Revive language bureaus, academicians told
ACADEMICIANS should revive language bureaus at national level to foster language planning that constructively informs language policies for national development, cohesion and inclusivity, says University of Zambia vice chancellor Professor Luke Mumba.
Prof. Mumba said he had no doubt that universities were well fitted for such an undertaking as the voice of wisdom to governments on matters relating to language in the broader context of national development.
He said academicians should tap into the readily available resources of companies whose scope revolves around communication and technology for applied research, meant at growing the synergies between universities and industry on the question of language development and modernisation.
Prof Mumba was speaking during the official opening of the 15th Linguistics Association of SADC Universities conference at the University of Zambia, which is under the theme, “digitising indigenous languages: productivity, accessibility and mobility in the global south.”
He said the gathering was an important academic engagement on the question of language, as related to its productivity, accessibility and mobility in a fast-paced globalised world.
Drawing on the immediate linguistic and language situation in Zambia, Pro Mumba said it was abundantly apparent that languages were taking up a considerable discourse space with regard to the actualisation of development.
He underscored the fact that local language systems were not in step or synch with the industrialisation that had been witnessed over the past decades, stating that societies had moved steps ahead in the areas of technological advancement, infrastructure development, as well as in the general improvement of cities.
The Linguistic Association of SADC Universities has been in existence for the past four decades, as an initiative hatched out of a general consensus to give voice and urgency to indigenous African languages.
“We have held the view that local languages are merely for oral language deployment; that they are for mere local gossip and chat up moments.
“To the contrary, there is evidence that countries that have had a head start in development, placed a high premium on indigenous languages, for example China and Japan are a case in point, they have digitised languages to foster its productivity, accessibility and mobility and the closest one gets in Africa is Kiswahili in Tanzania,” Prof Mwamba said.