Multilingual Texting in Senegal
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Ideologies of Honorific Language
Pragmatics2:3.25 l -262 InternationalPrasmatics Association IDEOLOGIES OF HONORIFIC LANGUAGE Judith T. Irvine 1. Introductionr All sociolinguisticsystems, presumably, provide some meansof expressingrespect (or disrespect);but only some systems have grammaticalized honorifics. This paper comparesseveral languages - Javanese,Wolof, and Zulu, plus a glance at ChiBemba - with regard to honorific expressionsand the social and cultural frameworks relevant thereto.2The main questionto be exploredis whether one can identiff any special cultural concomitants of linguistic systems in which the expression of respect is grammaticalized. Javanese"language levels" are a classicand well-describedexample of a system for the expressionof respect. In the sensein which I shall define "grammaticalized honorifics,"Javanese provides an apt illustration.Wolof, on the other hand, does not. Of course,Javanese is only one of several Asian languageswell known for honorific constructions,while Wolof, spokenin Senegal,comes from another part of the globe. But the presence or absence of honorifics is not an area characteristic of Asian languagesas opposed to African languages.As we shall see, Zulu has a system of lexicalalternates bearing a certain typological resemblanceto the Javanesesystem. Moreover,many other Bantu languages(such as ChiBemba) also have grammaticalized honorifics,but in the morphology rather than in the lexicon. Focusing on social structure instead of on geographical area, one might hypothesizethat grammaticalized honorifics occur where there are royal courts (Wenger1982) and in societieswhose traditions emphasize social rank and precedence. Honorificswould be a linguisticmeans of expressingconventionalized differences of rank.The languagesI shall comparewill make it evident,however, that a hypothesis causallylinking honorifics with court life or with entrenchedclass differences cannot be 1 An earlierversion of this paperwas presentedat a sessionon "Languageldeology" at the 1991annual meeting of the AmericanAnthropological Association. -
Wolof Informational Report
Rhode Island College M.Ed. In TESL Program Language Group Specific Informational Reports Produced by Graduate Students in the M.Ed. In TESL Program In the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development Language Group: Wolof Author: Amanda Roy Program Contact Person: Nancy Cloud ([email protected]) Wolof Informational Report By: Amanda Roy TESL 539 Fall 2011 Where is Wolof Spoken? The language of Wolof belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo language family. It totals approximately 7 million speakers within the following countries. Senegal Gambia Mauritania France Guinea Guinea-Bissau Mali www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Senegal.html Writing System Wolof was first written in Wolofal which is a version of Arabic script. This is still used by some of the older male population in Senegal. http://www.omniglot.com/writing/wolof.htm Writing System Continued In 1974, the Wolof orthography using the Latin alphabet was standardized and became the official script in Senegal for Wolof. A a B b C c D d E e Ë ë F f G g I I J j K k L l M m N n Ñ ñŊŋ O o Pp Q q R r S s T t U u W w X x Y y Assane Faye, a Senegalese artist, also created an alphabet for Wolof in 1961. It goes from right to left and has some similarities to the Arabic script. Sometimes Wolof is written with this alphabet. http://www.omniglot.com/writing/wolof.htm What does Wolof sound like? Doomiaadamayéppdanuyjuddu, yam citawfeexci sag aksañ-sañ. -
Annex H. Summary of the Early Grade Reading Materials Survey in Senegal
Annex H. Summary of the Early Grade Reading Materials Survey in Senegal Geography and Demographics 196,722 square Size: kilometers (km2) Population: 14 million (2015) Capital: Dakar Urban: 44% (2015) Administrative 14 regions Divisions: Religion: 95% Muslim 4% Christian 1% Traditional Source: Central Intelligence Agency (2015). Note: Population and percentages are rounded. Literacy Projected 2013 Primary School 2015 Age Population (aged 2.2 million Literacy a a 7–12 years): Rates: Overall Male Female Adult (aged 2013 Primary School 56% 68% 44% 84%, up from 65% in 1999 >15 years) GER:a Youth (aged 2013 Pre-primary School 70% 76% 64% 15%,up from 3% in 1999 15–24 years) GER:a Language: French Mean: 18.4 correct words per minute When: 2009 Oral Reading Fluency: Standard deviation: 20.6 Sample EGRA Where: 11 regions 18% zero scores Resultsb 11% reading with ≥60% Reading comprehension Who: 687 P3 students Comprehension: 52% zero scores Note: EGRA = Early Grade Reading Assessment; GER = Gross Enrollment Rate; P3 = Primary Grade 3. Percentages are rounded. a Source: UNESCO (2015). b Source: Pouezevara et al. (2010). Language Number of Living Languages:a 210 Major Languagesb Estimated Populationc Government Recognized Statusd 202 DERP in Africa—Reading Materials Survey Final Report 47,000 (L1) (2015) French “Official” language 3.9 million (L2) (2013) “National” language Wolof 5.2 million (L1) (2015) de facto largest LWC Pulaar 3.5 million (L1) (2015) “National” language Serer-Sine 1.4 million (L1) (2015) “National” language Maninkakan (i.e., Malinké) 1.3 million (L1) (2015) “National” language Soninke 281,000 (L1) (2015) “National” language Jola-Fonyi (i.e., Diola) 340,000 (L1) “National” language Balant, Bayot, Guñuun, Hassanya, Jalunga, Kanjaad, Laalaa, Mandinka, Manjaaku, “National” languages Mankaañ, Mënik, Ndut, Noon, __ Oniyan, Paloor, and Saafi- Saafi Note: L1 = first language; L2 = second language; LWC = language of wider communication. -
