Archive: past updates

Dear Circle members,

Again, a few updates that hopefully will be of interest to some of you…

Reading group: who would be interested?

We are wondering if there is an interest among Circle members in forming a reading group. The idea would be that members of the group would all read the same recent publication relevant for language policy and the promotion of African languages and to meet online to discuss the publication and to share ideas based on the reading. If there is interest, this could also lead to a book review for a reputable journal. Then for a following iteration, a different book would be chosen, based on the interests of the reading group members.

Dear Circle members,

A few updates that hopefully will be of interest to some of you…

Webinar series: Conversations on Language Policy in Africa. The last webinar in this series will take place on Friday, 10 April at 4 pm CEST/SAST (that is 9 am in Chicago, 3 pm in Lagos, 5 pm in Nairobi). It will be delivered by none other than Salikoko Mufwene. The telltale title of his talk is: “Multilingualism is not a barrier to African economic development; bad economic policies are.” Register via the Initiative Afrique site of the University of Bern (Switzerland) or directly here. Follow this link for recordings of past webinars.

Dear Circle members,

Some interesting updates, but first… It’s that time of year again! 21 February is International Mother Language Day. Let me just repeat the words of last year: this day helps to remind us (if indeed reminding is needed) of the importance of people’s languages for the preservation of their culture, for their economic development, for the efficiency of their educational systems and indeed for the full and authentic development of all the talents available to mankind.

For Africa, there is still a long way to go before indigenous languages get the status and use in official domains that would benefit the continent most. However, I think that most of us in the Circle believe this time will come – it is up to us to study, publish and be active for the best possible transition to an increased use of African languages in all domains.

Dear members of our informal Circle on the promotion of African Languages,

We hope this first message of 2026 finds you well! This time, we have a number of interesting updates for you.

Local Languages, Global Futures – new book will be available in open access!

     This new volume will become available online soon. The introduction can be seen already. The volume explores the central role of African languages in shaping inclusive and sustainable futures across the continent. While Africa has long been viewed primarily as a source of extractable resources, its future strength lies in its people. With higher education access below 10% in Sub-Saharan Africa—compared to nearly 80% in the Global North—there is both an urgent need and a major opportunity to expand learning. Such expansion will only succeed if students can study in languages they know; using African languages as mediums of instruction is…