The politics of contemporary language policy in ethiopia. It is also limited to the literacy campaigns which, carried out in fifteen languages, have become a regular feature. Dear abrish,may you send the national ict policy please. Guatemala and ethiopia share similarities but they also have great differences. The impact of language policy and practice on childrens learning argues that improved evidence, networking, southtosouth learning and advocacy are going to be crucial to create a focus on mothertongue education environments. The term language policy usually refers to the formulation of laws, regulations and official positions regarding language usage and the allocation of linguistic resources by some government or other political organization orman, 2008, p. Language is political in ethiopia because it has both structured and symbolized the nationbuilding project, and because, in the context of limited resources, any language policy change would require a significant realignment of resources. The various governments that ruled ethiopia since the reign of emperor tewodros ii followed various language. Challenges around improving learning outcomes through. Ethiopia is located in eastern africa, just west of somalia. The impact of language policy and practice on childrens.
Ethiopias littleknown cultural policy was approved by the council of ministers in october 1997. Ethiopia, as one of the multilingual and multicultural countries, has faced the critical problem of development and implementation of language use policy that could satisfy the needs of various societies in question and contribute to their socioeconomic and sociocultural development. The purpose of this study is to explain the formulation, implementation, and outcome of ethiopias instructional language policy in light of the prince system of power analysis as adapted by fowler 2004, along with several literature references pertinent to the issue. After providing a brief background on ethiopia and its education and language of instruction policies, this article analyzes the formulation and implementation of ethiopias present instructional language policy and problems therein. Pdf language policy and practices in ethiopia from post. This enabled ethiopia to take a different approach to its language policy from other countries in africa. Currently ethiopia is in the refolution reform and revolution which means education policy, health policy, foreign relation policy, public service policy, and other major pillars of policies and declarations are changed andor modified. Ethiopian languages semitic, cushitic, omotic and nilo. Policy and practice on language of instruction in ethiopian schools.
Language policy of education and national identity in ethiopia. Ethiopia should not overlook the teaching of english in public schools across the nation and. The policy guaranteed equal access to culture for all nations, nationalities and peoples of ethiopia. Pdf on sep 1, 2006, getachew anteneh and others published language policy in ethiopia. Amharic language and culture manual page 3 about ethiopia ethiopias total population is 88,0,491, making it the worlds 14th most populous country.
Researches in different african countries using the former colonial language as a medium of instruction have shown that the use of a foreign. Cultural policy was one of the many policies and strategies that the constitution incorporated. In ethiopia, the 1994 ethiopian education and training policy eetp marked a. The cultural and social values and the ideologies of a nation or a people are transmitted from generation to generation through language. Getachew dires may 7, 2019 language policy of ethiopia. Pdf language policies and the role of english in ethiopia 1. The ethiopian languages are divided into four major language groups.
National policies and strategies ethiopian legal brief. The interplay and tensions between language policy and practices, authoralemu mekonnen, year2015. Any organ of government shall, in the implementation of the constitution, other laws and public policies, be guided by the principles and objectives specified under this chapter. Ethiopia is one of the very few african countries where the local language press is in the mainstream. What type of language policy did ethiopia have in the past. These are semitic, cushitic, omotic, and nilosaharan. This paper is focused on the development of language policy in ethiopia from.
This new language and education policy could be a model for other countries with a multilingual situation. The foundations of foreign affairs and national security policy in a fundamental sense, security policy is a matter of ensuring national survival. The discussion is limited to policy and practice in postrevolution ethiopia, drawing on data collected in the mid1980s mcnab, 1989. Recent political changes in ethiopia have brought language planning into prominence and policies are being forged which have significant implications for the. Changes in ethiopias language and education policy. Strategic and tactical issues of ethiopias foreign policy. That is, language policy is one mechanism for locating language within social structure so that language determines who has access to political power and economic resources. Dear sir i want biodiversity policy of ethiopia doc. Language planning and development of the new ethiopian. Introduction widely hailed as an educational success story, singapore, a multilingual island nation in southeast asia, embraces an officially bilingual education policy.
Not only is this new foreign and national security policy and strategy drafted to protect our national interests and to ensure ethiopias survival as a country, but its basic thrust is designed to bring about a. Values and philosophies despite the fact that ethiopia is a multilingual country, a single language amharic had been the medium of instruction at the elementary school level throughout much of the countrys history. Language of instruction policy and practice in africa. Pdf language policy and practices in ethiopia from post 1991. Language often appears not only as the cement that guarantees national unity, but also as the mold that forms. In this book language planningpolicy means the institutionalization of language as a basis for distinctions among social groups classes. Language policy, ideologies, power and the ethiopian media. According to the constitution of 1994, amharic is the official language of the country, however, the constitution also directs that all ethiopian. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats makonnen tesfaye, 18 october 2017 geopolitical areas of the horn of africa and the middle east 1. Abstract ethiopia is a country which was never colonised in the era of colonisation when most were.
