Politique linguistique et promotion du kiswahili au Burundi face à d’autres langues

Abstract

Language policy is a pressing issue in many African countries. Burundi has a regulatory framework that governs the use, teaching, and promotion of languages under the authority of the Rundi Academy. Several languages are spoken in Burundi, including Kiswahili, French, English, and Kirundi, which is a national language and the foundation of Rundi identity. On the other hand, Kiswahili holds the status of a regional language of communication, as it is spoken within the East African Community, of which Burundi and its neighboring countries are members. Consequently, Burundi is obligated to promote Kiswahili with the aim of facilitating regional economic integration through the linguistic unity that Kiswahili is intended to foster. Regarding this multilingual context, Kiswahili occupies a marginal position, as French and English enjoy a higher status due to their political and economic functions, on the one hand, while Kirundi, on the other hand, is an integral part of Rundi identity. Moreover, sociocognitive theory—which considers certain fundamental aspects, including the environment and the individual, to explain interactional situations—demonstrates why Kiswahili faces several obstacles to its expansion: Kiswahili was the language of the Arabs who plundered and killed in Burundi. Attitudes toward Kiswahili remain hostile, to the extent that only the need for cross-border communication still justifies even the slightest interest in it.