Compared to other disabling conditions, the community residents perceived stroke to be more severe due to its multifaceted disabilities. Conclusions: This study showed that the social meanings of stroke in the five communities are multifaceted, and reflected co-existence of biomedical and cultural frameworks. The findings showed the need to pay good attention to the sociocultural context when developing interventions strategies on stroke prevention and control.

Background: Stroke has undergone different medical constructions over the years. While the medical profession posits that disease is a biological condition, universal and unchanging, social constructionists perceive illness as the social meaning of the biological condition. Even though the medical notion of stroke is monolithic and sometimes contradicts the representations by local community residents, little attention has been paid to understanding the cultural meanings of stroke. This study explores the cultural meanings of stroke in five different cultural settings across Ghana. Methods: 30 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with local community members in five communities (Ga Mashie, Tafo, Gyegyeano, Chanshegu and Agorve) located in five regions in Ghana. The FGDs were conducted in Ga, Twi, Fante, Ewe and Dagbani, and were transcribed verbatim into English. The transcripts were analysed thematically. Results: The local words used for stroke in all the five cultural settings focused on physical disability associated with stroke after its onset, and this formed the dominant source of fear about the condition. Participants mentioned that spiritual and left-side stroke have the most debilitating impact on the sufferer. Although there was a general consensus that anyone can be at risk of stroke, there was a gender dynamics in the explanation of risk relativity. Participants believed that stroke can be cured through early detection and treatment, use of herbal medicines, and availability of financial resources. Compared to other disabling conditions, the community residents perceived stroke to be more severe due to the multifaceted disabilities associated with the condition. Conclusions: This study showed that the social meanings of stroke in the five communities are multifaceted, and reflected co-existence of biomedical and cultural frameworks. The findings showed the need to pay good attention to the sociocultural context when developing interventions strategies on stroke prevention and control in Ghana.

The article examines the patterns of relative clauses in Dagbanli, a Gur language spoken in northern part of Ghana. It focuses on a range of possible RC patterns, and presents a coherent classification using Vries’s model of RC types. The article argues that Dagbanli has two RC types which are characterized by shared features so “indefinite pronoun” that forms a compound with the nominal root, and maa or la “clause-final determiner.” The first RC type is restricted to cases in which the antecedent has subject function within the RC, and the other RC type occurs only with nonsubjects as relativized head making use of postsubjectival particle ni to mark subordinated clauses. It is proposed that Dagbanli has a postnominal word order of N . . . RC . . . D and allows D-type ([[Subj V Obj] D] RC) in-situ HIRC (Head Internal Relative Clause) as well HERC (Head External Relative Clause). It also presents ŋun “who” and ni “which” as question particles that are used to introduce relative clauses in Dagbanli.

Abstract Culture is a significant factor in peace negotiation processes. It frames the parties’ perspectives and strategies to managing the conflict. This study explores the role of culture in the peace negotiation processes of the Dagbon ethnopolitical conflict of Northern Ghana. Twelve elders from the Dagbon Traditional Area with an in-depth understanding of the traditions and culture of Dagbon were interviewed using an unstructured interview guide. Similar to most findings on cross-cultural negotiation processes in high-context cultures, all the negotiators were men. The issues negotiated were largely based on the culture and traditions of Dagbon, and the interest and priorities of the negotiators were culturally defined. As with many other ethnopolitical conflicts, the culture of Dagbon was key in shaping the process and outcome of the peace negotiations. It is imperative for cultural issues to be properly understood and addressed satisfactorily in order not to undermine peace negotiation processes.

The ongoing dynastic dispute in the kingdom of Dagbon in northern Ghana, which led to the killing of the king in 2002, remains unresolved and perhaps unresolvable. This paper updates Staniland's account of Dagomba politics from 1880 to 1974, and elaborates on the contradictions inherent in the social pluralism of a post-colonial state.

Development practice over recent years in much of Africa prioritized formalization of land policies deemed to enhance better handling and use of land as an asset for social development. Following this trend, land reform policy in Ghana was based on a pluralistic legal system in which both the customary land tenure system and the statutory system of land ownership and control co-exist by law. The primary research question for this study was the following: What implications emerge when customary land tenure system and the statutory system of land ownership and control co-exist in law? The study discussed the prospects and challenges of land title registration and the meaning of the new organizing concept in land ownership and administration among the people of Dagbon in the northern region of Ghana. The principal aim of the study was to assess the challenges of the implementation of a modern land registration system over a deeply traditional one. A qualitative research methodology was used and included qualitative descriptive analysis. This descriptive-analytical study was carried out to investigate opinions on the implications of the merger and preferred options for redress of any systemic challenges. It employed Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) to supplement in-depth interviews. Interviews were conducted among 40 key participants within formal and informal institutions including officials from both the Land Commission and Town and Country Planning Departments. Purposeful sampling was employed, and an interview guide was developed and used for collecting the data. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach. The results showed that in this structural reform, the ‘allodial title’ holder was much more trusted for tenure security because of the traditional legitimacy of the King as the sole owner and controller of land. The title registration system therefore principally served the secondary purpose as additional security. The findings indicate that in the circumstance where the law was seen as pliable, the policy engendered blurred and confusing effects that deepened the sense of ambiguity and outcomes were sometimes contradictory. We argued that the crossroads presented challenges that were novel and engendered innovative thinking for more appropriate solutions. The study revealed that policy reforms must be tailor-made to the physical, social, cultural and economic settings.

