Lecture | This Time for Africa!
Language Policy in Africa - the why and how of a new journal
- Date
- Friday 12 April 2024
- Time
- Series
- This Time for Africa! series
- Location
-
Lipsius
Cleveringaplaats 1
2311 BD Leiden - Room
- 2.28 + Online
Abstract
Since its founding in 2019, the Edinburgh Circle on the Promotion of African Languages has brought together a number of linguists and other scientists who share a believe in the inevitability of an increased use of indigenous African languages in formal domains. This means that they see the need for increased attention to appropriate, science-based language policies on the continent. However, Africa is currently under-represented in journals that focus on language policy (such as Language Problems and Language Planning), whereas policy issues are typically under-represented in journals that focus on African languages (such as JALL). Yet, language policy in Africa poses specific challenges that are different from those found in other world regions. Hence, there is scope for a new journal in this area, Language Policy in Africa. This talk will highlight the thinking behind the journal, its scope and the potential contributions of linguists in this area. Inputs from the audience may be helpful in shaping the future directions of the publication.