The author outlines recent work in sociolinguistics dealing with problems of language and national development, arguing that in the Nigerian debate over retaining English or substituting a Nigerian language, sociological and linguistic factors must be considered along with the present political and administrative arguments for one language or the…

Africanisms are characteristics occurring frequently in African languages but rarely elsewhere. This paper reviews Africanisms presented by Greenberg and Larochette and submits a number of others with sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic relevance. Items are grouped according to phonology, morphology, syntax and lexicon. (CK)

Under continued oppression, Haitian blacks have kept alive the memory of Africa, which pervades the most diverse aspects of popular culture. An understanding of this is the first step toward understanding the mythological structure of Haitian Voodoo. Analysis of the Haitian language, the peasant family housing, and the vocabulary of the Haitian…

The East African Research Information Centre (EARIC), sponsored by the East African Academy and financed by the Ford Foundation, is a new institution intended to promote efficient information exchange within the field of the social sciences and development. Its immediate objectives are to collect, collate and disseminate information on past and…

African languages can add interest to the study of social studies. Resources and ways that will help elementary and secondary teachers introduce the subject in a meaningful way are discussed. (RM)

Some sociolinguistic considerations must enter directly into a complete generative grammatical analysis of Yoruba. Using Katz's conventional approach to grammatical description wherein syntax and semantics are separate would exclude a group of possible sentences. (POP)

The aim of this paper is to emphasize, as stressed by St. Clair (1982), the importance of sociohistorical data in any attempt to determine language attitudes, ethnolinguistic identity, and the ecological status of a minority language. This importance is illustrated within the context of research on language attitudes toward isiXhosa, a Nguni…

This reference grammar is written for speakers of English who are learning Swahili. Because many language learners are not familiar with the grammatical terminology, this book explains the basic terminology and concepts of English grammar that are necessary for understanding the grammar of Swahili. It assumes no formal knowledge of English grammar…

Because the Library of Congress Classification system classifies the various literatures of Africa by the language in which these literatures were originally written, it scatters them throughout subclasses PJ-PZ. Classification by an alternative means is proposed. (11 references) (Author/RS)

Xhosa students in Victoria, Ciskei, South Africa, were surveyed to determine what language - English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa - is used as the medium of instruction. (DS)

Takes issue with some conclusions by J. L. Dillard in his article Principles in the History of American English--Paradox, Virginity, and Cafeteria,'' Florida FL Reporter (Spring/Fall 1970) p32-33, 46. Special issue on Black Dialect: Historical and Descriptive Issues'' edited by William A. Stewart. (RS)