Multilingualism, Modernisation, and Mother Tongue: Promoting Democracy through Indigenous African Languages

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Periodical article

Title:	Multilingualism, Modernisation, and Mother Tongue: Promoting Democracy through Indigenous African Languages
Author:	Wolff, H. Ekkehard
Year:	1999
Periodical:	Social Dynamics
Volume:	25
Issue:	1
Period:	Winter
Pages:	31-50
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Subsaharan Africa
Subjects:	development democracy indigenous languages mother tongues sociolinguistics nationalism Politics and Government Ethnic and Race Relations Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
External link:	https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02533959908458660
Abstract:	Bilingualism or multilingualism, whether viewed from the microperspective of individual speakers or the macroperspective of sociolinguistic profiles of independent States, is the norm rather than the exception in Africa. In such a situation, the role of mother tongues is of vital importance. Whenever one speaks of development and democracy, the norm of multilingualism and multiculturalism involving mother tongues needs to be kept in mind. The author pays attention to the role of language in development and democracy; beliefs, prejudices and fallacies concerning mother tongues in multilingual contexts; and the importance of strengthening literary production in African languages. In conclusion he addresses the question of what university-based African sociolinguistics can do. Bibliogr., notes, ref.