Full Description
This book argues the case for indigenous African languages, which have been stripped of their importance and are now often overshadowed - both officially, through governmental language policies, and informally, through attitudes and ideologies - by former colonial languages. The authors present case studies from a range of countries in the region, arguing that languages tell us peoples' identities, and that by dropping their own languages in favour of foreign and imperialist languages they lose their culture, history and identity as well. The book addresses many of the challenges currently associated with African languages, with the intention of influencing policy and practice in favour of their resuscitation. This book will be of interest to policy makers, academics and tertiary students in fields including Language Policy and Planning, Language Revitalisation, Heritage Language Learning, Indigenous and Endangered Languages, and Language Attitudes and Ideologies.
Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction: Situating the Imminent Cultural Genocide in the African Context (Isaac Mhute).- Part 1: African Languages and the African Continent.- Chapter 2. The Problematics of Intellectualising Indigenous Languages and People, a Cursory Look at the Science of Language in Literature and Formal Education (Joseph Aketema, Ọbádélé Kambon & Beatrice Korkor Agyemang).- Chapter 3. Local Language Promotion and the Global Village Exclusion Matrix: A Critic of Exclusive Use of Local Languages in Africa Without Industrial Provision (Nyasha Zimuto).- Chapter 4. The Plight of African Languages in the Globalised Post-independence era (Isaac Mhute).- Part II: Media and Education Case Studies.- Chapter 5. National Cinema and the Revitalisation of Indigenous Languages in Cameroon: A Study of Cameroonian Filmmakers' Perceptions of Indigenous Language Film Production (Floribert Patrick C. Endong).- Chapter 6. African Languages in Current South African Media Landscape: The Good, the Bad and the Future (Ndivhuwo Doctor Sundani, Pheelo Mabizela, Rachel Mmapitso Maboa).- Chapter 7. Electronic Publishing of Shona Literature in Zimbabwe: An Overview (L. Viriri).- Chapter 8. Indigenous Language Renaissance: The Use of Mother Tongue as Language of Instruction in Selected Gweru Schools, Zimbabwe (Vimbai Moreblessing Matiza).- Chapter 9. Language-in-education policies and minority language resuscitation efforts in Zimbabwe (Tendai Chirimaunga).- Chapter 10. "Wolves in Sheep Skin": An Evaluation of Zimbabwean Media Published in African Languages (Faith Sibanda).- Chapter 11. Computer generated linguistics countering linguicides: Users' use and interpretation of WhatsApp emojis in isiNdebele (Nkosana Mkwebu and Jennings Joy Chibike).- Chapter 12. Revisiting Zimbabwean Indigenous Languages Digitisation Activities: Perspectives from the PLETES Model (Beatrice Lantern).- Part III: Politics-related Case Studies.- Chapter 13. Kiswahili and the Justice System in Tanzania (Antoni Keya).- Chapter 14. Linguistic rights in Multilingual Contexts: The case of Mozambique (Crisófia Langa da Camara).- Chapter 15. Interrogating the use of native Karanga in the rain making ceremony in Zvishavane (Mverecha Kainos and Midzi Ratidzo).
