Dissertation on language policy in Madagascar

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Forwarded from Linguist-List:

The Viability of Official Malagasy in the Language Ecology of
Southern Madagascar with Particular Reference to the Bara Speech Community


Institution: University of South Africa
 Program: DLitt et Phil
 Dissertation Status: Completed
 Degree Date: 2003

 Author: Leoni E. Bouwer

 Dissertation Title: The Viability of Official Malagasy in the Language
Ecology of Southern Madagascar with Particular Reference to the Bara
Speech Community


 Dissertation Director(s):
 Lawrie A Barnes

 Dissertation Abstract:

 It is traditionally believed that one language is spoken by all the
people of Madagascar. This implies that the standardised form of the
Merina variety of Malagasy, also referred to as Official Malagasy, can
adequately be used and understood by all Malagasy speakers in every social
situation - including educational, health, cultural, domestic, economic,
political and religious contexts.

 The thesis presents empirical research that challenges this belief,
 confronts the assumption of Malagasy monolingualism as a prerequisite for
 national unity, and demonstrates that the question of Malagasy linguistic
 diversity remains unresolved.

 Both quantitative and qualitative methods were implemented to investigate
the viability of Official Malagasy in the language ecology of Southern
Madagascar, and to explore the vitality of Southern Malagasy speech
varieties, with particular focus on the Bara speech community. A language
ecological view is taken of the region under study, firstly of the general
sociolinguistic situation of Southern Madagascar, then of Ibara, an area
within Southern Madagascar, and finally of the Mikoboke, a secluded area
in Western Ibara.

 The study argues that significant linguistic diversity exists in Southern
Madagascar and that Southern Malagasy speakers are not adequately served
by the official language due to language variation, ethnolinguistic
vitality, insufficient intelligibility, poor proficiency in Official
Malagasy, and language attitudes. If all regions of Madagascar are to have
equal opportunity for educational and economic development, regional
speech forms need to be given a recognized place at the local level.

 As far as could be established, no similar research has previously been
undertaken in Southern Madagascar, nor anywhere else in Madagascar, and
this study therefore takes on an initiatory and exploratory role as to its
focus of study.