Language Policy in Africa (LPIA) is a journal supporting the idea that African languages are key to Africa's development, also in the context of decolonisation.
Analyse du champ lexical des instruments de musique dogon
This study offers a linguistic analysis of the lexical field of musical instruments in Dogon culture, where music plays a significant role in daily life, in rituals, and ceremonies. Musical instruments, imbued with strong symbolic and social functions, are designated by a rich and specific lexicon. However, their lexical field remains poorly documented and understudied in dogon linguistic and ethnomusicological literature. This study adopts an ethnolinguistic perspective. The main objective is to establish an inventory of musical instruments in order to contribute to the documentation and safeguarding of Dogon linguistic heritage. The methodological approach adopted is qualitative, descriptive, and interpretive, structured around three main axes: the collection of linguistic data, lexical analysis, and ethnolinguistic interpretation. The results have revealed a structured collection of terms related to Dogon musical instruments, including the names of the instruments, their components, verbs associated with playing techniques, as well as expressions describing sounds and ritual uses. This study contributes to a better understanding of the connection between language, culture, and music, as well as the intangible heritage of the Dogon people, and to the ongoing documentation of African languages.
dogon, ethnolinguistics, lexical field, linguistic analysis, musical instruments
Copyright (c) 2026 Linguiste Yalcouyé, Kodio Aldiouma, Dianka Balla https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Élaboration d’une terminologie juridique en hausa dans le roman « Le Nouveau Juge » d’Amadou Ousmane
This study focuses on the development of a Hausa legal terminology based on Amadou Ousmane’s literary work Le Nouveau Juge, entitled Sabon Alƙali in Hausa. The research involves the preselection of French legal terms and the identification of their equivalents in Hausa, with the aim of establishing a specialized lexical resource. These terms are particularly relevant for media professionals, researchers, and individuals interested in the legal field. Hausa, a national language widely spoken in Niger, is also a transnational lingua franca used in northern Nigeria and across several West African countries. As a member of the Chadic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family, Hausa plays a central role in regional communication. Translating the legal concepts found in the novel not only facilitates comprehension of its literary message but also enriches Hausa with essential juridical vocabulary, while safeguarding the integrity of the original concepts. The objective of this work is to elaborate a specific legal terminology that makes the text accessible to Hausa speakers and ensures consistency with both French and Hausa legal systems. The methodology consists of selecting legal terms from the novel and examining their translations, while seeking appropriate anchoring in the two linguistic and institutional contexts.The results of this research will serve as a terminological database, providing a reference tool for anyone wishing to express themselves in Hausa within the legal domain. Ultimately, this contribution promotes the valorization of Hausa in professional and academic practices, while fostering linguistic equity and accessibility in the field of law.
Hausa, legal terminology, lexicon, The New Judge, translation
Copyright (c) 2026 Sani BAARE https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Contribution de l’alphabétisation à la diffusion des Objectifs de Développement Durable (ODD) en baoulé, dioula et koulango
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Côte d'Ivoire can only be truly effective if policies are part of broader processes of dissemination in local languages ​​and better consideration of literacy. This requires the implementation of literacy projects in local languages, the implementation of which facilitates access to information and overcomes the barrier of the official language (French). Literacy in the mother tongue makes the concepts of the SDGs more accessible and understandable for a section of the population. By using local languages, better informed populations can adopt responsible behaviors related to education, health, the environment and the fight against poverty. In a context of appropriation of development objectives and increased commitment of populations to the sustainable development of the country, this article focuses on learning in local languages.
Literacy, learning, appropriation, sustainable development, local language
Copyright (c) 2026 YEBOUA VINCENT, Djibril Soumahoro https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Editorial: five paradigms about language use in Africa.
