Worksheet for African Languages

Names of students who completed this worksheet:

Which type of language is this? Afro-ethnic, Afro-Islamic, or Afro-Western?

The Name of the Language and Country or Countries of Location:

The Language Itself

How many speakers are there?
What percentage of the population of the country speaks the language?
Is the language expanding or shrinking or stable?
What language(s) is it competing with?

Genetic and areal factors: What language family does it belong to?; What languages are most closely related to this language?; Is this language a pidgin or creole?; Are there closely related languages contiguous to this language?; What other languages is this language in contact with?

Orthography: Is the orthography latin-based?; If not, does it use Arabic script?; Has the orthography changed?

Literary Standards and Diglossia: Is there a standardized literary variant for this language?

Geography & Politics

Is the language the major language of the country or countries?
What are the political relations of speakers of this language with other peoples in the region?
Are there any significant historical factors that influence these relations?
Is the country (or countries) a former colony? Of which state? If so, is there a diaspora population in that state?

Schools: Is the language taught in schools? How many or what percentage? If not, what language is taught?; Is language instruction in school supported financially by the government? Or is it funded privately?; Is the language used only for language instruction, or is other instruction in the language? How much?; Is it possible to go to a university where the language is used in instruction? If not, what language is used?

Government: Is the language used administratively? If not, what language(s) is/are used?; Is the language used in the government? If not, what language(s) is/are used?

Social & Economic Context

Literacy & Media: What percentage of the population is literate?; Is there a strong literary tradition?; Are there publishing houses that print books in this language?; Are there newspapers published in this language?; Are there TV and radio stations that broadcast in this language?

Public Use: Are there signs that use this language?; Are government forms printed in this language?; Is it possible to get a skilled job using this language?

Organizations: Are there organizations that support the language?; Are there places of worship where the language is used?