Among the foreign dominant languages in Sierra Leone are English, French and Arabic. Mufwene (2002), who claims that English is not the most immediate threat to indigenous languages in Africa
states:
Anyone who claims that the spread of English around the world endangers indigenous languages should explain how this is possible in countries where it isonly a lingua franca of an elite minority but is barely spoken by the vast majority, or a large proportion, of the population. (Mufwene 2002:8)
In what follows, I will describe the socio-economic importance of English in Sierra Leone. To begin with, there is no doubt that English is a lingua franca of only the elite minority in Sierra Leone. Nonetheless, English enjoys a number of privileges that other indigenous languages do not have. It is the language of imperialism and has been the only official language of Sierra Leone since 1808 when Sierra Leone was declared a British crown colony.
As an official language, English is the only language of instruction in schools and colleges. It is compulsory in schools and is generally the only language allowed on school premises. In some schools, students who speak indigenous languages within the school premises are punished. English is also a prerequisite for admission to schools and colleges. Students who have a pass in indigenous languages but a fail in English are often denied admission to colleges, whereas those who have a pass in English, but a fail in indigenous languages are guaranteed admission. Such policies only reinforce the existing notion that English is more important than indigenous languages.
Moreover, English is the only language used in the civil service, courts, parliament and all formal settings. For example, the President’s speeches are always in English, with translations in Mende, Temne, Limba and Krio. This situation seems to cut off people who speak only minority languages from national issues. The Constitution of Sierra Leone, traffic road signs, prescriptions in hospitals, among others, are all in English. It is also the only language used in the print media.
Furthermore, being an international language that is widely spoken in the world, English enjoys more prestige than indigenous languages. At the university in Freetown, studying English is associated with honour and wisdom on the part of the learner whereas studying indigenous languages is not. Similarly, a university degree in English is admired more than a university degree in indigenous languages. Thus, unlike indigenous languages, competence in English is in fact a symbol of high education in Sierra Leone. Thus, the prestige and enviable social status associated with English further strengthen the need for English rather than indigenous languages.
In addition, competence in the English language gives the highest assurance of a better life in Sierra Leone. For example, all appointments in the civil service and other government offices are based on one’s knowledge of English. People who cannot read or write in English are not qualified for standard jobs in society. Such people are either self-employed or take up menial jobs in the civil service that earn them mediocre wages, while those who are literate in English take up well-paid jobs in the civil service or Non-Government Organizations. The ability to travel to countries like the UK or America, where Sierra Leoneans often go to seek greener pastures, is also exclusively determined by one’s ability to read and write in English. Such is the status of English in Sierra Leone that everyone sees it as the surest means to a better life.
Considering the extent to which English has entrenched itself in Sierra Leone, one is of the impression that it will forever remain dominant over all other languages in the country. Oyetade and Fashole-Luke (2007) have expressed a similar view that English is unlikely to disappear completely from use in various formal domains of life given its long history of sociolinguistic importance, international integrity and educational influence. Thus, indigenous languages including Krio, the most widely spoken indigenous language, have lost the competition to English, as it is the surest socioeconomic guarantor.
In the homes of many elites in Sierra Leone, English is the only medium of communication. Thisis because the parents are aware of the opportunities associated with competence in English. Children who grow up in such homes inevitably acquire English as their first language rather than the indigenous languages of their parents. This undermines the acquisition of indigenous languages and their transmission to a future generation of speakers. Similarly, in many grade A primary schools, where such children usually attend, the lessons are exclusively in English rather than the native languages of their parents. Therefore, the children’s knowledge of English is reinforced and the children usually end up speaking only English. Thus, the socio-economic benefits that English offers contribute to the abandonment of indigenous languages.
Equally eating into the fabric of the linguistic spectrum in Sierra Leone is French. Unlike English, French is not an official language, though it is a prestigious language taught in schools and colleges as a second language. Owing to the relatively low number of French instructors in the country, incentives such as higher salaries and better learning opportunities are offered to people in French pedagogy. Such facilities are not open to students studying indigenous languages. This situation puts indigenous
languages at a disadvantage. One should not be surprised at the mass enrolment of students in French classes such as those organized by Alliance Française in Freetown.
To sum up, French and English have overwhelming advantages over indigenous languages in Sierra Leone. The two languages are more prestigious than indigenous languages. In addition, they have snatched an enviable socio-economic position from indigenous languages. In his assessment of the socio-economic impact of ex-colonial languages on indigenous languages, Adegbija (2001:285)
states:
The very presence of European languages and the disproportionate prestige associated with them … is a major threat to African languages…. The official dominance of excolonial languages is therefore a potent language-shifting trigger constantly pulled by the desire of every individual to rise to the vertical and horizontal social and economic
ladder.
African elites, who develop the curriculum of schools and colleges, are in fact aware of the socioeconomic importance of ex-colonial languages like English. Hence, as I stated earlier, English is compulsory in schools whereas indigenous languages are optional. Thus, the socio-economic advantage that English has over indigenous languages is an important reason why indigenous
languages are being abandoned.
