North-South Contributions to African Languages

Edited by: Christina Thornell, Karsten Legère. With contributions by: Assibi Apatewon Amidu, Dorothee Beermann, Carol Benson, Beban Sammy Chumbow, Øyvind Dahl, Niklas Edenmyr, Riikka Halme, Arvi Hurskainen, Helene Fatima Idris, Karsten Legère, Daniel J. Mkude, Robert Munganda, Carl E. Olivestam, Christina Thornell, Valentin Vydrine, Åsa Wedin, Alexander Zheltov.

Series: TIAS Topics in Interdisciplinary African Studies Volume 19

2011
12 pp. Roman, 203 pp.
1 figure, 5 colour illustrations
Text language(s): English
Format: 160 x 240 mm
430 g
Paperback
€ 39.80

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The present collection of papers is a fine contribution towards demonstrating how the cooperation between linguists and language experts from Nordic countries and their partners in Africa results in substantial academic achievements. The papers in this volume address African languages and language problems that pertain to the position and function of national languages in sub-Saharan countries. Given the legacy of foreign rule on the African continent, half a century after the famous Africa Year of 1960 the empowerment of national languages in sub-Saharan Africa is still a de­manding challenge as shown in this volume.

The origin of this collection was the 2007 Gothenburg Symposium “Nordic Contributions to Afri­can Languages” in support of the Year of African Languages 2007–08 that was formally launched by the African Union in June 2007. The symposium convenors at Gothenburg University suc­ceeded in bringing together a good number of colleagues from all Nordic countries and Northwest Russia as well as partners from Cameroon (representing the African Academy of Languages of the African Union), Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania. The papers that were subsequently sub­mitted for publication emanated from this meeting.

CONTENTS

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir: Foreword

Christina Thornell / Karsten Legère: Introduction

Beban Sammy Chumbow: The African Academy of Languages and the continental language development programme

Assibi A. Amidu: African language teaching and research with emphasis on Swahili

Dorothee Beermann: Typecraft – Language annotation in the context of African linguistics

Carol Benson: African languages, educational quality and the issue of parent choice

Øyvind Dahl: Linguistic policy challenges in Madagascar

Niklas Edenmyr / Hélène Fatima Idris / Karsten Legère: Endangered languages – Examples from Tanzania and Sudan

Rikka Halme: Creating a common orthography for Nyaneka-Nkumbi

Arvi Hurskainen: Some Finnish contributions to African linguistics

Daniel J. Mkude: The impact of Swahili on other languages in Tanzania – An illustration from Luguru

Robert Munganda: Subject glossaries for Mbukushu – Development and future prospects

Christina Thornell / Carl E. Olivestam: Central African multilingual learning environment with neuroscience underpinnings

Valentin Vydrine: South Mande lexicology project

Åsa Wedin: Language attitudes and schooled education – The case of Karagwe

Alexander Zheltov: African language studies in St. Petersburg

 

Following the links below, you will find further publications featuring African national languages and language policy:

Accompanying material:

• African Languages in Global Society / Les langues africaines à l’heure de la mondialisation / Lugha za Kiafrika kwenye enzi ya utandawazi (ISBN 978-3-89645-259-7)
• African Linguistics at the Crossroads (ISBN 978-3-89645-120-0)
• Erwachsenenbildung in Äthiopien und Uganda (ISBN 978-3-89645-684-7)
• IX. Afrikanistentag (ISBN 978-3-927620-79-7)
• Linguistic Landshapes (ISBN 978-3-89645-085-2)
• San and the State (ISBN 978-3-89645-357-0)
• Sango (ISBN 978-3-927620-94-0)

Cross-reference:

• 50 Jahre Unabhängigkeit in Afrika (ISBN 978-3-89645-829-2)
• Bantu Languages (ISBN 978-3-89645-705-9)

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