Copyright (c) 2025 Djouroukoro Diallo, Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, Billian Otundo, Bert van Pinxteren, Addisalem T. Yallew https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Terminologie de la phonétique en bamanankan
Despite the dynamism of Bamanankan, it has, until now, invested less in language sciences in general and linguistics in particular. In the absence of sufficient terminology in this field, the phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics of Bamanankan are studied in other languages (English and French). To solve this problem, the present work aims to study the terminology of phonetics in Bamanankan. It assumes that the Bamanankan language possesses the necessary resources to form its own phonetic terms. The method underlying this research consists of an analysis of specialized works, a search for pairings and consultation of language specialists. The results are then recorded in the form of a terminology file. Each term studied will constitute a terminology record, including headings likely to give credence to the Bamanan pairings found. The approach of recording the results of terminological work in terminology records was first discovered in the work of Rondeau (1985). However, Dubuc (2009) eventually developed the practice further by modeling it with more headings. The cultural terminology approach (Diki-Kidiri 2008) will also be applied to make the chosen Bamanan denominations intelligible.
Bamanankan, pairing, phonetics, terminology record, terminology
Copyright (c) 2026 Issiaka Ballo, Sheïbou Sanogo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Moi aussi je veux apprendre à lire et à écrire en gouro, ma langue
This study discusses the Gouro language, the teaching and learning of which is of great importance to its native speakers and to anyone who wishes to learn it. It is a language threatened with extinction due to globalization and the dominance of French in all sectors of activity. A significant number of Gouro professionals do not speak their own language, a situation dating back to the colonial school era up to the country’s independence period during which schoolchildren were forbidden to speak their language under threat of humiliating punishment within educational institutions. The study aims to present strategies for preserving the Gouro language. The research question is: How can the Gouro language be preserved? The answer to this question refers to the hypothesis that teaching Gouro, as with the languages included in the Integrated School Project (Projet École Intégrée – PEI), enables Gouro speakers to strengthen their productive skills in order to maintain their cultures. The findings indicate that knowledge of the structure and phonological system of the Gouro language facilitates the development of a syllabary as a literacy manual.
Learning, teaching, Gouro, language, PEI
Copyright (c) 2026 Lou Claudine épouse GUESSAN DRI https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Bàngudɔn kàlanni bamanankan na : tìle n’a màntonw kùnkanfaamuyaw n’u dodaɲɛko
Since the 1980s, the process of lexical enrichment in Bamanankan began when the speakers of the language first witnessed the emergence of metalanguages: wale (verb), kumasen (sentence), ... These terms came out to be established, since they became familiar to any graduate of literacy centers. In addition to metalanguages, physics is a field where concepts may lack Bamanan names. In this regard, this article focuses on the Bamanankan terminology for concepts related to the solar system. The objective is to facilitate the teaching of physics in Bamanankan by making Bamanankan names available for basic concepts. To this end, the methodological framework adopted in this work is structured in two phases. Firstly, the framework sought to identify concepts related to the solar system that already had Bamanan names in order to incorporate these names in the teaching process. Furthermore, when discovering concepts lacking a name in the language, a name is assigned to them in accordance with the indigenous naming conventions available in Bamanankan. The second framework of the methodology required gathering existing names before the researcher's in-person intervention, using appropriate procedures.
bamanankan, bàngudɔn, dodaɲɛ, mànton, miiriya
bamanankan, concept, name, physics, planet
Copyright (c) 2026 Ballo Issiaka https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
L’harmonie vocalique en kúsá’ál : mythe ou réalité ? Analyse du parler de zoaaga.
The current study, vocalic harmony in kúsá’ál (spoken by Zoaaga): alethic conception, is a contribution to explain this phenomenon phonological prove in the major part of black-africans languages and particularly in those of gur type, most precisely from kúsá’ál spoken in Burkina Faso. The analysis aims to prove the effectiveness of phonological reality in the language by describing its diverse manifestations. In order to get the evidential results, the pre-established questionnaire allowed to harvest the corpus with the informants’ speakers, natives of the study zone. This is the principle of the largest phonetic transcription which has served the development of the harvest data. We have here the standard of structural-functionalist, analysis of BONVINI (1974) for the theorization.