Another language that also threatens the survival of indigenous languages in Sierra Leone is Arabic. Arabic is the official language of Islam, one of the two dominant religions in Sierra Leone.
Many Muslims prefer to learn Arabic rather than indigenous languages. This is because they believe that it is the only medium of communication in the world hereafter. Some are convinced that literacy in Arabic is a prerequisite for admission to paradise. Hence, many people prefer to learn Arabic rather than indigenous languages.
In addition, Arabic is a prestigious language in Muslim communities in Sierra Leone. A person who could recite a couple of Kuranic verses or preside over a Friday congregation prayer is accorded more esteem in society than a praise singer in any indigenous language. Sierra Leoneans literate in Arabic carry titles like ‘sheik’, meaning ‘Muslim scholar’ – an enviable honourable title in society.
Moreover, Arabic is important economically. It became a subject in some government schools in the country long before indigenous languages were introduced in schools in 1993. It is compulsory in Muslim schools.
In addition to public schools, Arabic is taught privately in Muslim homes as well as in the various Muslim holy places across the country. Therefore, there is an increasing number of people that are literate in Arabic in the country.
Furthermore, there are Arabic colleges in strategic locations in the country where Arabic instructors and Muslim clergy are trained. Scholarships for higher education in Arabic are most often available for people who want to pursue Arabic studies in universities overseas. Returning graduates
automatically become well-paid missionaries in the country. These opportunities are not open to speakers of indigenous languages. Hence, as Mufwene (2002) puts it, “…shifting to a particularlanguage is typically associated with particular benefits to be derived from its usage, especially economic benefits” (p. 19). The reason why many people in Sierra Leone choose to learn Arabic instead of minority languages is therefore obvious.
To summarize, in the previous sections I describe the status of dominant indigenous languages and ex-colonial languages, including Arabic in Sierra Leone. I show that the prestige and economic opportunities associated with English, French and Arabic contribute to the desertion of minority languages. In other words, speakers of minority languages already see their languages as inferior to Mende, Temne, Limba and Krio, which are in turn inferior to English, Arabic and French. Thus, minority languages occupy a third class position in Sierra Leone. This situation undermines the need
for children to acquire minority languages and the continued survival of indigenous languages in the
country.
http://www.umes.edu/cms300uploadedFiles/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20Languages%20at%20risk%20-%20A%20case%20study%20from%20Sierr%281%29.pdf
states:
Anyone who claims that the spread of English around the world endangers indigenous languages should explain how this is possible in countries where it isonly a lingua franca of an elite minority but is barely spoken by the vast majority, or a large proportion, of the population. (Mufwene 2002:8)
In what follows, I will describe the socio-economic importance of English in Sierra Leone. To begin with, there is no doubt that English is a lingua franca of only the elite minority in Sierra Leone. Nonetheless, English enjoys a number of privileges that other indigenous languages do not have. It is the language of imperialism and has been the only official language of Sierra Leone since 1808 when Sierra Leone was declared a British crown colony.
As an official language, English is the only language of instruction in schools and colleges. It is compulsory in schools and is generally the only language allowed on school premises. In some schools, students who speak indigenous languages within the school premises are punished. English is also a prerequisite for admission to schools and colleges. Students who have a pass in indigenous languages but a fail in English are often denied admission to colleges, whereas those who have a pass in English, but a fail in indigenous languages are guaranteed admission. Such policies only reinforce the existing notion that English is more important than indigenous languages.
Moreover, English is the only language used in the civil service, courts, parliament and all formal settings. For example, the President’s speeches are always in English, with translations in Mende, Temne, Limba and Krio. This situation seems to cut off people who speak only minority languages from national issues. The Constitution of Sierra Leone, traffic road signs, prescriptions in hospitals, among others, are all in English. It is also the only language used in the print media.
Furthermore, being an international language that is widely spoken in the world, English enjoys more prestige than indigenous languages. At the university in Freetown, studying English is associated with honour and wisdom on the part of the learner whereas studying indigenous languages is not. Similarly, a university degree in English is admired more than a university degree in indigenous languages. Thus, unlike indigenous languages, competence in English is in fact a symbol of high education in Sierra Leone. Thus, the prestige and enviable social status associated with English further strengthen the need for English rather than indigenous languages.
In addition, competence in the English language gives the highest assurance of a better life in Sierra Leone. For example, all appointments in the civil service and other government offices are based on one’s knowledge of English. People who cannot read or write in English are not qualified for standard jobs in society. Such people are either self-employed or take up menial jobs in the civil service that earn them mediocre wages, while those who are literate in English take up well-paid jobs in the civil service or Non-Government Organizations. The ability to travel to countries like the UK or America, where Sierra Leoneans often go to seek greener pastures, is also exclusively determined by one’s ability to read and write in English. Such is the status of English in Sierra Leone that everyone sees it as the surest means to a better life.
