"Globalization & the Role of African Languages for Devt."

Tue Feb 26 12:38:55 UTC 2008

Thanks for your point of view. It does make sense to me that non-linguistic behaviours and attitudes will carry the day.

Stan
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Don Osborn 
  To: lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu ; AfricanLanguages at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 2:23 AM
  Subject: RE: "Globalization & the Role of African Languages for Devt."

  Thanks for the feedback. I think there are several things going on in such situations (apart from the particular tragic events in Kenya recently).

  It is not uncommon that the ways people use a language shared by some but not all in a particular setting might give those who don't speak it the feeling of exclusion. A lot depends on how the languages are used, the speakers' behavior, etc., and is not inherent to multilingualism or its expression. On the other hand, I have noticed in West Africa a tendency to shift languages if necessary to include someone coming into a discussion, or else someone does a quick translation. 

  The notion of keeping some languages away, down and out of the picture for whatever reason may have more costs than is realized. They don't go away so easily, and while relegated to the margins not only serve less good than they might, but perhaps serve as vehicles for continuing prejudice or worse. 

  There was a news item about radio broadcasts in various local languages in Kenya inciting hatred and violence.* The solution of course would not be to curtail use of these languages, but to use those same tongues and the terms, metaphors and cultural references that are part of them to counter negative messages with more positive messages.

  Part of the hope of language development, as I see it, is to seize the high ground for more positive and constructive discourse, preferably before you get to the point of such radio broadcasts.

  One other note re perceptions of language and linguistic diversity in Africa: Nigerian linguist Ayo Bamgbose has written of the twin fallacies of language policies on the continent: that multilingualism always divides and that one language always unites. The assumption that language necessarily divide is strong enough that one article from Tanzania a last year referred to the genocide in Rwanda as being between groups speaking different languages,** which of course it was not.

  Maybe the issue at the water cooler in Kenya - or in places of work in the US - should not be how to keep people from speaking certain languages, but rather encouraging tolerance on the one hand and politeness (at the risk of sounding quaint) on the other. Acceptance of linguistic diversity and consideration of others' feelings in social settings go together. The coming together in Kenya may be difficult after what has happened, but is suppressing use of languages really an ideal element of reconciliation or could there be other ways, especially for the longer term?

  This view of linguistic pluralism from Uganda in 2005 may be of interest*** :

  "From my experience with East and Southern African cities, Kampala and Johannesburg are the more culturally plural, that is in terms of language diversity. With inhabitants freely expressing themselves in any of their languages that they deem fit, rather than being constrained to relate to each other in one State-imposed lingua franca. And this is a strength that adds to the cosmopolitan outlook and cultural tolerance of these two post conflict societies.

  "On the other hand, the language policies of a number of our neighbours, notably Sudan with Arabic and Kenya and Tanzania with Kiswahili, have led to cultural-cide. This has undermined their numerous indigenous languages.  ."

  I might add that the description of language use in Kampala and Johannesburg sounds a rather like my experience in some West African cities.

  Don Osborn

  *Alisha Ryu, "Radio Broadcasts Incite Kenya's Ethnic Violence" VOA 30 January 2008 http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-30-voa38.cfm 

  **Neema Mugali, "Kiswahili, bridging the gap of ethnic divide" Guardian 2007-05-03 09:07:34 http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2007/05/03/89680.html 

  ***Kintu Nyago, "Kiswahili: No General Application"  The Monitor, February 24, 2005 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/message/314 

  From: owner-lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu [mailto:owner-lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu] On Behalf Of Stan & Sandy Anonby
  Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 7:55 PM
  To: lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu; AfricanLanguages at yahoogroups.com
  Subject: Re: "Globalization & the Role of African Languages for Devt."

  A Feb 11 article in the New York Times, entitled "Kenya's Middle Class Feeling Sting of Violence " seems to come to a different conclusion. 

  "Mr. Mbugua spoke the other day at one of those meetings about the importance of reconciliation in the workplace. His idea was to keep local languages, which many Kenyans speak in addition to the country's official languages (English and Kiswahili), away from the water cooler. 'We don't want people to feel excluded when they're at work,' he said.

    ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: Don Osborn 

    To: AfricanLanguages at yahoogroups.com ; lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu 

    Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 1:42 PM

    Subject: "Globalization & the Role of African Languages for Devt."

    I just came across a link to Ghirmai Negash's 2005 paper, "Globalization and the Role of African Languages for Development," on the Sociolingo's African Linguistics blog at http://sociolingolinguistics.wordpress.com/2008/02/05/globalization-and-the-role-of-african-languages-for-development/ and thought I'd pass on the reference. Apparently it was just made available online at http://repositories.cdlib.org/ies/050219/ . The abstract follows; the full paper in PDF format can be downloaded at http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1072&context=ies 

    "Indigenous African languages are largely eliminated, and marginalized from use. Instead of investing in and using their linguistic, cultural, and human potential, African governments and the elite still continue to channel away their resources and energies into learning 'imperial' languages that are used by a tiny minority of the populations. Against the backdrop of constraining global forces, and Africa's internal problems (wars, repression, and general economic misery), this paper argues that African languages could be the most critical element for Africa's survival, and cultural, educational and economic development. In order for this to happen, however, Africa must invest in this sector of 'cultural economy' as much as it does (should do) in the 'material economy', since both spheres are interrelated and impact on each other."
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