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Title Language, education and identity in Africa
Full text https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3210293
Date 2021
Author(s) Pinxteren, L.M.C. van
Contributor(s) Mous, M.P.G.M.; Akinyoade, A.; Amha, A. (Committee member); Dietz, A.J. (Committee member); Hofstede, G.J. (Committee member); Rutten, G.J. (Committee member); Wolff, E. (Committee member); Leiden University
Abstract Why has Africa not been doing so well and what is the way forward? This book starts with the analysis of Vansina and Prah: the old cultural traditions in Africa have been destroyed in colonial times; new ones are currently taking shape, based in part in African languages. The book uses cross-cultural psychology to show that such new cultural traditions are indeed forming in Africa. However, almost all African countries currently use a former colonial language in secondary and higher education. The book demonstrates that if more and more people get educated, this system will no longer scale. Over the next decade, more and more African countries will have to make a transition towards increased use of African languages. The book proposes a distinction between discerned and designed languages. All over the world, designed languages are made to serve speakers of several discerned languages. This could and should happen in Africa as well. The book contains a number of brief case studies, showing how in fact such a transition is practically possible. In future, African countries will be able to achieve success in their educational systems by using a small number of languages as medium of instruction. Such a transition will also help to form the new cultural traditions that are already taking shape on the continent. - Descriptive and Comparative Linguistics
Subject(s) Identity; Cross-cultural psychology; Medium of instruction; Higher education; African languages; Language policy; Decoloniality; Ethiopia; Ghana; Southern Africa
Language en
Publisher LOT
Type of publication Doctoral Thesis; info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis; Text
Format application/pdf
Source LOT dissertation series
Rights https://hdl.handle.net/1887/license:5
Identifier isbn:9789460933790; doi:10.48273/LOT0595; lucris-id:429425602
Repository Leiden - University of Leiden
Added to C-A: 2022-11-28;09:18:23