How the English language influenced African literature Essay

The handling of the slope lecture plays a life-or-death and dominant billet in African books. In modern African lit the aim of incline is often the distinguishableiate element for conquest as an African composer. This enables them to submit their views crossways a larger bea of nowadayss globose world. However penning in side instead of their internal tongues may come at a high price for these African penrs. By them replacing their immanent talking tos with position could ultimately lead to the eradication of their native tongues. The catch of this essay is to address the following key elements which lick the role of side of meat in African books. Colonization played a leading role in placing side at the forefront of African literature. English can be viewed as a de manhoodd evil, especially by most of those African writers who did not inherit the English oral communication.The English words forms the center of attention of African literature, throug h bulge out most separate of Africa. This is often evident in our usual experiences. For instance, the majority of the educational institutes in Africa, design English as a moderate for engaging in learning activities. English has long been the speech of politics. Furthermore, in the media and in literature, English is intelligibly the dominant language.In order for us to gain an ca use up as to why English is the reign language in African literature we need to address the main figure which has placed English at the centerfield of African literature. The effects of colonialism had the most influence over this situation.In 1884, Europe dual-lane the African countries into separate colonies and molded the African nations under their colonial powers. These separate colonies were classify according to the languages of Europe, English- speaking, Portuguese-speaking and French-speaking African countries.Colonialism controlled and bound the use of African languages by stately negative and stereotypical views upon these African languages. This is tidyly stated by S.N.Dlamini..An otherwise interlingual rendition of the use of the Zulu language comes from itsassociation with analphabetism and ignorance. This interpretation was historic, and a typical example of how British colonisation and a British education system impacted on language use. With colonialism, African languages were d possessgraded, and the language of the colonising country, English became the language of commerce, education and an instrument with which to posting knowledge(Dlamini200516)The use of English in African literature can most definitely be viewed as a necessary evil. On the one hand, the English language plays a underlying part in many another(prenominal) aspects of communication. For instance, those African writers who choose to write in English can express their opinions, views, experiences and the ilk, crossways a more global scale. On the other hand, its a different scenario altogether for those whom have had to break English as their second language. Obviously, populate would generally olfactory perception more well-provided opus in their home language as opposed to an additional language.Chinua Achebe wroteThose of us who have inherited the English language may not be in a position to appreciate the respect of the inheritance. Or we may go on resenting it because it came as part of a incase deal which included many other items of doubtful value and the positive brutality of racial arrogance and prejudice which may yet set the world on fire. But let us not in rejecting evil throw out the good with it. (Achebe200531)There is no use in ignoring the fact that most literature will go to be pen in English. There are many reasons as to why it would not be feasible to banish the use of European languages in Africa, in replace of an African language. Firstly, this would affect the levels of communication within Africa and in congeneric with the rest of the world, as thither are very few individuals in other parts of the world that ascertain one of the African languages.Secondly, this process would mean many expenses and complications. Forinstance, the changing of educational institutions into ones with and African language as a long suit for learning.those African writers who have chosen to write in English or French are not unpatriotic irreverent Alecs with an eye on the main chance-outside their own countries. They are the by-products of the same process that make the new nation states of Africa (Achebe200531)Clearly, there are many advantages of writing in a first world language. Firstly, this would cultivate Africa to be a part of the global net income of communication. For instance, this would allow African writers to express their views across a broader scale of the globe. Mazizi Kunene stated, African literature is no literature unless it is used as a vehicle of ideas. Furthermore, the use of a universal l anguage helps to destroy the barriers between different social or ethnical groups by creating the link of communication.Secondly, with the ability to communicate, this allows these different social and cultural groups to interact, thus creating wisdom for these different cultural groups. Charles Taylor creates a clear indication of the importance of corporealisation in his article The politics of credit entry.The demand for fruition in multiculturalism is precondition urgency by the supposed links between recognition and identity, where this multiculturalism designates something like a souls understanding of who they are, of their fundamental defining characteristics as a gracious being. The thesis is that our identity is partly shaped by recognition or its absence, often by the misrecognition of others, and so a person or a group of muckle can suffer real damage, real distortion , if the people or beau monde around them then mirror abide to them a confining or humiliat e or contemptible picture of themselves. Nonrecognition or misrecognition can inflict harm, can be a form of oppression, imprisoning someone in a false, distorted, and reduced mode of being.In other words, communication helps to facilitate the recognition of groups,which is especially crucial for those smaller cultural groups from being oppressed and viewed as inferior, collect to peoples ignorance.On the other hand, one needs to address the obstacles set about the African writer. For those who have acquired English as their second language, often feel that they are incapable of expressing themselves in the correct consideration when writing in English. Some feel they have to first think in their native tongue and then turn in it into English and in the process their writing looses its meaning.Achebe stated in his article, The English language and the African writerThe real point is not whether Africans could write in English but whether they ought to. Is it right that a man sh ould abandon his mother-tongue for someone elses? It looks like a dreadful betrayal and produces a guilty feeling. But for me there is no other choice. I have been given this language and I intend to use it. (Achebe,C200533)Firstly, in order to retain ones self identity, the sense of who you are and where you came from, one mustiness first define themselves in relation to their language and their environment. This should be a crucial element, before adopting other languages. Ngugi wa Thiongo stated,The choice of language and the use to which language is consecrate is central to a peoples definition of themselves in relation to their natural and social environment, hence in relation to the entire universe.(200525)hopefully there will still be writers who choose to write in their native languages, to ensure the existence and the development of African literature.Evidently as the above military rank states, African literature will continue to be dominated by the use of the Englis h language. Although this is the reality to date, those Africans should not do so at the expense of abandoning their mother-tongue.