Language Use and Social Change

The social implications of multilingualism is a field of study on whcih systematic research began only in the second half of the 20th century in Africa. This book, originally published in 1971, contains papers which concentrate on East Africa but it also discusses theoretical problems and methods arising from socio-linguistic studies outside the African field. These include studies on national languages and languages of wider communication in developing nations; the communication role of languages in multilingual societies; and social and cognitive aspects of bilingualism.

Part A: General and Theoretical Studies 1. National Languages and Languages of Wider Communication in the Developing Nations 2. Communication Role of Languages in Multilingual Societies 3. Restricted Codes in Socio-Linguistics and the Sociology of Education 4. A Social Psychology of Bilingualism 5. Cognitive Aspects of Bilingual Communication 6. The Interrelationships and Utility of Alternative Bilingualism Measures Part B: Empirical Studies Within Africa i) The Implications and Results of Particular Language Policies 7. Linguistic Complexity in Uganda 8. Tanzania's National Language Policy and the Rise of Swahili Political Culture 9. Islam and the English Language in East and West Africa ii) Education and Language Policies 10. Socio-linguistic Implications of a Choice of Media of Instruction 11. Socio-linguistic Problems and Potentialities of Education Through a Foreign Language 12. Contrasting Patterns of Literacy Acquisition in a Multilingual Nation 13. A Few Observations On Language Use Among Cameroonese élite families iii) Language Modernization 14. The Role of Broadcasting in the Adaptation of the Somali Language to Modern Needs 15. The Elaboration of Basic Wolof 16. Loan-Words in Luganda 17. Problems of Terminology iv) The Urban Milieu of Language 18. The Madina Project, Ghana 19. Asians in Nairobi: A Preliminary Survey 20. Language Choice in 2 Kampala Housing Estates 21. Multilingualism in an African Urban Centre: The Lubumbashi Case v) Multingualism and Multiculturism 22. Cross Cultural meanings and Multilingualism