The Transformative Power of Language

Language has played a pivotal role in societal transformation in postcolonial Africa towards the creation of globally competitive knowledge societies; however so far this role has been under-researched and under-estimated. This volume addresses this gap in the literature by bringing together a team of globally-recognised scholars to explore the effect of language on African postcolonial societies and how it has contributed to achieving ''mental decolonisation''. A range of languages are explored both imported (ex-colonial) and indigenous African and case studies from different spheres of public discourse are investigated from universities to legal settings. Demonstrating that multilingualism is a resource for rather than barrier to successful transformation this book brings the intellectualisation and institutionalisation of African languages to the forefront of development discourse and provides an insightful snap-shot of how current academic research public discourse political activism and social community engagement have contributed to societal transformation in South Africa.