The Emergence of Hausa As a National Lingua Franca in Niger
Ahmed Draia University – Adrar Université Ahmed Draia Adrar-Algérie Faculty of Letters and Languages Department of English Letters and Language A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for a Master’s Degree in Linguistics and Didactics The Emergence of Hausa as a National Lingua Franca in Niger Presented by: Supervised by: Moussa Yacouba Abdoul Aziz Pr. Bachir Bouhania Academic Year: 2015-2016 Abstract The present research investigates the causes behind the emergence of Hausa as a national lingua franca in Niger. Precisely, the research seeks to answer the question as to why Hausa has become a lingua franca in Niger. To answer this question, a sociolinguistic approach of language spread or expansion has been adopted to see whether it applies to the Hausa language. It has been found that the emergence of Hausa as a lingua franca is mainly attributed to geo-historical reasons such as the rise of Hausa states in the fifteenth century, the continuous processes of migration in the seventeenth century which resulted in cultural and linguistic assimilation, territorial expansion brought about by the spread of Islam in the nineteenth century, and the establishment of long-distance trade by the Hausa diaspora. Moreover, the status of Hausa as a lingua franca has recently been maintained by socio- cultural factors represented by the growing use of the language for commercial and cultural purposes as well as its significance in education and media. These findings arguably support the sociolinguistic view regarding the impact of society on language expansion, that the widespread use of language is highly determined by social factors. -
Linguistic Diversity and Inclusion in Abu Dhabi
Multilingua 2021; aop Sarah Hopkyns* and Melanie van den Hoven Linguistic diversity and inclusion in Abu Dhabi’s linguistic landscape during the COVID-19 period https://doi.org/10.1515/multi-2020-0187 Received December 11, 2020; accepted March 18, 2021; published online April 5, 2021 Abstract: In Abu Dhabi, multilingualism amongst its highly diverse population is typical. However, with Arabic as the official language and English as the lingua franca, the population’s other languages are subordinate on public signage. Those proficient in English or Arabic have more access to information than those who are not. While effective communication is important in ordinary times, it is especially vital during a crisis. This study looks at COVID-19 signage in two Abu Dhabi live- work contexts: A beachside community and an industrial site. The study takes an ethnographic approach to linguistic landscaping in which a corpus of 326 top- down and bottom-up signs are investigated in terms of languages used, spacing, prominence and location, as well as intended audience and sociolinguistic im- plications. Key findings revealed that bottom-up handmade COVID-19 signage was mainly monolingual (English only) and municipality-produced warnings were predominately bilingual (Arabic and English). Despite the multilingual composi- tion of both contexts, only one third language (Korean) appeared on COVID-19 signage. The findings shed light on existing inequalities in linguistically diverse contexts, and the need to ensure access to information for all at a street level. The article concludes with practical suggestions for greater linguistic inclusion in the COVID-19 period and beyond. Keywords: COVID-19 signage; crisis communication; diversity and inclusion; lin- guistic landscaping; multilingualism; United Arab Emirates *Corresponding author: Sarah Hopkyns, College of Education, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, E-mail: [email protected]. -
1 Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Overview of the West Atlantic Languages As Wolof Has Not Been Widely Studied in the Generative Trad
Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Overview of the West Atlantic Languages As Wolof has not been widely studied in the generative tradition, this section will serve to situate it in phyletic and geographic context. Wolof is a member of the Atlantic (or “West Atlantic”) sub-branch of the Niger-Congo family. Although classification schemes differ, it is generally agreed that the Atlantic subfamily represents one of the earliest branchings within the Niger-Congo phylum (Greenberg 1963, Ruhlen 1991, Heine and Nurse 2000). In fact, as a group, the Atlantic languages are unfortunately largely understudied. With the exception of Fula, linguistic materials on the Atlantic languages are typically scarce and scattered. These range from descriptions and traditional traditional grammars to pedagogical works, word lists, and dictionaries. Within the descriptive tradition, detailed linguistic works and grammars have been