After providing a brief background on ethiopia and its education and language of instruction policies, the authors analyze. Pdf issues in ethiopian language policy and education. Ethiopia did not experience the same colonial history as the rest of the region. This video is about amharic a semitic language related to arabic, hebrew, and others. The policy incorporates the structure of education in relation to the development of student profile, educational measurement and evaluation, media of instruction and language teaching at various levels, the recruitment, training, methodology, organization, professional ethics and career development of teachers. In modern ethiopia, the historical distribution of the political goods of communication. Choosing a working language in multiethnic nations.
Therefore, possible to design an independent language policy. The factors that contribute to language death are complex, so it is not easy to estimate which or how many languages are most vulnerable. History and current trends getachew anteneh derib ado absract ethiopia, as one of the multilingual and multicultural countries, has faced the critical problem of development and implementation of language use policy that could. The report provides a critical evidence base for responding to the changing development context. Quentin dixon harvard university graduate school of education 1. So one of its indigenous languages, amharic, has maintained the dominance in politics, business and social communication in history. Ethiopia and its education and language of instruction policies, this article analyzes the formulation and implementation of. Language policy and practices in ethiopia from post1991 by alelign aschale addis ababa university foreign languages and literature applied linguistics may 20 addis ababa.
Language policy is an ideological process and a political tool. Issues in ethiopian language policy and education article pdf available in journal of multilingual and multicultural development october 15. The government made it clear that it would play a major role in the development. Language policy and practices in ethiopia from post 1991. The intergovernmental conference on language policies in africa, which was held in harare zimbabwe from 17 21 march 1997, was the first meeting of its kind involving language specialists attending as governmental experts and doing the preparatory work for and advising. Hudson wrote, assuming that a language with fewer than 10,000 speakers is endangered, or likely to become extinct within a generation, there are 22 endangered languages in ethiopia 1999. When eritrea was excised from ethiopia in 1993, it embarked on an aggressive promotion of african languages, particularly tigrinya, which is the countrys official language. Ethiopia s policy and strategy on foreign affairs and national security section i basic principles 1. The language policy of ethiopia during the imperial and the military regimes. Chronicles ethiopias history of language policy, and describes the first three years of the countrys initiative to provide native language instruction to all its people, focusing on the materials development process and program effectiveness. Current language policy the path chosen by ethiopia s current government with regard to language policy was, and remains, progressive. Nevertheless, this does not mean that english has not penetrated into the sphere.
Is it possible to get national child policy document. Language is political in ethiopia because it has both structured and symbolized the nationbuilding project, and because, in the context of limited resources, any language policy change would require a signifi cant realignment of resources. The alpha and omega of security is the ensuring of national survival. The language policy in education in ethiopia in this paper, the information given about the education policy in ethiopia. The semitic languages are spoken in northern, central and eastern ethiopia mainly in tigray, amhara, harar and northern part of the southern peoples state regions. National policy principles and objectives ethiopia. Policy maintenance and policy shift as far as educational language policies go, the two factors of policy maintenance and policy shift are in. I am interested in the real internal power shift and international support that seem to be the requiments for a complete change in language policy. Choosing a working language in multiethnic nations aigaforum. National policy principles and objectives national policy principles and objectives. The language in education policy documents which follow have been the subject of discussions and debate with a. Teachers are working to develop contentarea instructional materials in eight of over fifty languages. The government of ethiopia issued two policy documents titled the education and training policy.
The interplay and tensions between language policy and practices. The interplay and tensions between language policy and practices mekonnen alemu gebre yohannes a thesis submitted to the school of graduate studies and the department of foreign languages and literature presented in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of. Two policies are announced herewith, namely, the language in education policy in terms of section 34m of the national education policy act, 1996 act 27 of 1996, and the norms and standards regarding language policy published in terms of section 61 of the south african schools act, 1996. In ethiopia, the overthrow of the military government of the dergue in 1991 ushered in a period of political reforms which are still in progress, including a policy of recognition of a range of indigenous languages other than the traditionally dominant national language, amharic. Education policies regarding language of instruction are hotly debated in. Pdf in ethiopia, the overthrow of the military government of the dergue in 1991 ushered in a period of political reforms which are still in. Introduction to what extent are the fundamentals of ethiopian foreign policy aligned with the multipolar global. Download national policies and strategies of ethiopia.
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