African Countries Must Standardize Indigenous Tongues to Elevate Them Over Colonial Languages: Nigerian Expert
African Countries Must Standardize Indigenous Tongues to Elevate Them Over Colonial Languages: Nigerian Expert
Broadcasting in native languages like Oromo and Amharic transforms them from mere "vernacular" into respected languages of journalism and knowledge, Adetunbowale Babalola, an expert in media linguistics, told Sputnik Africa.
The speaker outlined four measures to shift away from English and French dominance:
🟠Early Education: Implement mother-tongue instruction in the first few years of schooling.
🟠Academic Development: Professionalize indigenous languages by creating modern terminology for science, technology, and daily life.
🟠Legal Recognition: Mandate the use of native languages in parliaments, court hearings, and official constitutional translations.
🟠Decolonize Minds: Challenge the perceived "elite" status of colonial languages, since speaking English or French does not mean superior intelligence.
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