Languages and Education in Africa, Book
Languages and Education in Africa a comparative and transdisciplinary analysis
Edited by BIRGIT BROCK-UTNE & INGSE SKATTUM 2009 paperback 356 pages US$64.00 ISBN 978-1-873927-17-5
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The theme of this book cuts across disciplines. Contributors to this volume are specialized in education and especially classroom research as well as in linguistics, most being transdisciplinary themselves. Around 65 sub-Saharan languages figure in this volume as research objects: as means of instruction, in connection with teacher training, language policy, lexical development, harmonization efforts, information technology, oral literature and deaf communities.
The co-existence of these African languages with English, French and Arabic is examined as well. This wide range of languages and subjects builds on recent field work, giving new empirical evidence from 17 countries: Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as to transnational matters like the harmonization of African transborder languages.
As the Editors – a Norwegian social scientist and a Norwegian linguist, both working in Africa – have wanted to give room for African voices, the majority of contributions to this volume come from Africa.
Contents
Foreword (Ayo Bamgbose), 11-12
Series Editor’s Preface (Michael Crossley), 13-14
Ingse Skattum & Birgit Brock-Utne. Introduction, 15-54
PART 1. General Considerations on Language and Education
Martha A.S. Qorro Parents’ and Policy Makers’ Insistence on Foreign Languages as Media of Education in Africa: restricting access to quality education – for whose benefit?, 57-82
Kwesi Kwaa Prah Mother-Tongue Education in Africa for Emancipation and Development: towards the intellectualisation of African languages, 83-104
Hassana Alidou Promoting Multilingual and Multicultural Education in Francophone Africa: challenges and perspectives, 105-131
Rajend Mesthrie Assumptions and Aspirations Regarding African Languages in South African Higher Education: a sociolinguistic appraisal, 133-151
PART 2. Language as a Means of Instruction and as a Subject in Formal Education
Mamadou Lamine Traoré L’utilisation des langues nationales dans le système éducatif malien: historique, défis et perspectives, 155-161
Tal Tamari The Role of National Languages in Mali’s Modernising Islamic Schools (Madrasa), 163-174
Irène Rabenoro National Language Teaching as a Tool for Malagasy Learners’ Integration into Globalisation, 175-188
Mekonnen Alemu Gebre Yohannes Implications of the Use of Mother Tongues versus English as Languages of Instruction for Academic Achievement in Ethiopia, 189-199
Silvester Ron Simango Weaning Africa from Europe: toward a mother-tongue education policy in Southern Africa, 201-212
Lazarus M. Miti & Kemmonye C. Monaka The Training of Teachers of African Languages in Southern Africa with Special Reference to Botswana and Zambia, 213-221
Halima Mohammed Mwinsheikhe Spare No Means: battling with the English/Kiswahili dilemma in Tanzanian secondary school classrooms, 223-234
PART 3. Language Standardisation and Harmonisation
Herbert Chimhundu Language, Dialect and Region: the handling of language variation in Shona dictionaries, 237-252
Nhira Edgar Mberi Harmonisation of the Shona Varieties: Doke revisited, 253-262
Nomalanga Mpofu Adjectives in Shona, 263-273
Samukele Hadebe From Standardisation to Harmonisation: a survey of the sociolinguistic and political conditions for the creation of Nguni in Southern Africa, 275-285
PART 4. Beyond Formal Education
Kristin Vold Lexander La communication médiatisée par les technologies de les technologies de l’information et de la communication: la porte d’accès au domaine de l’éscrit pour les langues africaines?, 289-299
Aïssatou Mbodj-Pouye & Cécile Van Den Avenne Comment les langues se mélangent-elles à l’écrit? Pratiques actuelles de deux agriculteurs passés par une école bilingue (franco-bambara) au Mali, 301-312
Foluso O. Okebukola Towards an Enriched Beginning Reading Programme in Yoruba, 313-332
Philemon Akach, Eline Demey, Emily Matabane, Mieke Van Herreweghe & Myriam Vermeerbergen
What is South African Sign Language? What is the South African Deaf Community?, 333-347
Why and how Africa should invest in African languages and multilingual education Africa Linguistics : Adoption of a Policy Guide for Successful Integration of African Languages and Cultures into Education Nigeria : Languages and National Policy on Education South Africa : Language Policy in Education 2009 The Languages of Africa and the Diaspora