Language and Cultural Diversities in Africa: Implications for Survival

Abstract

This article attempts to look at the complex language situation in Africa. The continent is second to Asia in terms of language and cultural  diversities. A major point of concern among linguists and other concerned Africans is the threat posed to indigenous African languages by the foreign European languages that have been adopted and assigned the status of official language(s). Based on the status assigned to those adopted foreign European languages they now serve, among others, as the language(s) of instruction in schools thereby alienating the indigenous languages. The paper concludes that the stage in those African countries is set for a process which usually starts with language shift, followed by
enculturation and results in language death; this is a very serious implication to the survival of indigenous African languages. The paper then recommends that African countries should assign a greater role to indigenous languages especially in education; and there should be mutual regard for and between the speakers of the perceived major and minor languages.