THE LANGUAGE DEBATE IN AFRICAN LITERATURE
In its formative years precisely in the 1950s to 1970s modern African literature was regarded as
appendage of European literature, it was regarded as marginal and it was written in European
language (English, French and Portuguese). For example Adrian Roscoe who has the post-
colonial literature writing experience says “if an African writes in English his work must be
considered as belonging to English letters as a whole and can be scrutinized’’. Contrally, this
essay highlight the language debate in African literature which is to say it is good and
recommendable that African literature should be written in indigenous or local language.
First and foremost, controversially broached by Obiajunwa Wali who was a minority right
activist in Nigeria, he argued that African literature should be written in African languages for
instance Chichewa, Igbo etc. According to nativist school of thoughts on language choice in
African literature it described nativism as the proposition that one’s world view and all its many
components be anchored in and determined or guided by fidelity to the dictates of one’s culture.
This school of thought places primacy on the use of African indigenous languages as the grand
media expression of African literary imaginations. Nativist avers that the African literary writers
could translate his or her work into any language of their choices including English, French and
even Chichewa, but must primarily express and calibrate her literary imaginations in her
indigenous language. Here Obiajunwa in his essay that represents a documented and modernly
maiden conspicuous voice in the nativist advocation ‘The Dead End of African Literature”, he
says
…the whole acceptance of English and French as the inevitable medium for educated
African writing is misdirected, and has no chance of advancing African literature and
culture. In the words until these writers and their western midwives accept the fact that
any true African literature must be written in African languages, they would merely
pursuing a dead end, which can only lead to sterility, uncreativity and frustration. (Wali,
The dead end of african literature ).
Many scholars agreed with him wholeheartedly and in varying degrees. It is worth noting that
every language has a right to be developed as literature, here in Malawi the likes of Jolly Max
Ntaba who writes their stories in the local language. There is no part of the world where false
In its formative years precisely in the 1950s to 1970s modern African literature was regarded as
appendage of European literature, it was regarded as marginal and it was written in European
language (English, French and Portuguese). For example Adrian Roscoe who has the post-
colonial literature writing experience says “if an African writes in English his work must be
considered as belonging to English letters as a whole and can be scrutinized’’. Contrally, this
essay highlight the language debate in African literature which is to say it is good and
recommendable that African literature should be written in indigenous or local language.
First and foremost, controversially broached by Obiajunwa Wali who was a minority right
activist in Nigeria, he argued that African literature should be written in African languages for
instance Chichewa, Igbo etc. According to nativist school of thoughts on language choice in
African literature it described nativism as the proposition that one’s world view and all its many
components be anchored in and determined or guided by fidelity to the dictates of one’s culture.
This school of thought places primacy on the use of African indigenous languages as the grand
media expression of African literary imaginations. Nativist avers that the African literary writers
could translate his or her work into any language of their choices including English, French and
even Chichewa, but must primarily express and calibrate her literary imaginations in her
indigenous language. Here Obiajunwa in his essay that represents a documented and modernly
maiden conspicuous voice in the nativist advocation ‘The Dead End of African Literature”, he
says
…the whole acceptance of English and French as the inevitable medium for educated
African writing is misdirected, and has no chance of advancing African literature and
culture. In the words until these writers and their western midwives accept the fact that
any true African literature must be written in African languages, they would merely
pursuing a dead end, which can only lead to sterility, uncreativity and frustration. (Wali,
The dead end of african literature ).
Many scholars agreed with him wholeheartedly and in varying degrees. It is worth noting that
every language has a right to be developed as literature, here in Malawi the likes of Jolly Max
Ntaba who writes their stories in the local language. There is no part of the world where false