Aperture, degré, harmonie,morphologe, vocalique
Copyright (c) 2026 Drissa Nitiema https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Partir des obstacles pour concevoir l’enseignement de la lecture dans les classes de CP au Burkina Faso
According to findings about the quality of primary school education in Burkina Faso as in Subsaharian countries, learning to read in the two first years of primary school constitutes a remarkable accomplishment. If we assume that acquiring learning mechanism is the result of systematic teaching/learning, there is evidence that teaching and learning skill are closely linked. The objective of this study is to shed light on the constraints that complicate the acquisition of reading during the first two years of primary school. The data used in this research come from inquiries conducted in the center and the north parts of Burkina Faso, in downtown and in rural zones. The inquiries were carried out in eleven schools as well as in the offices of decision-makers in the primary education system. The findings indicate that reading instruction during the first two years does not sufficiently take into the account the difficulties pupils encounter. It is important to look at reading difficulties that learners face through the lens of cognitive, linguistic, social and cultural factors that affect them. Doing so will help make reading instruction more effective right from the first years of school.
teaching; learning to read; French language spelling
Copyright (c) 2025 Cheick Ouedraogo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Le lexique de l’agriculture dans le dictionnaire baoulé-français : approches terminologique et métalexicographique
The development of dictionaries on African languages, and more specifically on Ivorian languages, has experienced significant growth in recent years (Vydrin 2021; Kra 2015; Timyan, Kouadio & Loukou 2003). The predominance of bilingual dictionaries is explained by their fundamental role in the process of linguistic documentation, constituting an essential preliminary step to the production of monolingual dictionary works (Tourneux & Diki-Kidiri 2006). The choice of nomenclature, the responsibility of lexicographers, guides the representation of lexical domains in these works. Thus, in the case of Baoulé, a Kwa language of Côte d’Ivoire, the macrostructure of the dictionary developed by Timyan, Kouadio and Loukou (2003) necessarily reflects specific editorial choices. Agriculture, as a major socio-economic activity among the Baoulé, raises the question of the representativeness of its lexicon in the Baoulé-French dictionary. This study seeks to examine the presence and treatment of terms related to agriculture in this work (Timyan, Kouadio and Loukou 2003), by questioning the selection of entries and the modalities of their lexicographic description. The main objectives consist, on the one hand, in assessing the extent of the lexical coverage of the agricultural field and, on the other hand, in analyzing the terminological and metalexicographic treatment reserved for these lexical units. To this end, the methodology adopted is part of an eclectic approach, mobilizing the tools of both cultural terminology (Diki-Kidiri et al. 2008) and metalexicography (Quemada 1967; Rey-Debove 1971), in order to offer an in-depth analysis of the lexicographical choices made.
Copyright (c) 2026 Allou Serge Yannick ALLOU https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
La terminologie culturelle: Une introduction à la théorie et à la méthode
This article reports on the inaugural keynote conference of the 3rd International Colloquium held in Bamako (Mali) from July 28 to 31, 2025, to promote scientific and technical terminology in African languages. This conference proposes cultural terminology as a theoretical and methodological framework for undertaking terminological work in Africa. The goal of cultural terminology is the appropriation of knowledge and skills by a specific linguistic community rooted in its culture. Human beings, both as an individual and as a community, are cultural beings who, by their very existence, constantly create culture through a mechanism of appropriating new things by learning and exploring their environment. In this way, they build up an evolving base of knowledge and experience that they use as a framework for analyzing other new experiences. Concepts are constructs of the mind whose perception is culturally motivated. Each concept can thus be perceived from several angles of view called percepts. The naming of a concept is motivated by its percepts rather than its essence. While the relationship between naming and definition is ideally one-to-one, this does not prevent variation in naming, which often contributes to better communication of knowledge, particularly in educational discourse. Cultural terminology requires advanced knowledge of the language, the culture, and the subject area concerned, which ideally requires collaboration between three specialists to successfully complete any terminology project. Implementation and evaluation of results, as well as normalization and standardization, complete the recommended methodology.
