[lg policy] Zimbabwe: Establish national language policy

[Harold Schiffman]

Establish national language policy: Mudenge

17 August, 2009 01:51:00 Herald

 Stan Mudenge There is need for national language policy that will see
indigenous languages being used as “media of instruction’’ in the
field of education,

Speaking at a graduation ceremony at Bulawayo Polytechnic recently,
Higher and Tertiary Education Minister, Dr Stan Mudenge, said language
is the most precious possession of mankind that enables individuals to
become fully functioning members of the group into which they are
born. Dr Mudenge had to set aside his prepared speech saying he was
inspired by the late Vice-President Joseph Msika to speak on an
important subject that does not fall under his Ministry. “Today I
shall hide behind my academic gown and speak as an academician
compelled to express a point of view on a matter of great national
importance.

“We are reminded that indigenous languages are capable of meeting the
demands placed on us provided that an opportunity is provided to do so
with clear linguistic policies. Yet in the case of Africa, a sad
reality obtains. “It is also a fact that in large measure, the
language of the Government of Zimbabwe is not the language of
education nor are local languages given meaningful official status,’’
said Dr Mudenge. He said the languages of the indigenous people were
not used extensively in development discourse. “For example Shona and
Ndebele languages spoken by more than 90 percent of the country’s
population are languages that are being denigrated in high schools,
colleges and universities in Zimbabwe today,’’ he said.

He said the language policy adopted at independence and enshrined in
the Education Act enhances English as the language of education,
business administration at the expense of other languages. “African
languages are not being used as media of instruction in primary,
secondary and tertiary institutions. “It is however, important for the
Government to realise that development in Africa and Zimbabwe can
never be achieved without serious considerations of the role of
African languages. Language is at the heart of a people’s culture and
it is imperative to note that cultural advancement of a people, their
economic and social development will not register significant gains
without the use of indigenous languages,’’ he said.

Dr Mudenge said that a number of lecturers discovered that it was
easier for students to comprehend information transmitted in their
indigenous language.
“I challenge Zimbabwean teachers and lecturers to use the students’
most familiar language or mother tongue from Grade One to Grade Seven,
Form One to Form Six and at all tertiary institutions for all subjects
be they humanities and sciences,’’ he said. He said other countries
made it mandatory for foreigners seeking citizenship to first go
through an induction in their language. “Before one can be a citizen
of the US, one has to go through an induction to turn the individual
into an American in terms of the American culture and values. In
Brazil, I also know that one cannot graduate as a medical doctor or
any other professional before one takes a course in African History or
culture,” said Dr Mudenge.
Dr Mudenge quoted renowned Zimbabwean academic, Professor Herbert
Chimhundu, who said during a presentation at the University of
Zimbabwe in 2005: “The absence of a clear national policy and the
general lack of funding for language research are some of the major
factors hindering initiatives in the research and documentation of
local languages which were deliberately denigrated to vernacular
status by the colonial establishment.’’

He said it should be remembered that the country hosted the
Intergovernmental Conference on Language Policy in Africa (ICLPA) in
March 1997, which was attended by 51 Africa member states. The aim of
the conference was to draw up strategies and define prospects for
management of the African linguistic context with the main expected
outcome being the mutually agreed reference framework to be used by
each country. Delegates to the conference agreed that each country
should produce a language policy document within which every language
spoken in the country could find a place while guidelines for policy
formulation would be sanctioned by legislative action. The time frame
given to set up national language structures in all African countries
was from 1998 to 2000.

“The only immediate follow up to the conference was the setting up of
the National Policy Advisory Panel in April 1997 to advise the
Government on how a comprehensive national language policy could be
formulated in Zimbabwe. “In a report that was presented to the
Government by Prof Chimhundu, the panel advised the Government to set
up a National Language Council, through an Act of Parliament, with a
mandate to produce a clear language policy, develop language data
bases at national and regional levels as well as create technical
committees charged with responsibility for language issues such as
translation and compilation of terminologies.

“Sadly no action has been taken by the Government to implement this
recommendation from the Advisory Panel,’’ said Dr Mudenge. He said
there was need to take advantage of the constitution making process to
emphasise the role of local languages. — Harare Bureau.

http://zimbabwenewsonline.com/top_news/319.html

-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents.
Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal.
(H. Schiffman, Moderator)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************

_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list