<< I think there is a lot more shared Afrophone and Anglophone influence between Mauritainia and Senegal then the Arabist and Francophonist extremists want people to think. >>
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
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