Conclusion

Given the pervasive nature of multilingualism in Africa, the chapter summarizes the key language features that emerge from the different regions of Africa. It notes that language policies that African countries adopted after independence failed to foreground African languages in the formal domains that many speakers value. Thus, one major occurrence in all major regions of Africa that the chapter notes is the marginalization of African languages in major formal domains. It is also very evident that the school is the main agent of influencing language attitudes and perceptions of speakers about the different indigenous languages spoken in Africa vis-à-vis ex-colonial languages introduced in Africa after colonialism. In arguing for the centrality of African languages, the chapter makes several recommendations that can maintain and revitalize African languages. The chapter is a call for concerted efforts that involve all stakeholders including policymakers, experts, and the communities to recenter African languages.