Considering the extent to which English has entrenched itself in Sierra Leone, one is of the impression that it will forever remain dominant over all other languages in the country. Oyetade and Fashole-Luke (2007) have expressed a similar view that English is unlikely to disappear completely from use in various formal domains of life given its long history of sociolinguistic importance, international integrity and educational influence. Thus, indigenous languages including Krio, the most widely spoken indigenous language, have lost the competition to English, as it is the surest socioeconomic guarantor.
In the homes of many elites in Sierra Leone, English is the only medium of communication. Thisis because the parents are aware of the opportunities associated with competence in English. Children who grow up in such homes inevitably acquire English as their first language rather than the indigenous languages of their parents. This undermines the acquisition of indigenous languages and their transmission to a future generation of speakers. Similarly, in many grade A primary schools, where such children usually attend, the lessons are exclusively in English rather than the native languages of their parents. Therefore, the children’s knowledge of English is reinforced and the children usually end up speaking only English. Thus, the socio-economic benefits that English offers contribute to the abandonment of indigenous languages.
Equally eating into the fabric of the linguistic spectrum in Sierra Leone is French. Unlike English, French is not an official language, though it is a prestigious language taught in schools and colleges as a second language. Owing to the relatively low number of French instructors in the country, incentives such as higher salaries and better learning opportunities are offered to people in French pedagogy. Such facilities are not open to students studying indigenous languages. This situation puts indigenous
languages at a disadvantage. One should not be surprised at the mass enrolment of students in French classes such as those organized by Alliance Française in Freetown.
To sum up, French and English have overwhelming advantages over indigenous languages in Sierra Leone. The two languages are more prestigious than indigenous languages. In addition, they have snatched an enviable socio-economic position from indigenous languages. In his assessment of the socio-economic impact of ex-colonial languages on indigenous languages, Adegbija (2001:285)
states:
The very presence of European languages and the disproportionate prestige associated with them … is a major threat to African languages…. The official dominance of excolonial languages is therefore a potent language-shifting trigger constantly pulled by the desire of every individual to rise to the vertical and horizontal social and economic
ladder.
African elites, who develop the curriculum of schools and colleges, are in fact aware of the socioeconomic importance of ex-colonial languages like English. Hence, as I stated earlier, English is compulsory in schools whereas indigenous languages are optional. Thus, the socio-economic advantage that English has over indigenous languages is an important reason why indigenous
languages are being abandoned.
Another language that also threatens the survival of indigenous languages in Sierra Leone is Arabic. Arabic is the official language of Islam, one of the two dominant religions in Sierra Leone.
Many Muslims prefer to learn Arabic rather than indigenous languages. This is because they believe that it is the only medium of communication in the world hereafter. Some are convinced that literacy in Arabic is a prerequisite for admission to paradise. Hence, many people prefer to learn Arabic rather than indigenous languages.
In addition, Arabic is a prestigious language in Muslim communities in Sierra Leone. A person who could recite a couple of Kuranic verses or preside over a Friday congregation prayer is accorded more esteem in society than a praise singer in any indigenous language. Sierra Leoneans literate in Arabic carry titles like ‘sheik’, meaning ‘Muslim scholar’ – an enviable honourable title in society.
Moreover, Arabic is important economically. It became a subject in some government schools in the country long before indigenous languages were introduced in schools in 1993. It is compulsory in Muslim schools.
In addition to public schools, Arabic is taught privately in Muslim homes as well as in the various Muslim holy places across the country. Therefore, there is an increasing number of people that are literate in Arabic in the country.
Furthermore, there are Arabic colleges in strategic locations in the country where Arabic instructors and Muslim clergy are trained. Scholarships for higher education in Arabic are most often available for people who want to pursue Arabic studies in universities overseas. Returning graduates
automatically become well-paid missionaries in the country. These opportunities are not open to speakers of indigenous languages. Hence, as Mufwene (2002) puts it, “…shifting to a particularlanguage is typically associated with particular benefits to be derived from its usage, especially economic benefits” (p. 19). The reason why many people in Sierra Leone choose to learn Arabic instead of minority languages is therefore obvious.
To summarize, in the previous sections I describe the status of dominant indigenous languages and ex-colonial languages, including Arabic in Sierra Leone. I show that the prestige and economic opportunities associated with English, French and Arabic contribute to the desertion of minority languages. In other words, speakers of minority languages already see their languages as inferior to Mende, Temne, Limba and Krio, which are in turn inferior to English, Arabic and French. Thus, minority languages occupy a third class position in Sierra Leone. This situation undermines the need
for children to acquire minority languages and the continued survival of indigenous languages in the
country.
http://www.umes.edu/cms300uploadedFiles/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20Languages%20at%20risk%20-%20A%20case%20study%20from%20Sierr%281%29.pdf