cultural terminology, appropriation, culture, language planning, concept, perception, denomination, development
Copyright (c) 2026 Marcel Diki-kidiri https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Bicentenaire des pratiques lexicales du bamanankan : Jean Dard 1825 – Dukure 2021
While the french lexicography began with the publication of the first french dictionary, "Le Thésaurus," by Étienne Robert in 1531 (Gaudin 2000: 20), the publication of the French-Wolof-Bambara dictionary in 1825 by Jean Dard marked the beginning of the lexicography records in Bamanankan (Ballo 2024: 229). Two centuries have passed since this latter date. And two centuries of practice deserve to be celebrated, especially a practice carried out in a language falsely considered unwritten in the public mind. Thus, the present work recounts the major milestones in the general and specialized lexicography of Bamanankan. It presents both the history of the key figures involved and the history of the language's transcription, while also incorporating commentary, analysis, and discussion.
bamanankan, bicentenary, dictionary, lexicographical work, lexical practice
Contribution de la traduction biblique à l’enrichissement des langues cibles : Le cas du bamanankan au Mali
Bible translation extends beyond merely conveying the spiritual message of the sacred text. It has served as a foundational reference for the development of local literature and educational materials, thereby facilitating literacy and the expanded use of written forms in target languages. The Bible remains the most significant literary work in most African languages, and its translation continues to play a central role in efforts to enrich these languages. In particular, it contributes to the lexical and conceptual development of languages such as Bamanankan. Bible translation fosters the expansion and stabilization of vocabulary and enhances the functionalization of numerous languages through the creation and adaptation of neologisms, the standardization of grammatical structures, and the reinforcement of the usage of existing terms and expressions. Our study aims to illustrate these principles using examples from the Bible in Bamanankan. Its relevance to this conference lies in the intricate interdependence between the disciplines of translation and terminology. This paper advocates for the establishment of national commissions on neology and terminology in Mali, bringing together translation scholars and terminologists to enhance and optimize the mission of enriching and refining our national languages.
Bamanankan, Bible, Language Enrichment, Terminology, Translation
Copyright (c) 2026 YOUSSOUF DEMBELE https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Analyse morphologique des déverbaux du gulmancema
Several mechanisms are involved in the formation of the nominal bases of Gulmancema. Among these lexical creation processes, derivation occupies a central place and is divided into two main categories: affixal derivation and non-affixal derivation. This study analyzes the morphological structure of deverbals in Gulmancema, a Gur language belonging to the Niger-Congo family (Greenberg, 1966), spoken mainly in eastern Burkina Faso, but also in Benin, Niger and Togo. Although a classification of the derivational processes of Gulmancema has already been established, it does not highlight the morphological phenomena inherent in these lexical formation mechanisms. To fill this gap, we investigate the morphological nature of Gulmancema deverbals. Our analysis is based on the work of M. Houis (1977), whose approach makes it possible to identify the different categories of deverbal bases existing in this language and to highlight the morphological phenomena associated with them. The data used in this study come from a field survey carried out in Fada. The results show that deverbal formation in Gulmancema relies mainly on the process of exocentric affixal derivation.
deverbals, derivative, derivation, morphology, morphophonology
Copyright (c) 2026 Tapoa Françoise Xavière LOMPO https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Du statut des prédicatifs dits verbaux en Buamu
This study focuses on the morphology of verbal constituents in Buamu, a Gur language spoken in Burkina Faso and Mali. It specifically questions the nature of morphemes considered as verbal markers and examines their status in the verbal system of this language. The issue raised concerns the identification and function of morphemes associated with verbs in Buamu, which are often considered verbal predicatives, while they could actually function as auxiliary verbs. The main objective of this research is to demonstrate that, contrary to the widespread idea that aspectual values of the imperfective are expressed by specific verbal markers, these values are actually expressed by auxiliary verbs. The methodology adopted is based on the analysis of a linguistic corpus, consisting of simple statements obtained from native speakers of the language. This corpus helped to highlight the morphological units involved in the expression of aspectual values. The theoretical framework of this study follows both a structuralist and functionalist approach. The structuralist approach analyzes the structure of verbal constituents, while the functionalist approach focuses on the roles of linguistic units in expressing aspectual values. The results obtained show that in Buamu, the aspectual values of the future, projective, and eventual are not expressed by verbal predicatives but by auxiliary verbs. Furthermore, the morpheme associated with the progressive is a postposition with a locative value, rather than a verbal predicative.
