A SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF MULTILINGUALISM AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

Abstract

As the cradle of mankind, Africa can be looked on as the continent of pluralities. In fact, in Africa, we find different races, different religions, different cultures, and obviously different languages. Amongst these pluralities, the plurality of languages constitutes the focus of the present analysis. Studied under the sociolinguistic concept of bi/multilingualism, the plurality of languages is regarded as one of the main problems which hinders the development of the African continent. And yet in Europe, multilingualism is presently seen as the new dominant is fast becoming the new dominant ideology which can help build the future European citizen5. Therefore, this article intends to show that beyond the negative judgments, multilingualism constitutes key asset for the development of Africa.