Revitalizing Mother Languages

Culture, Globalization and Technology

Abstract

Globalization has paved the way for trade, culture sharing, research, development, communication, innovation, and the spread of technology. But while these and other benefits of globalization are often analyzed, little attention is paid to its impact on mother languages. The UN estimates that more than 50 percent of the languages spoken across the globe will disappear by 2100. Africa, in particular, is in danger of losing 250 languages out of the 600 currently in decline on the continent. Globalization is responsible for much of this language endangerment as it creates economic, political, and social conditions that promote the dominance of Western languages like English and French over local languages. This paper investigates the nature and extent of globalization’s impact on mother languages in Africa and forwards conditions that must be met to revive and preserve these languages. Using Memmi's Theory of Colonization, Freire's Theory of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, and Fisherman's Model for Language Revival, I argue that language endangerment is a product of previous colonizing policies that disenfranchised indigenous languages and cultures and that continues today as globalization. I posit that this endangerment poses a direct threat to the national and cultural identities of indigenous peoples. I ask and attempt tp answer three key questions: How does globalization facilitate language loss in Africa? How does this loss impact the social, cultural, and political structures of African peoples? And what steps can the continent take to revive its mother languages? In analyzing past works, I acknowledge that many language revitalization campaigns rely on technology to preserve and disseminate ‘sleeping’ languages. I, however, advance that a multifaceted approach involving new educational policies, decolonization, locally-driven research, and collaborative learning could produce better results. I therefore recommend that technology-focused revitalization efforts be combined with community engagement and policy changes to revitalize the languages, identities, and cultures of African people more effectively.