Language Practices in “Francophone Africa”
A Legacy of European Colonialism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36950/lpia-01-01-2025-2Keywords:
French, vernacular, lingua franca, autochthonous, colonialism, colonial auxiliaries, language policyAbstract
[This short opinion piece by Prof. Mufwene does not have an abstract. He starts with a reflection on the label "Francophone Africa". In his view, this 'label “eclipses” the significance of autochthonous languages used as vernaculars and, for some of them, also as regional lingua francas.' He concludes: 'The use of a European language as the official one is part of the socioeconomic structure inherited from the colonial period, which should be replaced with a new, (more) inclusive world order.']
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References
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