What happens to Indigenous African Sign Languages? Celebrating International Mother Language Day

 

February 21st marks International Mother Language Day, a day dedicated to celebrating linguistic diversity and promoting multilingual education. Proclaimed by UNESCO and later adopted by the UN General Assembly, this day highlights the crucial role languages play in promoting inclusion and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Multilingual education not only promotes inclusive societies but also helps preserve non-dominant, minority, and indigenous languages. This is essential for ensuring equitable access to education and lifelong learning opportunities for all individuals. In this brief paper, I aim to explore indigenous African sign languages, drawing upon the research I have conducted in this field.

Indigenous African Sign Languages

In the context of International Mother Language Day, it is vital to recognize the significance of indigenous African sign languages. These languages, often overshadowed by more dominant sign languages like American Sign Language (ASL), hold a unique place in the cultural and linguistic landscape of Africa. As highlighted in my paper “African Sign Languages Are Not American Product: Indigenous African Deaf People and Indigenous African Sign Languages” (Edward, 2021), there is a common misconception that all African sign languages are derived from ASL. This assumption overlooks the rich and diverse history of indigenous African sign languages. Despite limited research on the fundamentals of their acquisition process (Edward, 2022a), these languages have a profound history and continue to play significant roles in the lives of people in Africa.

The Influence of Colonialism and Missionary Work

In Edward (2021) I discuss how the scramble for Africa and subsequent colonial rule led to the imposition of European languages and cultures on African societies. However, many indigenous spoken languages survived this period, serving as a means of communication between colonial rulers and indigenous people. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for indigenous African sign languages, which received little attention from European colonizers. This lack of attention itself was good as it helped preserve the rich linguistic and cultural traits of indigenous African sign languages.

Andrew Foster, a pioneering deaf African American missionary, played a significant role in introducing ASL to Africa and promoting Deaf education. While his contributions are celebrated, they have also led to the erroneous belief that African sign languages are merely extensions of ASL. In reality, indigenous African Deaf communities have a vibrant culture and unique sign languages that predate ASL.

Challenges and Resilience of Indigenous Deaf Communities

Indigenous African Deaf communities face numerous challenges, including societal policies that threaten their existence (Asonye, Edward & Asonye, 2020; Akanlig-Pare & Edward, 2020). For example, the marriage law in Adamorobe, Ghana, which bans Deaf-Deaf marriages to curb hereditary deafness, has led to a decline in the number of Deaf individuals in the community. Despite these challenges, indigenous African sign languages have shown remarkable resilience. They continue to thrive in various regions, albeit with limited exposure to foreign sign systems.

The Importance of Multilingual Education

Multilingual education plays a crucial role in preserving indigenous African sign languages. By incorporating these languages into educational curricula and designing curricula that promote the use of indigenous sign languages (Edward, 2022b), we can ensure their survival and promote inclusive societies. This aligns with the goals of International Mother Language Day, which emphasizes the importance of linguistic diversity in achieving SDGs.

Conclusion

As we celebrate International Mother Language Day, let us acknowledge the rich heritage of indigenous African sign languages and the resilience of Deaf communities in Africa. By promoting multilingual education and supporting the preservation of these languages, we can contribute to a more inclusive and equitable world. Indigenous African sign languages are not merely products of American influence; they are unique languages with deep cultural roots that deserve recognition and protection. In the spirit of International Mother Language Day, it is crucial to recognize that failing to promote the use of indigenous sign languages could result in their endangerment due to linguistic contact (Edward, 2024).

 

References

Asonye, E., Edward., M & Asonye, E.E. (2020). Linguistic genocide against development of signed languages in Africa. In Eno-Absai Urua, et al. African Languages in Time and Space: A Festschrift in Honour of Professor Akinbiyi Akinlabi, 337-359. Ibadan: Zenith BookHouse.

Akanlig-Pare, G. & Edward, M. (2020). Societal Perception of Hearing Impairment in Ghana: A Report on Adamorobe. Lancaster University Ghana Journal on Disability, Vol. 2. 62-84. Lancaster University Ghana.

Edward, M. (2024). Signing out: Linguistic contact and possible endangerment of the Adamorobe Sign Language. In Asonye, E. & Edward, M (eds.). Studies in Indigenous Signed and Spoken Languages of Africa, 79-100. Cambridge Scholar Publishing.

Edward, M (2023). Multilingualism in Adamorobe and the Case for Adamorobe Sign Language (AdaSL). In Julia Gspandl, Christina Korb, Angelika Heiling and Elizabeth J. Erling, The Power of Voice in Transforming Multilingual Societies. Multilingual Matters.

Edward, M. (2022a). Child language acquisition research on indigenous African sign languages: A commentary on Kidd and Garcia (2022). First Language, 42(6), 756–759. https://doi.org/10.1177/01427237221104049

Edward, M. (2022b). Challenges and opportunities of teaching in multilingual Deaf Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Erasmos Charamba ed. Handbook of Research on Teaching in Multicultural and Multilingual Contexts, 225-244. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-5034-5.ch013

Edward, M. (2021). African sign languages are not American product: Indigenous African Deaf People and indigenous African Sign Languages. Academia Letters, Article 426. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL426.