Reading group - and other updates, May 2026
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.
Such a group would need two things: a coordinator who would take pride in keeping the group together (and has some time for doing that) and a group of interested members.
If you would be interested, either to coordinate or to be part of such a group, drop me a line and we will see if we can get this thing off the ground!
Webinar series: Conversations on Language Policy in Africa. The last webinar in this season’s series took place on 10 April – many were able to join us for an inspiring presentation by Salikoko Mufwene. But if you were not, you can watch the recording, hosted by Initiative Afrique of the University of Bern.
Webinars of this past season:
October 3rd, 2025 – Caroline Story on Postcolonial Language Imperialism in Africa. The Latter-day Saints Missionary Program.
November 7th, 2025 – Menzi Thango on Workplace Communication: The use of African languages by banks operating in Free State Province, South Africa.
January 9th, 2026 – Yassine Boussagui on Language Policy and Power Dynamics in Post-Independence Morocco. A Critical Analysis.
February 6th, 2026 – Elvis ResCue, David Dankwa-Apawu, Yvonne Agbetsoamedo on Enacting translanguaging in a Ghanaian multilingual classroom. Code choices in minority language classrooms.
March 6th, 2026 – Kenneth Obiorah on Challenges and Initiatives in Radio Language Policy Implementation.
April 10th, 2026 – Salikoko S. Mufwene on Multilingualism is not a barrier to African Economic Development; Bad Economic Policies are.
Follow this link for the recordings.
Call for Chapters: there is a call out for chapters for a volume on Digital Pragmatics in Africa: Language, Meaning, and Interaction in the Digital Age. Circle member Emilisco Jones Enoachuo is involved in this call. Deadline for submission of abstracts is 15 July.
Call for Papers: on 28 and 29 October, Ibadan University, will host an international online colloquium in honour of Babatunde Ayeleru on ‘The Languages of Africa: Emerging Sociolinguistic and Geopolitical Contexts, Contemporary Research Perspectives’. Deadline for abstract submissions is 30 June.
One New member: Fiacre Irankeje, Burundi Higher Institute of Education.
Please check if the information we have about you on the Circle website is still up-to-date. If you have a new job, job title or any other change that is relevant, do let us know.
As always, if you have things or hear of things that you think might be of interest to Circle members, don’t hesitate to send a short message, either via the mail or via WhatsApp - we will be happy to share the information.
Looking forward to seeing or corresponding with some of you during our upcoming activities, best regards,
Bert (also on behalf of Comfort, Sarita and Taiwo).