Thanks for this. You are right that the solutions arrived at and adopted in different countries or even regions of countries may vary. This is natural and does not have to lead to divisions based on either the languages in question or the approaches to language, though in some areas where tensions are high anything (language- related or not) may have to be designed and implemented with care.
>From an outsider's viewpoint it would seem very advantageous to have more communication across Africa about the language planning/policy approaches. And around the world. I'll leave the last word to Ayo Bamgbose, or actually to the review of an article he has in the book "Linguistics Today: Facing a Greater Challenge" (see http://linguistlist.org/issues/16/16-1760.html ). He makes the interesting distinction between language policy and language planning: "In 'Language planning and language policies', Ayo Bamgbose explains very clearly the difference between language planning and language policies. They are two sides of language treatment: 'such treatment forms a continuum, at one end of which is non rigorous treatment, which is equivalent to language policy, and rigorous treatment at the other end which is equivalent to language planning'. Then the author passes to describe characteristics of and motivation for language policy (with reference at the African context) and language planning models. Finally he discusses issues concerning the identity of the actors and authorities in language planning." Maybe what Ayo Banjo is means by "well thought-out language policy" is what Bamgbose refers to as language planning. DZO --- In [email protected], "egbaman1" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Thanks. The thing is, each African country pursues their own policies > (on paper at least) for instance RSA(South Africa) recognises eleven > official languages, however in practice only English(and a grudging > nudge towards Cape Dutch aka Afrikaans) are accorded any level use > by the national/federal governments. In Nigeria, the situation is > more complex. Some Nigerian languages have got tens of millions of > speakers, some a few million, some less than a million, a few > hundred thousand, tens of thousands, even a few thousand. There are > even a few languages with less than a hundred speakers no doubt > they'll soon be extinct! It's inevitable that some communities would > undergo complete language shift within a few years. However, some of > the smaller language communities have created their own arrangements > for recording/preserving their mother tongues. I believe the > Nigerian federal government only recognises orthorgraphies for > between twenty to fifty Nigerian languages. Obviously, many > communities outside these have their own orthorgraphies, which > aren't yet recognised officially by the federal govt of Nigeria. > NERDC(Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council), NLC > (National Language Centre) and NINLAN(National Institute of Nigerian > LANguages) are Nigeria's main language development bodies. > > On a similar note, the Ogun State(my home state) house of assembly > elected to use the Yoruba language for their deliberations every > Wednesday. Similarly, Anambra state house of assembly elected to use > the Igbo language on Wednesdays. In the far north, I'm sure the > Hausa speaking states have been using Hausa in their official > business for many years. Lagos state rejected the use of Yoruba in > their house of assembly back in 1999. This was becaue, even though a > Yoruba-speaking state, being the former federal capital, people from > all over the federation and beyond live there. Hence, the > politicians decided it wasn't right to use Yoruba there. These > things can be tied in with the desire for self-governing regions, > rather than the states which are at the federal government's mercy. > In the 1960s when there was regional government, the regional > language polcies were more conducive to language develoment. > Well, that's it for now. > > ciao > > --- In [email protected], "Don Osborn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > Thanks for this information. A couple of quick replies. > > > > First, a few years ago I referenced a title in a paper that > mentioned > > that Nigerian languages were generally used in local government. > > Unfortunately I don't have the paper or the reference handy, but I > do > > recall that one reviewer had doubts about the accuracy of the > source. > > Your information, however, does tend to bear this source out. > > > > My experience in the region, though not in Nigeria, is that the > > indigenous languages are often used. This is in part because > people > > use more than one language in a lot of settings, and it is natural > to > > use what most people speak in any setting, or at least any setting > > where some rule (social, legal) requires something else to be > used. > > SImilarly, it is a recognition that although formal government > > communications often are required in the official languages - > > English, French, Portuguese - the local realities are that these > are > > second (third...) languages for almost everyone, and many don't > > master them