From: M.Titahmboh@lut.ac.uk (Mana TitahMboh)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Wishful Thinking? (Was: Re: Dangerous Statements ....:)
Keywords: Lofty, OAU,countries,languages
Date: 16 Dec 92 13:08:17 GMT
Organization: Loughborough University

In article <1992Dec14.183245.2558@panix.com>, mukasa@panix.com (Michael K
Mukasa) writes:
|> In <580@blue.cis.pitt.edu> pmmst8+@pitt.edu (Paul M Mweene) writes:
|> 
|> >In article <1992Dec12.235244.16057@Princeton.EDU>
|> mbarroso@watson.princeton.edu (Margarida Barroso) writes:
|> 
|> >le. The gist of the illustration was that languages like spanish and
|> portuguese
|> >are impedements and no more of economic facilitators than say, Lingala or
|> Hausa
|> >or tonga. As Africans we stand to gain by all adopting english as our
|> language
|> >(more so than if we used even Swahili). We should exercise our priviledge
|> to
|> >choose since all these are equally foreign to us. As Africans we should
|> begin t
|> >o think more in terms of profit than of maintaining unecessary political
|> allia
|> >nces. 
|> 
|> 
|> >makala
|> > 
|> 
|> 
|> Here I have to disagree with Makala.  I believe we should be promoting an
|> African language or two to be spoken throught Africa.  This will very
|> quickly help us economically because it will help facilitate inter-African
|> trade.  The promoting of English becase of economic links to the western
|> world and thus promoting our growth (industrially), will make us more and
|> more dependent on the west.  Japan has done rather well without having a
|> large percentage of the population learn English.  The reverse is true
|> though.  Nowadays more people are learning japanese so that they can get
|> some of that money and trade.
|> Africa as a whole has a rather low literacy rate and we should be
|> encouraging the learning of say (Both Kiswahili and Hausa) in schools so
|> that people will travel from west to east to south (i.e Africa), from
|> francophone to angophone and be understood perfectly.  The strenghth gained
|> through the unity of understanding will go a long way towards aiding in our
|> development.
|> 
|> My two cents,
|> 
|> Kiggundu.

Last week, I reluctanly voted for the introduction of
"soc.culture.african.french". As I recall, I pointed out that I'd rather we
weren't trying to promote yet another european language on a supposedly african
group. I think those views also apply here. Not that I think we should give up
on the idea of a "common language" for africa but I must say it sounds just as
lofty - perhaps more so- as the initial objectives of the OAU and may actually
be just as practicable. 

In my country alone there are some 232 tribal languages - the local political
speak for this is "national languages" - some with more speakers than others.
Take the completely logical idea of going for a choice between the ten largest.
Would that work? No. No one wants to drop their language -even one spoken only
by a few hundred thousand- in favour a different language. For this reason we
africans should be happy to stick to our own language(s)? Wrong! For this reason
we african have been using european languages as a compromise. Unfortunately the
continent is riddled with "leaders" who either think it is the highlight of a
career to have afternoon tea with the queen or else suffer from "chez nous"
feelings towards france or ... so other euro-enthusiam. The only sign of hope is
that you guys - the probable future luminaries- are looking at our continent's
afflictions on the net. Perhaps one day the OAU will actually amount to
something. On that day, it probably won't matter which european language each
country uses.
Perhaps we should learn other african languages without giving up ours....
Cheer up.
Happy Christmas/and a prosperous new year
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african