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Five and a half decades on from what is described as the Afrikan Liberation era, it might useful to assess how effective the liberation project has been in wresting control of the continent from alien colonisers. In the early of the era, one of its leading lights Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah warned of the dangers of neo-colonialism, which he described as:
“The State which subject to it is, in theory independent and has all the outward trappings on international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside.” (1)
The above description also highlights where the emphasis on Afrikan emancipation tends to lie – politics and economics. Yet renowned scholar Professor Kwesi Kwaa Prah has asserted that language is “the Missing Link in African Development.” (2)
Language, as an aspect of the culture has frequently been an underplayed aspect of the liberation discourse. Previously it was the near exclusive domain of literary circles debating, as was the case famously between Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong’o, whether European languages could be the vehicle for cultural affirmation and even liberation. (3)
One of the main reasons cited for the de-emphasis on language was that Afrika presented such a classic example of the proverbial tower of babel, with too many languages, estimates between 700 and 2,035, to give it any serious consideration. (4)
However, work by Prof. Prah at the Centre of Advanced Studies of African Society’s (CASAS) has so far revealed that over 75% of Africans speak no more than 13 core languages, these being, Nguni, Sotho-Tswana, Swahili, Amharic, Fulfulde, Mandenkan, Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Ijaw, Luo, Eastern Inter-lacustrine and Western Interlacustrine/Runyakitara. This rises to 85% if three more core languages are added. (5) Factored into this is the phenomenon of most Afrikans on the continent being multilingual.
The gaping chasm between 13/16 and 2,035 languages could be put down to classification. It has been described as a “missionary crusade” to “discover” new languages, when what was actuallydiscovered, Prof. Prah contends are actually “dialectal variants of core languages.” (6) The implications of this for the continent are far reaching:
“In as far as African development is concerned, the upshot of these facts are that the harmonisation of African languages which show high levels of mutual intelligibility would greatly facilitate the economies of scale in the development of educational, media and cultural materials which could go a long way towards strengthening the basis of society for the cultural and social development of Africa. Furthermore, it is the only way of culturally empowering the masses of African society. It is the one way we can remove the cultural cleavage between the elite and mass society. It provides the key to the methodology of eradicating the stigma of inferiority, which the colonial experience has invested in African languages.” (7)
From a developmental point of view, one consequence of this would be to elevate Afrikan languages to the Language of Instruction (LoI) – the main language for government, education (all levels), science and technology, business and social intercourse. Studies in Afrika as well as evidence of how this can aid development and/or political mission has been seen in places like Southeast Asia (e.g. Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam) (8), or even the Anglo-Boers in Azania (9) or the old Soviet Union. (10)
Such an undertaking would be an immense structural task and Prof. Prah notes that “All African governments theoretically agree with this view,” but with the predictable caveat “hardly any are able or willing to devote the requisite resources for the realisation of such objectives. Mother-tongue education does not feature anywhere near the top of their priorities.” (11)
This begs the question whether there are other means to advance this programme other than through linguistically diffident governments who are reluctant to demote or eschew colonial languages – out of personal preference or misguided economic considerations. An additional concern, when considered in the context of Pan-Afrikan liberation goal, is how to address the issue of Afrikans in the diaspora. Unlike Afrikans on the continent, those in the diaspora are perceived to have a much higher rate of mono-lingualism and in a European language to boot. It may help to shatter the illusion that English, for example, is the global power language for the masses, when in fact only 6% of the global population are native English speakers and 75% speak no English at all. (12)
One approach is to teach them young. For example, in its ten years of existence, the Alkebu-Lan Academy of Excellence (Saturday School) has always included an Afrikan language in its curriculum – previously Twi and currently Yoruba, taught by Mr. Kola “the best Yoruba teacher in London.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeCAS5hCZG4)
On another level there are even spiritual implications for a non-Afrikan Language of Instruction. As pioneering scholar Molefi Kete Asante argues:
“If your God cannot speak to you in your language then he is not your God. Your God is the God who speaks to you in your language. What is your language? It is the language with which you first got your consciousness. Thus for African-Americans this would be Ebonics, for Yoruba the language would be Yoruba, and for the Asante the language would be Twi. If you want to hear your God in the language of your Ancestors then learn an African language like Kiswahili or Yoruba.” (13)
(1) Kwame Nkrumah (1966) Neo-Colonialism,the Last Stage of imperialism. International Publishers. p. ix..
(2) Kwesi Kwaa Prah (2011) The Language of Development and the Development of Language in Contemporary Africa. http://www.casas.co.za/FileAssets/NewsCast/misc/file/Chicago%20AAAL%20Paper%20%20March%202011%20(2)%20(2).pdf.
