Changing Patterns of Language Utilization in the Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is situated in the middle of Central Africa. In 1960 she won her independence from France in 1960 and has undergone significant changes within those decades.

One of these changes is regarding languages. The Congo has around 50 different ethnic groups within her borders; these all have their own distinct languages and dialects and the inhabitants all correspond to different varieties.

The government recognises three major languages; French for education and business since gaining her independence, as well as Lingala and Munukutuba (also known as Kituba), as national languages. “All three languages are heard on national radio and television. Lingala, spoken to the north of Brazzaville, grew up as a trade language along the Congo River, which is only navigable above Brazzaville. Munukutuba is spoken to the west and south of Brazzaville and grew up along the trade routes to the ocean, especially along the railroad, which was completed in 1934”.

Because of this, all those who live in the Congo have between subjected to these languages; French is often claimed as the official language, another as the ethnic dialect and another national language. Everyone will learn these, albeit to different levels of proficiency. “Unless these three layers of language are reserved for functionally distinct domains as in diglossic situations, they will be in competition with each other and it is likely that changing patterns of language utilization will be observed. Indeed, it appears that Congo has been undergoing such a change and that many domains of usage are 'leaking', thus creating a linguistic situation similar to what Fishman calls 'bilingualism without diglossia', characterized by instability and transition”.

Scholars have made extensive studies into the changing patterns of language utilization in the Congo, especially into Lingala and Munukutuba. Using questionnaires in French, the results showed that the younger generations were more likely to have a different mother tongue to that of their parents. This could be explained through the shifting political and educational systems that have taken place in recent decades.

The changing mother tongue patterns are of great importance for scholars. For so many centuries, the African people have had their lives altered dramatically due to European influence. It has only been recently that the African people have been able to go back to their roots with pride. The fact that French is being more rapidly replaced by native languages, such as Lingala and Munukutuba, is proof of that.

Bibliography:

Woods, David R. (1994) Changing Patterns of Language Utilization in the Republic of Congo, African Languages and Cultures, Taylor & Francis, Ltd.