Globalization, the Spread of English, and Language Planning in Africa

Abstract

The ideology of globalization is discussed further in this chapter, with a focus on the spread of English and its role in language policy and planning in Africa in the twenty-first century. The central question addressed in the chapter is “Why does English spread?” The chapter discusses two competing theories offering to explain the unprecedented phenomenon of the spread of English: the Anglo-American Conspiracy Theory (Phillipson, Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford University Press, 1992) and the Grassroots Theory (Fishman, et al., Post-imperial English: Status Change in Former British and American Colonies, 1940-1990. Mouton de Gruyter, 1996). Next, it discusses the manifestations of the spread of English—the waves of globalization—in various African countries. In conclusion, the chapter considers the impact of the spread of English on language policies aimed at promoting the use of African languages, especially in the educational systems, and raises the question of whether vernacular language education, which is at the heart of the language question in Africa, will survive in the era of globalization, a phenomenon so powerful that it competes for influence even in countries that have no colonial ties to Britain or the USA.