[lg policy] SOUTH SUDAN NEEDS INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES POLICY

[Harold Schiffman]

SOUTH SUDAN NEEDS INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES POLICY



Thursday, 20 October 2011 13:38

South Sudan should have an intelligent language policy which
introduces indigenous idioms as media of instruction instead of
adopting a foreign language policy that failed in many African
countries and contributed to low literacy rates. Prof. John Myhill
from the University of Haifa, Israel, told SCR News today that recent
studies showed that literacy rates in Africa are the lowest in the
world due to the use of foreign languages like English and French as
media of instruction in schools.

He explained that language policies in African countries were
inherited from colonialists but governments failed to change them.
He added that English should never be a medium of instruction, but
studied as a foreign language. Prof Myhill said the central government
should empower the state authorities to develop their own language
policies.

He suggested that each state should adopt the language of the majority
at all levels of education and government, while respecting
minorities. Prof Myhill said the central government’s language should
not be an issue because it should coordinate rather than control the
activities of the states.

http://www.sudancatholicradio.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5114:south-sudan-needs-indigenous-languages-policy&c

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