TY - JOUR
T1 - A kente of many colours
T2 - Multilingualism as a complex ecology of language shift in Ghana
AU - Bodomo, Adams
AU - Anderson, Jemima Asabea
AU - Dzahene-Quarshie, Josephine
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Language shift, a process which may lead speakers to use their language in fewer domains with respect to other languages or even lose proficiency in their language altogether in favour of other languages, is a prominent concept in linguistics. But the concept has been mainly studied from Western perspectives (e.g. Fishman 1964, 1991, Veltman 1983 and Bastardas-Boada 2007). This paper discusses language shift from the perspectives of Ghana, a highly multilingual developing nation in West Africa. We introduce the concept of ecology of language shift, and argue that any theory of language shift must rigorously take into consideration the complexity of the ecology in which language shift occurs. Multilingual language shift processes, which involve situations in which different types of language shift take place concurrently or sequentially in a country, are thus very different from simple language shift situations in less multilingual set-ups. The paper provides a relatively detailed empirical study of language shift based on a questionnaire survey before outlining some language maintenance activities, such as the pervasive use of indigenous Ghanaian languages in FM radio broadcast, that are being pursued to contain language shift in Ghana. Some of these language maintenance activities may also be useful for containing language shift in other African countries.
AB - Language shift, a process which may lead speakers to use their language in fewer domains with respect to other languages or even lose proficiency in their language altogether in favour of other languages, is a prominent concept in linguistics. But the concept has been mainly studied from Western perspectives (e.g. Fishman 1964, 1991, Veltman 1983 and Bastardas-Boada 2007). This paper discusses language shift from the perspectives of Ghana, a highly multilingual developing nation in West Africa. We introduce the concept of ecology of language shift, and argue that any theory of language shift must rigorously take into consideration the complexity of the ecology in which language shift occurs. Multilingual language shift processes, which involve situations in which different types of language shift take place concurrently or sequentially in a country, are thus very different from simple language shift situations in less multilingual set-ups. The paper provides a relatively detailed empirical study of language shift based on a questionnaire survey before outlining some language maintenance activities, such as the pervasive use of indigenous Ghanaian languages in FM radio broadcast, that are being pursued to contain language shift in Ghana. Some of these language maintenance activities may also be useful for containing language shift in other African countries.
KW - Education system
KW - Ghana
KW - Language maintenance
KW - Language shift
KW - Mass media
KW - Multilingualism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955679676&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1558/sols.v3i3.357
DO - 10.1558/sols.v3i3.357
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77955679676
SN - 1750-8649
VL - 3
SP - 357
EP - 379
JO - Sociolinguistic Studies
JF - Sociolinguistic Studies
IS - 3
ER -