Language, Society, and Empowerment in Africa and Its Diaspora

Akinloyè Òjó is associate professor of comparative literature and intercultural studies, adjunct associate professor of linguistics, affiliate faculty of the Institute of African American Studies, and a faculty member at the African Studies Institute at the University of Georgia.

• List of MapsList of TablesPrefaceAcknowledgementsChapter 1: Language in Africa: A General IntroductionChapter 2: Classifications of Languages in AfricaChapter 3: Language, Ethnic Identity and Multilingualism in AfricaChapter 4: A Panorama of Language Planning across AfricaChapter 5: Language-Based Problems and National Development in Africa: Nigeria as a case studyChapter 6: Empowering African Languages for Socio-Cultural and Economic Development in the 21st CenturyChapter 7: The Emergent Field of African Language Pedagogy in North America and Western Europe Chapter 8: Language Variation and Ethnicity: The Case of African American English (AAE)AfterwordBibliographyAbout the Author

Linguists and laypeople will find in Language, Society, and Empowerment in Africa and Its Diaspora an ambitious, methodical, and optimistic approach to positioning African language as fundamental to identity, economic advancement, and unity on the continent and in the diaspora. Professor Òjó’s mapping of practical pathways for African economic and socio-cultural strength through indigenous language promotion and use will be a beneficial guide for students, educators, leaders, and policy makers. His examination of the connections between African and African American language patterns is a compelling and useful demonstration of the role language can play in identity and empowerment in the African diaspora, and bravely posits language as a unifying force on both the continent and in the diaspora.