En buamu, les morphèmes identifiés aux prédicatifs verbaux dans les descriptions de cette langue sont, en réalité, des mots verbaux jouant le rôle d'auxiliaires.
Copyright (c) 2026 Roland BICABA https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Terminologie zootechnique bɩ́sá-français
The present study deals with zootechnics in bɩ́sá (dialect gɔ̀r̀mĩ̀nnẽ̀), a Mande language of the Niger-Congo phylum spoken in Burkina Faso, mainly in the Centre-Est and Centre-Sud regions. The aim of this article is to conduct a bilingual bɩ́sá-French terminological study of terms relating to domestic animals. To achieve our objective, we have followed the framework of M. Diki-Kidiri’s (2000) cultural terminology, which proceeds by analyzing three aspects of the term under study; which aspects are the signifier, the signified and the referent. Through documentary research and fieldwork, we built up a corpus of fifty (50) terms, ten (10) of which were analyzed on cards. Each term was the subject of a terminology record comprising fifteen (15) headings. The entire corpus was described morphologically and semantically.
Copyright (c) 2026 Abdoul-Rassid BAGAGNAN https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
La problématique de la terminologie mathématique dans l’enseignement des langues ivoiriennes : cas du Baoulé
The development of mathematical terminology in the teaching of Ivorian languages, and more particularly in Baoulé, is a major challenge for educational development and the preservation of African languages. The hypothesis put forward suggests that a thoughtful and culturally relevant integration of this terminology could not only facilitate the assimilation of mathematical concepts, but also strengthen the cultural identity of pupils. Thus, this initiative aims to improve understanding of mathematical concepts while enriching the lexicon of the Baule language. To achieve these ambitious objectives, it is essential to establish interdisciplinary cooperation between linguists, educationalists and mathematics specialists. This collaboration will make it possible to design appropriate and accessible teaching tools that are in tune with the cultural realities of the learners. By introducing appropriate mathematical terms in Baule, this approach aims to overcome the linguistic barriers to learning, while promoting inclusive education that respects local cultural identities. The challenge thus goes beyond the strictly pedagogical framework to take on a socio-cultural dimension. The aim is to enhance and modernise Ivorian and even African languages within a contemporary education system, while preserving their richness and linguistic diversity. This initiative could therefore play a key role in the revitalisation of Ivorian languages and in the cultural emancipation of pupils.
Copyright (c) 2026 Assouan Pierre ANDREDOU https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Analyse des dictionnaires bamanan : Traitement homonymique versus traitement unitaire des entrées polysémiques
This paper analyses the entries of two monolingual Bamanan (Bambara) dictionaries. The processing in question targets entries that have followed the homonymic treatment and the unitary treatment approach in the said dictionaries. The question of the treatment of polysemic entries always raises the issue of the optimal choice of treatment to apply to each polyseme. The lexicographer wonders whether the respective entry should be duplicated each time it occurs with a different meaning (homonymic treatment) or whether the grouping of all the meanings of the entry should be tolerated (unitary treatment). The question is how do practitioners of Bamanan dictionaries behave in the face of these ambiguities? What are the objective criteria applied by the latter in their respective works and how do these criteria relate to those defined in the current theories? The aim of the work is therefore to follow some polysemic entries to analyse the criteria that prevailed in the ungrouping or grouping of the meanings of entries for any useful purpose in the era of the trigger for the design of monolingual dictionaries in African languages. As a methodological framework, the work proposes to look for some homonymic entries in the Bamanankan daɲɛgafe dictionaries (Kone 2010 and Dukure 2021) in order to carry out the analyses. Finally, the paper will based on a literary review of previous works on lexicography in general and on Bamanan dictionaries in particular.