(3) A.Kaye (13/05/2015) Achebe, Chinweizu and Ngugi: a longstanding debate on African Literature. https://brainstormingideasimprovingeducation.com/2015/05/13/achebe-chinweizu-and-ngugi-a-longstanding-debate-on-african-literature/
(4) Bernd Heine and Derek Nurse (Eds) (2000) African Languages: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press. p. 1.
(5) Prah (2011) The complete list includes: Nguni (Zulu, Xhosa, Swati, Kangwane, and Ndebele) Sotho-Tswana (Pedi, Sotho, Tswana, and Lozi), Swahili, Amharic, Fulfulde (Fula , Pulaar, Peul, Tuculor, Fulful, Fulbe, Fulani), Mandenkan(Susu, Bamanankan/Bambara, Dyula, Xasonke, Ligbi, Numu, Malinke, Mandinka, Yalunka, Kono), Igbo, Hausa (In Nigeria alone these include, Kananci, Zazzaganci, Bausanchi, Dauranchi, Gudduranchi, Hadejanchi, Sakkwatanchi, Katsinanchi, Arewanchi, Kurhwayanchi Arewa, Arawa and Zaria). Yoruba, Ijaw (The language Ijọ is anglicised as Ijaw; although mutual intelligibility diminishes across dialectal borders, the people regard themselves as one. The cluster includes; Obolo, Kalabari, Okirika, Bile, Ibani, Nkọrọ, Nembe, Akasa, Biseni, Okodia, Oruma and Izon (Izon is the largest in the cluster and it alone has the following dialectal variants; Arogbo, Kolokuma, Gbarain, Ekpetiama, Ikibiri, Tarakiri, Bumọ. Apoi, Bassan, Olodiama, Oporoma, Oyiakiri, Ogboin, Seimbiri, Operemọ, Kabụ, Kumbọ,Ogbe-Ijoh, Iduwini, Ogulagha, Oporoza/Gbaranmatu, Arogbo, Egbema, Fụrụpagha, Obotebe, Isaba, Tuomo, Mein, Tungbo, Kọụ, etc.); Luo (Acholi, Lango, Dhopadhola, Dholuo); Eastern Inter-lacustrine (Luganda, Lumasaaba, Lusoga, Lulamogi, Lunyole, Lugishu) and Western Interlacustrine/Runyakitara (Runyoro,Rutoro, Runyankore,Rikiga, Ruhaya, Runyambo, Rukerewe, Ruhema, Ruhuma). The additional three are the Somali/Samburu/Rendille and Oromo/Borana/Gabra clusters and the Gur group (Gurene, Kabye, Koulango, Lokpa, Moore, nCam, Senufo, Tem).
(6) Ibid.
(7) Ibid.
(8) Alicia Mitchell (16/05/2013) “No country can make progress on the basis of a borrowed language” (Interview with Kwesi Prah http://ela-newsportal.com/no-country-can-make-progress-on-the-basis-of-a-borrowed-language/
(9) Kwesi Kwaa Prah (2006) TChallenges to the Promotion of Indigenous Languages in South Africa. http://www.casas.co.za/FileAssets/NewsCast/misc/file/204_CV_Challenges%20to%20the%20Promotion%20of%20Indidegous%20Languages%20in%20Sou_.pdf.
(10) Chiekh Anta Diop (1987) Black Africa: Economic and Cultural Basis for a Federal State . Africa World Press/Lawrence Hill & Co. p. 11
(11) Prah (2011) Op. cit. (1996) A Model Movement a review of Towards Black Community Development by Manu Ampim. http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/11.07.96/lq-ampim-9645.html
(12) Dr Faye Taylor (2013) Multilingual Britain. Cumberland Lodge. http://www.britac.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Multilingual%20Britain%20Report.pdf
(13) Molefi Kete Asante (1988) Afrocentricity. Africa World Press. p. 4
So we ask the question:
What is the role of language in Afrikan Liberation?
1. Is Language really “the Missing Link in African Development”?
2. Why is Afrika characterised as having so many languages?
3. Is a programme instituting Afrikan Languages of Instruction economically viable?
5. Are their other means of propagating this than government agencies?
4. What evidence is there that mother tongue LoI improves knowledge acquisition?
6. Should Afrikans in the Diaspora learn Afrikan language(s)?
Our very special guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK and national co-Chair of the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Guide To Excellence.
Professor Kwesi Kwaa Prah: was the founder and Director of the Africa-wide Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society (CASAS) based in Cape Town, South Africa. He studied at Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam. He has worked extensively across Africa, Europe and Asia researching and teaching Sociology and Anthropology in various universities. Kwesi Prah is currently mainly involved with work in Anthropological Linguistics, specifically the harmonisation of African orthographic conventions. He has published numerous books since 1973, most recently including Anthropological Prisms (2009), Soundings (2010) and Tracings: Pan Africanism and the Challenges of Global African Unity (2014). Some of these books have been translated into Shona, French, Chinese and Arabic.
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