Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Department of Applied Linguistics and English Language Dissertations as a Second Language Fall 12-15-2016 Language Policy in Rwanda: Shifting Linguistic and Educational Landscape Pamela Pearson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/alesl_diss Recommended Citation Pearson, Pamela, "Language Policy in Rwanda: Shifting Linguistic and Educational Landscape." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2016. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/alesl_diss/39 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. LANGUAGE POLICY IN RWANDA: SHIFTING LINGUISTIC AND EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE by PAMELA PEARSON Under the Direction of Diane Belcher and Gayle Nelson ABSTRACT In the two decades since the 1994 Genocide, Rwanda has experienced pervasive societal change, due in large part to ambitious policymaking in sectors ranging from business to public health to education. Extensive language policies have also been enacted, including a 2008 Cabinet resolution shifting the medium of instruction (MOI) in all public schools from Kinyarwanda and French to English (Republic of Rwanda, 2008). The promotion of English in a formerly francophone nation inspired the present study seeking a closer look at the current state of language planning and policy (LPP) in Rwanda. Toward that end, ethnography of language policy (Hornberger & Johnson, 2007) fieldwork, consisting primarily of linguistic landscape analysis, teacher interviews, and classroom observations, was carried out in Southern Province, Rwanda throughout the 2011-2012 academic year.