Bamanankan, dictionary, entry, homonymic treatment, unitary treatment
Copyright (c) 2026 Issiaka Ballo, Cheick Madani Sangaré https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Interactions Between English and Bambara in the Learning Process: Towards a Didactics of Complexity
The interaction between languages in the learning process is a complex phenomenon influenced by linguistic, cognitive, and sociocultural factors. This article investigates the dynamic relationship between English and Bambara as a medium of learning within an African educational framework. Relying on a comprehensive documentary analysis, translanguaging, distributed cognition, and the didactics of complexity, the study examines the role of Bambara as a mediating language in the acquisition of English. It also suggests that the strategic use of local linguistic resources can facilitate the comprehension of abstract concepts, enhance communicative competence, and promote critical thinking. The findings indicate that multilingual learning environments, when effectively structured, contribute to deeper cognitive engagement and more meaningful language acquisition. They thereby show that the integration of local languages into English language instruction remains a challenge due to restrictive linguistic policies in Francophone Africa, which often favor monolingual approaches and neglect the potential benefits of linguistic diversity. This article argues for a systemic and integrative pedagogical approach that positions Bambara not as a hindrance but as a valuable asset in English learning. By advocating for curriculum reforms that acknowledge the cognitive and sociocultural advantages of multilingual education, the study underscores the importance of rethinking language policies to align with the realities of African learners. Ultimately, this research contributes to the broader discourse on language education by proposing a more inclusive and contextually relevant framework that leverages local languages to support English acquisition in multilingual settings.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ibrahima Karamoko, Dr (MC) NAOUNOU https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
For this inaugural issue of the Journal, we want to offer a brief overview of the origins of our initiative and a short discussion of its relevance as we see it. This issue holds a number of interesting articles in store for you; we end the editorial with a few pointers as to what we would like to publish in future.
Copyright (c) 2025 Djouroukoro Diallo, Lynn Kisembe, Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, Bert van Pinxteren, Addisalem Yallew https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Workplace communication plays a pivotal role in addressing the issues of language of communication in the workplace, particularly in multilingual settings. Most scholars have contributed extensively to this field of research and their focus has primarily been on issues of communication in business and legal contexts, health and academia. This article proposes workplace communication as an effective approach that can be adopted by banks to incorporate the use of African languages as languages of communication and business. The issue of language of communication in the multilingual bank settings of the Free State Province is a central one in this article. The main argument of this article is that English continues to be the main language of communication and business, particularly pertaining to the written communication in banks, while African languages such as Sesotho, Setswana, isiZulu and isiXhosa are excluded. Qualitative research methods were employed in this article, and interviews and qualitative observations were conducted to collect data. The findings of this study suggest that most banks use English in meetings and legal documents such as loan contracts, while most banking customers are speakers of African languages such as Sesotho, Setswana, isiZulu and isiXhosa, particularly in the townships and rural areas where the majority of black people reside. Therefore, banks operating in the Free State Province do not promote multilingualism in the workplace; instead, they promote monolingualism.
African languages, banking, language policy, legal documents, multilingualism, workplace communication
Copyright (c) 2025 Menzi Thango https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Review of Issues of Inequality and Inequity in Education Concerning the San Language Minorities in Botswana – 1997 - 2023
Research now abounds on the issues that bedevil the education of minority ethnic groups in Botswana. If a consideration is made about language as a human right, the right to learn in one’s language becomes fundamental. Indeed, issues of equality and equity in education are subsumed in many strategies, policies, and laws that define the education of a nation. If Education is concerned with societal knowledge and cultural values systems, then there is no equity in access in Botswana as equality assumes that leaners have equal linguistic competence. The paper will argue against the belief that homogeneity equalizes the learners. A point will be made that minority language speakers, such as the San (Khoisan), suffer from being overlooked and rendered irrelevant in education as they encounter school languages for the first time in the classroom. The paper will underscore the fact that matters of mother tongue education, culture-infused curriculum, and teacher training are key in education. The thesis of this paper is that a meaningful education should, underline equitable principles that bring about inclusive and constructive development of the self, democracy, self-reliance, and cherishing of unity in diversity. The methodology of the discussion will be guided by a critique of existing policies and their philosophy of education that does not value a culture-based and all-inclusive education that can benefit the Khoisan learner.
