Abstract
A common language-planning problem in places with plural societies is deciding which language should be the language of education. Indeed, de-cisions regarding which languages should be established as the medium of instruction (MOI hereafter) are political decisions which, if ill managed, can lead to appalling consequences. Often, political ideologies and identity contestations interact with and bring influence to on the interpretation of linguistic endeavors. Linguistic diversity in the Gamo area has become entangled with political interests in the process of (re)articulating and implementing the current multilingual language policy in Ethiopia. Contrasting positions have been taken in the course of implementation of the policy. On the one hand, the local authorities have tended to adopt a type of assimilationist approach. Considering the close genetic relationship among the linguistic groups, a common MOI has been prescribed for several ethno-linguistic groups in the former North Omo Zone. On the other hand, despite the existing strong linguistic similarities and mutual intelligibility, various groups have asserted that they differ from each other. Mutual intelligibility between them has been denied. The process has resulted in unstable language planning. The issue of identity and distinctiveness has persisted even among the subgroups of Gamo, the focus of this study. This shows that the language of education has been viewed both as a social practice and as a symbolic system through which identity is marked and represented. The issue of the language of education has become complex in multilingual settings of Gamo, since it is compounded with ethnic identity. In the Gamo area, the situation has resulted in the repeated alteration of language planning and reorganization of the structure of the administrative unit. The aim of this study is to investigate the trajectories and challenges of implementing the new language policy in the multilingual administrational unit to which Gamo belongs. It shows how issues of identity have made it difficult to achieve settled language planning in a multilingual area.
Highlights
A common language-planning problem in places with plural societies is deciding which language should be the language of education
The Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) Regional State of Ethiopia, the Gamo-Gofa Zone, on which this study focuses, is known for its multitude and high concentration of languages and dialects
For several decades in the 20th century, Amharic enjoyed the status of national language in Ethiopia
Summary
A common language-planning problem in places with plural societies is deciding which language should be the language of education. The process was accused of partiality for benefiting the language and culture of one group of people within a given administrative unit over that of others Besides that, it was considered as a threat which could wipe out all linguistic identities in the area, replacing them with that of Wolaitta. According to Gamo informants, the attempt made to create composite languages was considered as an effort “to blend and crush distinct identities into one” This indicates that as the process moves to deny members of the four groups the opportunity and means to develop and use their own particular language, they have became increasingly politically mobilized and ready to take action against the practice. Comparative reading of the following cognates establishes the point: Kucha t’ale t’iilee t’isko
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