What
are local languages?
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| Crafts stand at Intwasa 2013 © Ernest Mackina |
The
21st century has been characterized by the convergence of nations
into a league of economies. Subsequently, cultures and traditions have been
amalgamated, making it a mammoth task to zero-in on what identifies the
different groups making up this gigantic movement called globalization. Any ethnic
group, tribe or clan transmits it’s indegeneology (local knowledge systems)
through codes agreed upon by generations that have existed long before them.
Language is a systematic means of
communicating through the use of sounds. This communication by word of mouth
has ensured the transmission of ideas, information, knowledge and wisdom from
one generation to another, yet today there are threats of African languages
going extinct. The English Language is mastered in order to understand things
in the systems of education. According to the African Holocaust Notes, home
usage of local languages is not intellectual or academic usage and does not
refine and develop the language as a tool of instruction. Local languages are
those languages spoken in an area of a nation state, and may exist in a small
area, or wider region. The use of ‘official’ languages which are predominantly
former colonial languages, threatens local languages and as such, strategies
need to be formulated and put in place to ensure their continued survival.
Minority languages are those languages spoken by a minority of the population
within a geographical area and these tend to be marginalized for a myriad of
reasons such as language preference, the dominance of the language if
instruction and perceived status associated with local and minority languages.
What
is preservation of local languages?
Preservation is an action of
protecting any idea, information or tacit knowledge from the loss or danger of eradication.
Measures that prevent the loss of local and minority languages are in line with
those languages’ preservation.
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Why
preserve local languages?
It is very essential that we ensure
that local languages do not disappear as it would lead to the loss of human
diversity as well as all knowledge contained therein.
When
should we preserve local languages?
NOW!!! The time to act is now. If the
current scenario continues to prevail, over time, there will be a cultural
monopoly transmitted through various media such as the television.
Languages… What’s the fuss?
To
begin with, a number of African countries’ indigenous languages are legally
recognized as national languages; spoken by the different groups making up
those nations, whilst former colonial powers’ languages are predominantly used
as languages of instruction and as official languages. In Zimbabwe, the
official language is the British English whilst in South Africa there are 11
official languages.
How do we preserve
local languages?
Active
participation amongst concerned stakeholders such as local government, chiefs,
governments, churches and parents holds the key to the preservation of local
languages. According to UNESCO, the
value of indigenous languages can be raised, to their being offered at
mainstream universities as well as their elevation to being recognized as
official and national languages.
Structural shifts in pedagogical approaches
could very well save these languages from extinction. In Zimbabwe, information
technology applications and tools such as voice recorders and camcorders can be
used to harvest the languages found amongst elders and historians. Such a move
would lead to local language’s recognition on the global scene as it may be
transformed into publications, shared online as audio books and podcasts.
Kirkness
(1998) advises that local languages may be preserved by establishing banks of
knowledge supported by stories of the elders and these may be stored over
servers and shared beyond a nations’ physical borders. The singing of hymns in churches
is one way of promoting and maintaining the use of local languages as well as
the formalization of plays in vernacular language, recording of traditional
folklore and songs rich in idioms, proverbs and metaphoric expression.
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Schools,
in collaboration with ministries of arts, culture and education may also
advocate for the teaching of certain subjects in local languages. Parents can
also set aside time to read stories to their toddlers written in vernacular
languages and also ensure that they keep in touch with their roots by having
them visit their rural folk who are still in touch with these languages. Publishers
have a role to play in providing translations to best seller novels and
textbooks as well as the creation of new local publications which are unique to
African myths, legends, fable, song and dance.
We
all have a role to play in ensuring that our local languages continue to live
on after us, let us as “MaAfrica” safeguard
them as they are our heritage.
This article was originally published on ZimLink on the 8th of October 2013 .
Images are a copyright of © Ernest Mackina ( Ernie-MacPics)