Botswana; Language policy, San minorities; inequality, inequity, mother tongue
Copyright (c) 2025 Andy Chebanne, Budzani Gabanamotse-Mogara https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Language Practices in “Francophone Africa”
[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.']
Copyright (c) 2025 Salikoko Mufwene https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Postcolonial Englishes moving towards/past endonormativity: A survey of literature on attitudes and implications
In each postcolonial multilingual environment, a nativised and standardising form of English is commonly used in the country's educational system, administration, and media, rather than Standard British English (SBE). Despite research indicating that teachers struggle to effectively teach SBE and learners consistently fail to acquire its features, educational authorities in these countries continue to promote SBE. This approach hinders the possibility of embracing flexible language ideologies that could lead to the development of local varieties of English and their acceptance as models for the classroom. In this article, I review the literature on attitudes towards postcolonial nativised Englishes and argue that adopting these Englishes as local standards has significant implications for the local English language teaching industries at sociolinguistic, pedagogic, economic, and policy levels.
Copyright (c) 2025 Patrick Belibi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Challenges and Initiatives in Radio Language Policy Implementation
In response to the Nigerian legal framework's prioritization of languages spoken within its respective communities, this study examines the language policies of Nigerian radio stations, focusing on Bond FM and Voice of Nigeria. It analyzes the legislative frameworks guiding language use in broadcasting, including the 1999 Constitution, Nigerian Broadcasting Code, National Language Policy, and Freedom of Information Act. Primary data were gathered through survey, informal interviews, and observation, while secondary data was collected through a review of documents and literature. The study reveals diverse language policies among radio stations, including monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual approaches. Bond FM and Voice of Nigeria's multilingual policies promote linguistic diversity, preserve indigenous languages, and cater to diverse audiences. The stations' language choices reflect the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, Nigerian Broadcasting Code, National Language Policy, and Freedom of Information Act. The study highlights challenges and proposes initiatives to support language development and policy implementation, which includes the scarcity of qualified staff and the need for language development initiatives. The study recommends the need to develop standardized curricula for broadcasting in indigenous languages, provide training programs for broadcasters to learn multiple languages and collaboration and partnerships between broadcast stations, language education institutions, and language experts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Kenneth Obiorah https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Language Policy and Power Dynamics in Post-Independence Morocco
Morocco is a multilingual society where national, official, and foreign languages coexist and are used daily. Their functions and domains of use reveal their status and the processes by which they are classified into dominant and dominated languages. Most of the former studies on language policy in Morocco have mainly focused on policy formulation and decisions as an apolitical endeavor. The present study, however, aims to investigate the crucial role language policy plays in structuring power and inequality in the country. It argues that language policy is a political act with educational, linguistic, social, and economic ramifications. The national language policy formulated after Morocco's 1956 independence adopted the European model of 'one language, one nation' without considering the country's specific realities. The present paper involves a critical review of the literature and the legal documents, including the Moroccan New Constitution, and an extensive inquiry into the institutional reform efforts and directions in an attempt to answer the research questions related to (i) the status of mother tongues, official languages, and foreign languages in Morocco, more than six decades after its independence; (ii) the state of the Arabization process, the officialization of Amazigh, its teaching, and standardization; and (iii) what governs Moroccan language policy, and what the educational policies in Morocco reveal about the State’s language policy.
Copyright (c) 2025 Yassine Boussagui, Yamina El Kirat El Allame https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Shades of Green: Communicating Ecological Information in Indigenous Languages.
