Educational language policy and the indigenous languages of Namibia

This article discusses the various trends in the development of language policy in Namibia, in a Situation marked by a diverse population. With a population of approximately 1.6 million people, Namibia has over 28 languages and dialects belonging to Bantu, Khoisan and Germanic language families. Three phases are considered. Firstly, the arrival ofthe missionary groups and the role they played in the codification of the mother tongues. This phase included Steps taken during the German colonial rule (1884-1915) to support missionary efforts to use Namibian languages for basic education in a Situation characterized by a lack ofteaching materials and qualified teachers. The second phase covers South African mandated rule that lasted from 1915 to independence in 1990. During this period apartheidpolicies ofracial and ethnic Separation led to the Bantu Education Act of 1953 which emphasized the development of indigenous languages as school subjects andmedia ofinstruction up to theprimary level of education. English and Afrikaans became official languages with greater emphasis on Afrikaans, while English, Afrikaans and German were proclaimed national languages. The indigenous languages were relegated to the Status oftribal/ ethnic languages with no socio-economicpower or mobility. At independence in 1990, English was declared the official language and the main language of educational instruction from the fourth year of primary school up to university. Indigenous languages are to be used as media of instruction up to the third year of education and as subjects throughout the education system. The various policies are discussed from the perspective ofthe extent to which they encouraged or hampered the development of Namibian languages as resourcesfor the enhancement ofthe Namibian identity, education culture, and the modernization process

Bantu languages · Colonialism · Ethnic group · First language · German · Indigenous · Indigenous language · Language policy · Linguistics · Medium of instruction · Multilingual Education · Multilingualism · Pedagogy · Political science · Population · Sociology · Anthropology · Demography · Law · Linguistic Education and Pedagogy · Multilingual Education and Policy · Second Language Learning and Teaching

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• Language Policy

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• English in Namibia

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