3 - The Role of African Universities in the Intellectualisation of African Languages

Abstract

Neo-colonial language policies deriving from decolonisation have entrenched not merely the dominance but, fatefully, the hegemony of the languages of the Euro- pean colonial powers, especially that of English, which is also driven by contempo- rary globalisation processes. The intellectual and political leadership of the conti- nent has succumbed, with very few exceptions, to the forces that prevail in the linguistic markets and is reaping what Bourdieu (1984) refers to as ‘the profits of distinction’. African poverty and economic inequality are to be eradicated, or even reduced, during the twenty-first century. One of the central but least discussed is- sues that have to be addressed is the language question which is linked to the im- peratives of the democratisation of modern African states, of increasing effi- ciency and labour productivity for economic development, and of promoting individual and social equilibrium, including the enhancement of self-confidence and creativity. A general policy of promoting language equity in multilingual Afri- can societies and of developing (‘modernising’ or elaborating) African languages in the context of overall national development policies will have to be followed sys- tematically over a period of at least two generations. In this paper, the author con- siders the historical and social dynamics of African languages in high status func- tions and proposes a series of steps that will facilitate the realisation for the updated and revised Language Plan of Action for Africa, formulated and adopted by the OAU almost twenty years ago. The essay gives pride of place in this process to the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), which is fast becoming the major point of reference in the domain of language policies for the continent.