written for Fula (Sylla 1992), Kissi (Childs 1995), and Noon (Soukka 2000), for example. The most widely studied Atlantic language is Fula, which has a descriptive literature and a fair number of analytical works. Note though, that it has been the phonological system of Fula that has attracted the attention of most scholars. After Fula, the number of analytical and descriptive works drops precipitously. Even Wolof, one of the national languages of Senegal, has been little investigated overall. Within the literature on Wolof, it has been the phonological system that has been the center of study, especially vowel harmony (Ka 1989, Ndiaye 1995, Sy 2003).1 Descriptive works on Wolof include Diagne 1971, Mangold 1977, Church 1981, Dialo 1981, and Ka 1981. The only extensive analytical treatments of Wolof syntax are Njie 1981 and Dunigan 1994.2 Wolof is a member of the Senegambian group of the Northern branch in Atlantic. -
Homosexuality in the Ghanaian Media: a Preliminary Survey
International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Culture (Linqua- IJLLC) October 2014 edition Vol.1 No.2 HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE GHANAIAN MEDIA: A PRELIMINARY SURVEY Charles Quist-Adade, PhD Faith Bates Nubwa Wathanafa Kwantlen Polytechnic University Abstract This paper examines how homosexuality is represented in the Ghanaian media. More specifically, it focuses on newspaper articles from GhanaWeb for the years 2008 - 2011. This research discussesthe prevalence of negative stereotypes abouthomosexuality in the Ghanaian media, and reveals the ways in which the type of language used by the Ghanaian media stigmatizes, dehumanizes, and others the homosexual population.This paper argues that homosexual stereotypes are prevalent in Ghana, and thatthese stereotypes are reflected in the Ghanaian media. It suggests that it is essential for Ghanaian media to portrayhomosexuality in a holistic manner in order to debunk stereotypes and myths regarding homosexuality.It focused on attitudes toward homosexuality as presented in the Ghanaian media and not the media (e.g. editors’, reporters’) attitudes toward homosexuality. Keywords: Homosexuality, Ghana, media, gay, lesbian, Africa Introduction Under Ghanaian criminal law, same-sex sexual activity among males is illegal. It is uncertain whether same-sex sexual activity among females is illegal. Under the chapter 6 of the Criminal Code, 1960, as amended by The Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 2003, homosexuality is punishable by law. In fact, the Ghanaian constitution criminalizes homosexual coital activity -
The Interference of Arabic Prepositions in Emirati English
Article The Interference of Arabic Prepositions in Emirati English Jean Pierre Ribeiro Daquila 1,2 1 ESERP Business and Law School, 08010 Barcelona, Spain; [email protected] or [email protected] 2 Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Philology, University Complutense of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain Abstract: The bond between England and the UAE date back to over 220 years ago. This article explored the interference of Arabic prepositions in the English used in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and their occurrences in light of gender and level of education, two important social variables related to linguistic behavior. To do so, participants translated 20 sentences in Arabic into English as well as filled in 30 gaps in sentences in English with the missing prepositions. We also experimented how musical intelligence improved the Emiratis’ performance regarding prepositions. An experiment was carried out to verify if participants from the experimental group, who received training on prepositions through music, obtained better results compared to the control group, who received training through a more traditional way (by listening to the instructor and repeating). Keywords: multiple intelligences; musical intelligence; grammar; prepositions; contrastive; compar- ative; linguistics; L2 acquisition; training; Emirati English; Arabic dialects; autism; savant syndrome 1. Introduction This study aims to analyze the utilization of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) Citation: Ribeiro Daquila, J.P. The as an instrument to enhance learning. MI was presented by the American developmental Interference of Arabic Prepositions in psychologist and research professor Howard Gardner in 1983 in his notable book Frames of Emirati English. Sci 2021, 3, 19. -
Proquest Dissertations
Language, politics and the Halpulaar'en of Mauritania Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Scionti, Theresa Louise Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 05/10/2021 12:24:09 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/289744 INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing fiom left to right in equal sections with small overiaps. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6' x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. -
Language and Country List
