Post #36

The disparagement of local languages is very common in societies that have not recovered from the colonial syndrome. In Malawi, the crazy United States-educated dictator who ruled the country for more than 30 years, Dr. Hastings Banda, never spoke in any of the languages of his country. He was obsessed with English and loved to mesmerize his people by his command of what he clearly regarded as a superior language. In Uganda, a nation of 24 million people encompassing 56 tribes, there are three major native languages, but, again, no single unifying language. English, spoken by about 30 percent of the people, is the official language. It is the medium of instruction from nursery till university. The native language Luganda is taught as a subject at all levels. Tanzania was the object of envy of everybody. Because of the foresight of the late Julius Nyerere, Swahili has become a sophisticated language. He ordered the preparation of dictionaries and word lists, realizing its potential as a pan-African language. After Tanzania acquired its independence in 1961, Swahili replaced English as official and national language. Today, it is the Americans who are learning Swahili. Tanzania remains poor, but its soul is intact. It is a stable country that has overcome its internal conflicts. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2003