‘Green economy’ is the new buzzword in development economics and environmental protection, a convergence of concepts hitherto thought to be mutually exclusive. A corollary of the definition of sustainable development as that which meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs is the necessity of making those who meet their needs from the soil and water to understand the imperative of using these resources responsibly. In other words, they need to understand and buy into the greening of the economy. This paper reports a small terminological project for translating “green” and related terms, as a contribution to the grassroots popularization of the green economy concept. The extraction of terms was done manually and concept relationships used in the analysis of source terms prior to term creation, to create morphological series and other paradigms. Fine distinctions in meaning, e.g. between near synonyms, were made.
Development Communication, Green, Terminology, Translation
Copyright (c) 2025 Funmilayo Olubode-Sawe https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The concepts of discerned and designed languages and their relevance for East Africa
This article starts with a dream: the dream that one day, the countries of East Africa will be middle- to high-income countries, with an education system to match that status. What would that mean for the medium of instruction in tertiary education? Using Estonia as a benchmark, and comparing that with data from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, I show that in future, it will be impossible to keep English as medium of instruction. Local languages will have to be used. However, how can that be done in a practical way? In order to discuss that, the article introduces the concepts of discerned and designed languages, inspired by the earlier concepts of ‘Abstand’ and ‘Ausbau’ languages as introduced by Heinz Kloss (1967). The concept of discerned languages is a more linguistic concept. The concept of designed languages is more sociological and is similar to that of intellectualized languages. Using these two concepts points to the social and political nature of how languages are classified and to the possibility that one designed language can serve as a formalized language for speakers of a number of related discerned languages. This is of great relevance to East Africa. The article proposes five principles for rational designed language choices. It expands on one of these – the importance of looking at ease of language learning and teaching when making rational choices. The article then ends with a number of policy recommendations, slightly different for each country.
Copyright (c) 2025 Bert van Pinxteren https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Officialisation des langues nationales - enjeux et défis pour le Burkina Faso
This article represents the current stage of our reflections on African language policy in general and that of Burkina Faso in particular. More specifically, we question the effectiveness of the officialization measures long demanded by certain African and Burkinabe linguists and now accepted by states such as Mali and Burkina Faso. We remain convinced that while officialization measures establish a legal framework that is, in principle, favorable to national languages, they do not automatically guarantee the promotion of the languages concerned. Similarly, a language policy of this scope must be rooted in the country's language ecology, taking into account the ethnolinguistic vitality of the languages present, as well as the needs of the continent and the world as a whole. Similarly, in order to be successful, this policy of promoting African languages must take into account the human, financial, and above all sociopolitical costs, as well as the geopolitical implications, particularly the costs of the much-vaunted sovereignty. Technical and financial partners are not generally eager to get involved when it comes to claims of sovereignty and independence, which are a matter of state dignity.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mamadou Lamine Sanogo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Language-in-Education Policies in Ghana: Identifying the gaps
Language planning and language policy are activities undertaken by governments and institutions to guide and inform language choices and language use with the aim of achieving certain desired outcomes. Within the education sector, language-in-education policies are undertaken usually by governments or educational departments to inform and guide the choices and use of language in education settings with the aim of achieving certain goals. Although Ghana has experimented with several language-in-education policies, the country repeatedly fails to achieve the desired goals with the policies. There is therefore the need to examine the policies in order to find out what may possibly be responsible for their inefficiency. While many studies have examined these policies from different perspectives, this study focuses on the identification of possible gaps in the policy statements. The study used interviews, library search, and information from relevant institutions to access past and present language-in-education policies in the country for analysis. The findings revealed that Ghana has neither an explicit national language policy nor substantial independent language-in-education policy documents. Instead, a few statements about language-in-education can be located in educational reform documents and ordinances. It was also revealed that details of the language-in-education policy containing reforms and ordinances are generally not available or accessible , and that only references and some comments and remarks are available in various studies. The study therefore recommends a number of actions, including the establishment of a functional language bureau, a draft of explicit policies on national language, language-in-education, and implementation, monitoring and review guidelines.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nana Ama Agyeman, Gladys Nyarko Ansah https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0