that well. > > > > This brings me to the second issue, that of language policy. What > you > > mention, and the situation in Nigeria generally, seems to > represent a > > policy decision re language regions/states. The question then is > what > > constitutes language policy. While any law or decision by > government > > or popular consent may be considered part of language policy, my > > understanding of the term is that it goes much further. > > > > What I understand from Ayo Banjo's remark as reported in the > review, > > is that language policies may not be thought through thoroughly > > and/or implemented fully. Note in particular his call "... for a > > working partnership, collaboration and information sharing among > > linguists and language policy makers within the West-African sub- > > region in order to achieve a more lasting solution to what is a > > sensitive issue for all the nations concerned." > > > > An example of possible interest that I return to from time to time > is > > that of the interAfrican declarations and action plans on language > > over the 4 decades plus since independence. Very often these have > > been unacted upon and even forgotten. See for example Marcel > Diouf's > > summary at http://www.acalan.org/an/consult.htm *. These > agreements, > > intended to guide planning of language policy, have been largely > > neglected. > > > > This is not to say that nothing has been done, and indeed there > are > > some interesting efforts in Nigeria, both on governmental and > popular > > levels. But perhaps more can be done for comprehensive and nuanced > > language policy there and around the continent, especially as it > has > > such important and often overlooked meaning for development, > > education, cultural revitalization, and economic improvement (no > less > > in Africa than in other parts of the world). > > > > These are just a few quick reactions from a non-African. It would > be > > interesting to pursue this discussion further. > > > > Don > > > > * Some of these documents are available at > > http://www.bisharat.net/Documents/ > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "egbaman1" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > > > As far as I am aware of, the Nigerian constitutions of both 1979 > > and > > > 1999 recognise Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo as National languages. In > > > addition, multi-ethnic states which house most of Nigeria's 586 > > > languages(this number comes from the most recent Nigerian > languages > > > survey which tookmplace between 1997 and 2002, unfortunately I > > don't > > > have any references here), also have their own state languages > > > policy. For instance, the Rivers state goverment established the > > > River's readers project in the 1970s. This was used to promote > > Ijaw, > > > Ogoni(Khana and Gokana) and other major languages within the > state. > > > Doubtless, other states would also have their own language > policies. > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Donald Z. Osborn" > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Of possible interest on the topic of the role of English and > > > African languages > > > > in what we call Anglophone Africa: An excerpt from the review > by > > > T. Temi Ajani, > > > > Dept. of African & Asian Languages and Literatures, University > of > > > Florida > > > > of > > > > English in Ghana. M. E. Kropp Dakubu, ed. Accra: Ghana English > > > Studies > > > > Association, 1997 > > > > http://web.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v5/v5i1a11.htm > > > > > > > > ... > > > > > > > > The last section [of the book], "Into the Future", comprises > only > > > one paper by > > > > eminent linguist Ayo Banjo, author of several articles and > books > > > on the English > > > > language [EL] in Nigeria. Banjo delves into the often volatile > > and > > > thorny > > > > national language issue and language policy formulation and > > > implementation -- > > > > an area of major concern in most of the ex-British colonies of > > > Africa and Asia. > > > > Also at issue in this paper is the often ambivalent, if not > > > ambiguous, role of > > > > EL in these so-called anglophone nations. According to Banjo, > > well > > > thought out > > > > language policy has been neglected, with all the obvious > > > implications on the > > > > educational and governmental institutions of the countries > > > concerned. He calls > > > > for the replacement of the exoglossic EL with endoglossic > > > languages as national > > > > lingua francas. Banjo believes EL will still maintain a co- > > > official role with > > > > the chosen indigenous official languages (due to its > > international > > > role), he > > > > suggests an endonormative, rather than an exonormative model > of > > > usage. In > > > > conclusion, Banjo calls for a working partnership, > collaboration > > > and > > > > information sharing among linguists and language policy makers > > > within the > > > > West-African sub-region in order to achieve a more lasting > > > solution to what is > > > > a sensitive issue for all the nations concerned. > > > > > > > > ... Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
