Countering Linguistic Imperialism with Stories in the Languages of Africa: The African Storybook Initiative as a Model for Enabling in and out of School Literacies

Autor/in	Reed, Yvonne
Titel	Countering Linguistic Imperialism with Stories in the Languages of Africa: The African Storybook Initiative as a Model for Enabling in and out of School Literacies
Quelle	In: South African Journal of Childhood Education, 9 (2019) 1, Artikel 637 (8 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Reed, Yvonne)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2223-7674
Schlagwörter	Language of Instruction; Second Language Learning; Native Language; African Languages; Civil Rights; Language Usage; Instructional Materials; Standard Spoken Usage; Distance Education; Illustrations; Reading Interests; Language Variation; Cost Effectiveness; Literacy Education; Foreign Countries; Electronic Publishing; Program Descriptions; Educational Resources; Childrens Literature; Reading Materials; Faculty Development; Program Evaluation; Web Sites; Partnerships in Education; South Africa + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Teaching language; Unterrichtssprache; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Africa; Language; Languages; Afrika; Sprachen; Afrikanische Sprache; Bürgerrechte; Grundrechte; Zivilrecht; Sprachgebrauch; Lehrmaterial; Lehrmittel; Unterrichtsmedien; Gesprochene Sprache; Umgangssprache; Distance study; Distance learning; Fernunterricht; Bildliche Darstellung; Leseinteresse; Sprachenvielfalt; Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse; Kosten-Nutzen-Denken; Ausland; Elektronisches Publizieren; Bildungsmittel; 'Children''s literature'; Kinderliteratur; Programme evaluation; Programmevaluation; Web-Design; Hochschulpartnerschaft; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik
Abstract	Background: In South Africa, and in many other African countries, official language-in-education policy supports the use of learners' primary language(s) in early schooling. In reality, texts in the language(s) of the former colonial power are dominant, with high-interest texts in languages familiar to young learners in short supply or non-existent. Where government education departments have begun to address this shortage, it is mainly by producing graded readers in the 'standard' variety of a language. Aim: The main aim of this paper is to demonstrate how quality texts can be provided in a wide range of African languages to stimulate children's interest in reading, across the African continent and beyond. Setting: The African Storybook (ASb) initiative of the South African Institute of Distance Education (Saide) aims to provide illustrated texts in local languages and language varieties that enable children to read for pleasure and for learning. This is done through a publishing model that makes these texts available, cost-effectively, as needed, by teachers, librarians and caregivers. Methods: Internal reports, external evaluations, two interviews with the initiative's co-ordinator and a review of selected texts on the ASb website provided data for analysis. Results: The analysis enabled reflection on the challenges faced and the successes achieved, identification of factors that have enabled many of the challenges to be addressed and finally consideration of what the initiative offers as a model for supporting literacy development in local languages. Conclusion: While the paper tells a story that includes elements of a cautionary tale, it is primarily a story that offers inspiration and guidance to other organisations already involved in, or wishing to embark on, the important project of providing texts for young readers in a wide range of languages. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	AOSIS. 15 Oxford Street, Durbanville, Cape Town, 7550 South Africa. Tel: +27-21-975-2602; Fax: +27-21-975-4635; e-mail: publishing@aosis.co.za; Web site: https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01