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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:African Languages and Education in Tanzania and Zaire
Authors:Mbuyi, Dennis
Biniakunu, Dianzungu diaISNI
Year:1994
Periodical:Africana Journal
Volume:16
Pages:231-254
Language:English
Geographic terms:Congo (Democratic Republic of)
Tanzania
Subjects:education
language policy
Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
Education and Oral Traditions
Abstract:In order to broaden the understanding of some aspects of language policies in multilingual societies, this paper discusses the language perspectives adopted in two postcolonial African nations, Tanzania and Zaire. It describes the language problem in the two countries during the colonial period and the postindependence situation, and discusses some problems in the school context connected with language issues in multilingual societies. Faced with multilingualism, Tanzania has opted for a monolingual approach, whereas Zaire has favoured a multilingual approach. Tanzania has adopted and promoted Swahili, an African language, as the official language of the land and intends to make it the medium of instruction at all levels of schooling. By contrast, Zaire has decided to proceed on the basis of the former colonial policy. French remains the official language and there is some limited national language status afforded four major African languages. Tanzania is definitely moving away from the previous colonial culture and has really begun discarding English, the inherited European language, and replacing it with a common African language. Zaire, despite the regime's philosophy of 'authenticity', appears to be unable to free language policymaking from the burden of the colonial past. Notes, ref.
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