Linguistic Imperialism

Linguistic imperialism is the process whereby dominant powers impose their language on those they colonise, suppressing indigenous languages and thus marginalising their speakers and sustaining power inequalities.

Indigenous languages in colonial Africa were frowned upon, while colonial languages were made mandatory. In Anglophone Africa, policies were all written in English; media and broadcasting used English; and there were many systemic policies forbidding the use of indigenous languages.

For example, students in many Kenyan schools were punished for using any other languages, with most of these punishments involving shaming tactics such as the wearing of bones from dead animals as chains around the neck. This also happened to the indigenous people who were forced to speak Arabic and change their names in places like Sudan.

This warped the consciousness of individuals, leading to a loss of appreciation for indigenous languages and cultures - and promoted the adoption of the coloniser’s worldview, values, systems and structures.

UNESCO's 1953 report, The Use of Vernacular Languages in Education, indicated that around 40% of the global population received education in an unfamiliar language. Sub-Saharan Africa, which is home to nearly 30% of the world’s languages, still uses the colonisers’ languages as national languages.

Consequently, the education and values instilled remain those of the colonisers. Many languages are at risk of extinction, with only a few speakers left. The loss of these languages is equivalent to the loss of African heritage and culture.