Based on analysis of the information contained in the newly discovered Arabic language epitaphs, the article shows the efficiency of the integrated approach in historical and ethnographic researches. This study was carried out by the authors on the example of the village of Dagbash (Akhwakh), the Shamil district of the Republic of Daghestan. The epitaphs of the late XV – early XIX centuries have been studied. They were found on the grave steles of the settlement cemetery and on a stone inserted in the wall of the mosque. The informative part of the epitaphs is analyzed together with the oral traditions, ethnographic observations, as well as data from the Arabic-language written sources. Such an integrated approach made it possible for the authors to date the formation of this rural community, as well as to trace the geography of the migration processes that accompanied this phenomenon. The authors conclude that this community formed before the XV century, as a result of the unification of three more similar settlements located nearby the existing Akhwakh settlement. Later, several more clans (tukhums) formed in Akhwakh, which arose during the sprawl of families of immigrants from other settlements. The clan structure of Akhwakh apparently had formed by the beginning of the XIX century. This approach is quite applicable to studies of similar examples of synoecism in medieval Daghestan. Also, the analysis of epitaphs made it possible to trace the evolution of anthroponomy in the given microregion, as well as its dependence on a change in the religious affiliation of its population. The authors also managed to identify in written sources the original name of the village, which was changed in the 1932 (Akhwakh to Dagbash).

Currently, the value of stenting during femoropopliteal balloon angioplasty (FPBA) remains unclear. Herein we evaluate the patency rates of successful duplex–guided balloon angioplasty (DAGBA) alone versus suboptimal DAGBA followed by stenting and the prestenting dissection versus recoil as potential indicators of stent success or failure. Over a period of 27 months, we performed 291 duplex–guided FPBAs (194 stenoses; 97 occlusions) on 244 limbs in 220 patients. Disabling claudication was the indication in 67%. Critical limb ischemia was the indication in the remaining 33%. Self-expanding nitinol stents were used when plaque dissection and/or recoil caused diameter reduction ≥ 40%. Serial follow-up duplex scans were obtained. Severe restenosis (> 70%) was measured by B-mode imaging and a peak systolic velocity ratio > 3. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 41 months (mean 10 ± 8.3 months). The overall mean interval for restenosis and occlusion was 6.5 ± 4.2 months and 5.6 ± 6.1 months, respectively. Stents did affect overall patency results compared with not using stents. Reasons for stenting were plaque recoil, dissection, or both in 98 (53%), 44 (24%), and 42 (23%) cases, respectively. Six-month patency was 59%, 94%, and 69%, respectively. The difference between plaque recoil and dissection was significant ( p < .04). The use of stents during FPBA may be associated with balloon angioplasty site failure in the femoropopliteal segment. To our knowledge, this is the first report ever to document plaque recoil as a predictor of balloon angioplasty site failure notwithstanding stent placement.

The vast sums of money involved in megaprojects, and the perceived lack of public benefit, create controversy. Flyvberg’ s iron law asserts that megaprojects are over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again (Flyvberg, 2018). More recent research suggests that this focus on cost overruns is based on highly misleading data (Love & Ahiaga-Dagbui, 2017). This research seeks to examine live megaprojects and examine Flyvbjergs theories in practice, through an investigation of current megaprojects in the Middle East. The research provides three case studies for two recently completed and one on-going megaproject, to examine these claims further. The research questions whether the right comparisons are made between the initial offerings and final product, through consultation with professionals. Based on the findings, it is suggested that an increase of over 100% of the Contract price, may not constitute an over-budget megaproject. Professional Cost Consultants in the built environment can provide greater insight into the complexity that adds cost in the transitions from initial to final costs for megaprojects, although the validity of this insight may be reduced by a lack of distance from or overview of the megaproject. This paper investigates some of the familiar sources of megaproject cost overrun and considers the findings of Cost Consultants engaged in monitoring megaprojects in the state of Qatar. Time and Cost considerations are just two of the characteristics evident in megaprojects. This research suggests that reporting of time and cost overruns is frequently based on limited, misunderstood or misreported data, and that in order to provide higher fidelity, such ‘headline claims’ need to be careful considered in the context of the original project scope. This paper recognises that cost is just one element of a megaproject, and that megaprojects warrant more holistic considerations including acknowledgement of other significant characteristics such as their embodiment of large components of risk, political influences, organisational pressures and management complexities.

Many studies have shown a link between being competent in early mathematics and achievement in school. Early math skills have the potential to be the best predictors of later performance in reading and mathematics. Movement and songs are activities that children like, making it easier for teachers to apply mathematical concepts through this method. This study aims to develop audio-visual learning media in the form of songs with a mixture of western and traditional musical idioms, accompanied by movements that represent some of the teaching of early mathematics concepts. The stages of developing the ADDIE model are the basis for launching new learning media products related to math and art, and also planting the nation's cultural arts from an early age. These instructional media products were analyzed by experts and tested for their effectiveness through experiments on five children aged 3-4 years. 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AbstractPrevious researchers differ on what the feature specifications of Dagbani vowels are, what the vowel inventory is, which vowels are contrastive and how phonological processes affect the surface realisation of Dagbani vowels. This study provides experimental results on Dagbani vowel features from acoustic and perceptual psycholinguistic inquiries with the goal of better defining the vowel features and inventory. Basic formant frequencies of the vowels in different phonological contexts support the view that (1) vowels of all height specifications (including /a/) have [ATR] variants; (2) /i/ and /ɨ/ neutralise in harmonic contexts; and (3) mid vowels surface as low in non-final positions. Results of a perceptual psycholinguistic investigation of the neutralisation between mid and low vowels also show that in certain contexts, speakers are unable to perceive any distinction between different words with these vowels. The paper discusses the implications of these results on the Dagbani vowel inventory, evaluating the merits of different possible approaches in the process.