They have recently started using indigenous languages in primary school but there is a lack of resources and proper training of the teachers.

Best Regards – Hannah

Lukas

Thanks for the comment. After having made this post I read Christopher Stroud’s chapter: “Portuguese as ideology and politics in Mozambique: Semiotic (re)constructions of a postcolony” in the book “Language Ideological Debates”.

He addresses some of the reasons why Frelimo was successful in creating an unshakable cloud of legitimacy around Portuguese. Portuguese became synonymous with allegiance to the flag. It was considered helping the liberation efforts to learn Portuguese, and essentially working against the state to continue speaking the national languages.

Edicts were issued to speak Portuguese in public places and official encounters. Letters to the editor in popular publications of the time (post-revolution), like Tempo, expressed disgust for people speaking national languages in public.

With this kind of social pressure, and rhetoric supporting a ‘clearer, better’ Portuguese, how could anyone dare suggest another language? The social shame would have been overwhelming.

I agree with you that parallel literacy campaigns for local languages should have been supported by the government a long time ago. They should also be encouraging development and codification of these languages, but instead NELIMO has been discontinued as a center because of lack of funding and human resources.

Could I ask you where you have seen local languages being implemented alongside Portuguese? It would be useful to me for my undergrad research. :)

I liked the topic on this blog.
Especially your concern as I quote what you wrote; “Why identify with the “oppressor” in such an basic and personal way?”

I don’t if so far you got the answer to this question.
Generally up to now, I have learnt that the Portuguese language was and seems still be a unifying tool despite being the once oppressors’ tool as well.

As you also pointed out that there are so many languages all over the country and why Portuguese.

I am of the opinion that neither Macua (or Emakhuwa) nor Xichangana could easily be accepted by the rest of the population from other provinces. It needs a lot of work to overcome things like egocentrism. Some sociolingusits also defend that no language is superior to others.

May be what the government should have done long time was to encourage/adopting system to study the local languages along with Portuguese. It’s being implemented now, but there parents who may not encourage their own children to learn local languages, it’s a crazy situation……