Justin Chitakatira

Demarginalising the African Languages: the Zimbabwean Language Question Justin Chitakatira

What is the place and role of indigenous languages in Zimbabwe?s socio-economic and political development? This has remained a vexed but key question many years after independence. It cannot be denied that English is deeply entrenched in the country?s education curricula, a sort of lingua-franca in our multi-lingual society and the leading global language too. Given this scenario, it is evident that the resolution of the language question is not likely to be a simple ?either English or indigenous languages? affair. It will be a very complex issue well beyond the foreseeable future. Yet, due to the important ideational and interpersonal function of language it is critical that as a people and as a nation Zimbabweans continuously engage with this all-important question in an attempt to begin to contribute towards its eventual resolution. This study therefore briefly examines the language situation with special focus on Shona in education in general but more specifically in the field of research..