Africa has to follow the example of Asian countries by promoting indigenous and not foreign languages to languages of education and development; a possibility or a form of self-delusion?: paper presented at the Department of English 6th international conference June 2011

Abstract

Some scholars of African descent, who include Mazrui (1978, 2000), Chimhundu [2002), Mutasa (2006) and Magwa and Mutasa (2007), admire, Japan, China and the Asian tigers in general for using indigenous Asian and not foreign languages in Asian education and programmes of development. The same scholars blame African counties for resorting to the use of foreign and not indigenous African languages in African education and programmes of development. This paper argues that scholars need to ask and answer certain specific questions before they blame African countries for not taking the Asian countries' way in the area of language choice and practice. The questions Include: 1) what really helped and still help Asian countries to enforce the use of indigenous Asian languages in their programmes of education and development? 2) Which politico-economic and socio-cultural factors hinder African countries from promoting indigenous African languages to languages of African education and programmes of development as what is the case in Asian countries? 3) Is it fair to blame African countries for not following the example of Asian countries In the area of language choice and practice given that the economic histories of African and of Asian countries are totally different? This paper interrogates scholars' positions and opinions when they blame Africa for not following the example of Asian countries, who have promoted indigenous Asian languages to language of education and development without first of all going deep into the politico-economic histories of the Asian and African countries.