African Englishes and creative writing

Bibliographic Data

ID2293645
AuthorsEyamba G Bokamba (University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Department of Linguistics 4080 FLB, 707 S Mathews M/C 168 Urbana Illinois 61801, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume34
Issue3
Pages315-335
Publication date2015-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueWorld Englishes (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0883-2919 • E-ISSN: 1467-971X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/weng.12145
OpenAlexW1581218564
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited26

This study considers a number of questions regarding the structural characteristics of African Englishes exemplified in African creative writing, with a focus on such leading novelists as Achebe, Ngugi, Nwapa, and Okara. It explores the degree to which these writers reconstruct the English language in their writings to convey the African cultures represented in their works. A related issue is whether these texts demonstrate 'trans-creations' that still adhere to the standard varieties of English with appropriately encoded and limited Africanisms to capture African cultures. Another crucially important issue is whether the extensive use of English is detrimental to the vitality and creativity of African languages

African culture · Art · Creative writing · Creativity · Focus (optics · Languages of Africa · Linguistics · Literature · Sociology · Theology · Vitality · World Englishes · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Gender Studies · History · Multilingual Education and Policy · Philosophy · Psychology · Second Language Learning and Teaching · Social Psychology