CONTENT LANGUAGE & COUNTRY LIST Languages by countries World map (source: United States. United Nations. [ online] no dated. [cited July 2007] Available from: www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htmain.htm) Multicultural Clinical Support Resource Language & country list Country Languages (official/national languages in bold) Country Languages (official/national languages in bold) Afghanistan Dari, Pashto, Parsi-Dari, Tatar, Farsi, Hazaragi Brunei Malay, English, Chinese, other minority languages Albania Tosk, Albanian Bulgaria Bulgarian, Turkish, Roma and other minority languages Algeria Arabic, French, Berber dialects Burkina Faso French, native African (Sudanic) languages 90% Andorra Catalán, French, Spanish, Portuguese Burundi Kirundi, French, Swahili, Rwanda Angola Portuguese, Koongo, Mbundu, Chokwe, Mbunda, Cambodia Khmer, French, English Antigua and English, local dialects, Arabic, Portuguese Cameroon French, English, 24 African language groups Barbuda Canada English, French, other minority languages Argentina Spanish, English, Italian, German, French Cape Verde Portuguese, Kabuverdianu, Criuolo Armenia Armenian, Yezidi, Russian Central French (official), Sangho (lingua franca, national), other minority Australia English, Indigenous and other minority languages African languages Austria German, Slovenian, Croatian, Hungarian, Republic Alemannisch, Bavarian, Sinte Romani, Walser Chad French, Arabic, Sara, more than 120 languages and dialects Azerbaijan Azerbaijani (Azeri), Russian, Armenian, other and minority languages Chile -
Dakar Wolof and the Configuration of an Urban Identity
Journal of African Cultural Studies, Volume 14, Number 2, December 2001, pp. 153-172 Dakar Wolof and the con guration of an urban identity FIONA MCLAUGHLIN (Department of Linguistics, University of Kansas) ABSTRACT The turbulent period of political and social unrest at the end of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s in Senegal gave rise to the l movement in which the city of Dakar was recreated in the historical imagination of its youth. This essay argues that the movement coincided with the emergence of a self-conscious urban identity among the Dakar population, evidenced by a variety of artistic expression that focuses on and exalts the culture of the city. Central to the notion of an urban identity is the role of Dakar Wolof, a variety of the language that has signi cantly diverged from the more conservative dialects spoken in the rural areas, primarily by incorporating massive lexical borrowing from French. Dakar Wolof is portrayed in sustained written form for the rst time in two comics that appeared during this period: Boy Dakar by Ibou Fall and Aziz Bâ, and Ass et Oussou by Omar Diakité. This essay discusses the hybrid nature of Dakar Wolof and its depiction in written form in the two comics. Finally, it is argued that Dakar Wolof has had a profound effect on the notion of ethnicity in the Senegalese context and has contributed to the emergence of a de-ethnicized urban identity. 1. Introduction In February of 1988, presidential elections in Senegal failed to produce a change of regime from that of incumbent president Abdou Diouf to that of opposition leader Abdoulaye Wade, whose widely proclaimed campaign slogan had been or Change!1 A little more than a year later, in April of 1989, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, unprecedented ethnic violence against the Moorish population in Senegal broke out in the streets of Dakar, the country’s capital, escalating into an international crisis that stopped just short of war. -
Collecting Resources in Sub-Saharan African Languages for Automatic Speech Recognition: a Case Study of Wolof
Collecting Resources in Sub-Saharan African Languages for Automatic Speech Recognition: a Case Study of Wolof Elodie Gauthier1, Laurent Besacier1, Sylvie Voisin2, Michael Melese3, Uriel Pascal Elingui4 1Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LIG, F-38000 Grenoble, France 2Laboratoire Dynamique Du Langage (DDL), CNRS - Universite´ de Lyon, France 3Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia 4Voxygen SAS, Pleumeur-Bodou, France & Dakar, Sen´ egal´ [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Abstract This article presents the data collected and ASR systems developped for 4 sub-saharan african languages (Swahili, Hausa, Amharic and Wolof). To illustrate our methodology, the focus is made on Wolof (a very under-resourced language) for which we designed the first ASR system ever built in this language. All data and scripts are available online on our github repository. Keywords: african languages, under-resourced languages, wolof, data collection, automatic speech recognition 1. Introduction 2. ASR systems made available in the Today is very favorable to the development of a market for ALFFA project speech in sub-saharan african languages. People’s access 2.1. Target languages of the project to information and communications technologies (ICT) is Language choice for the project is mainly governed by pop- done mainly through mobile (and keyboard) and the need ulation coverage and industrial perspectives. We focus on for voice services can be found in all sectors, from higher Hausa spoken by around 60 million people, as first or sec- priority (health, food) to more fun (games, social media). ond language. Hausa is part of the family of Afroasiatic For this, overcoming the language barrier is needed.