Language and Society, Essay Example

Language and Society: Angolan National Anthem Language Planning

The Republic of Angola is a post-colonial sovereign nation-state. The legacy of colonialism plays a crucial role in the development of post-colonial nation-states. In the light of colonial exploitation, these nation-states must stress their indigenous cultures and values so as to fully break from the colonial past and the dominance from foreign powers. One of the key arenas in which this rupture can be realized is in language policy. In the case of Angola, Portuguese remains the official national language. Yet Portuguese, although it is the official language of the Republic of Angola and remains the mother tongue of many indigenous Angolans, is the artifact of the colonial past. The ubiquity of Portuguese and the absence of an indigenous alternative spoken by the majority complicate any solution which would stress the contrasting use of indigenous languages. In so far as there is an important link between fostering use of indigenous languages and developing a post-colonial indigenous identity, this will remain an ongoing process because of the deep roots the Portuguese language has in Angolan everyday life. Nevertheless, a key starting point for a re-vitalization of indigenous languages can be established by using the latter exclusively in the Angolan national anthem. The linguistic symbolism of a national anthem whose text is in Angolan indigenous languages will contribute to stressing the autonomy of Angola as a nation-state in the post-colonial world. This report will therefore argue for the composition of the national anthem in the indigenous Angolan languages which are explicitly mentioned in Resolution Number 3 / 87 May 23, 1987.

The academic literature has stressed the importance of language policy and language planning to the establishment of national identity. (Orman, 2008) Building upon this viewpoint, a particular language is not only a particular form of communication, but carries with it concepts of identity. (Orman, 2008, p. 1) In other words, language also possesses historical, social and cultural dimensions. Language is a tool used for communication, to establish shared meaning; but the particular language used also has its own meaning within the context of other languages. The case of the post-colonial world underscores this point. In order to fully break from the colonial past, the choice of language used will be an expression of this same liberation. In the case of the Republic of Angola, therefore, the colonial hegemony of Portugal over the country historically led to the ubiquity of the Portuguese language. Language policy and linguistic planning that de-emphasizes the Portuguese language can be interpreted as expressions of autonomous and indigenous national identity in Angola, and therefore, by extension, the desire to finally leave the historical past of colonialization behind.

In the case of the Republic of Angola, however, this legitimate desire to leave behind the colonial past is complicated on numerous levels. Firstly, Portuguese remains the official language of Angola. This is a historical consequence of colonialization. Accordingly, Portuguese serves as a type of lingua franca in Angola. It has been historically taught in schools, such that for many native Angolans, Portuguese also is their mother tongue. Angola still remains to this day a member of the CPLP – the community of Portuguese-speaking nations. Secondly, there is no dominance of a non-Portuguese language in the Angolan linguistic context. Indigenous languages that are the most prevalent in Angola include Umbundu, Kimbundu and Kikongo. (www.ethnologue.com) There is therefore no dominant indigenous language which could be used to replace Portuguese. Despite tensions with the colonial past, there is a historical and practical logic behind the usage of Portuguese in post-colonial Angola.

When considering the language policy of the national anthem of Angola, however, these issues are not overtly problematic. The language of the national anthem is above all characterized by a symbolic usage of language as opposed to a practical use of language. For many language theorists, “national anthems are often thought to embody the ideologies and collective self-images of the nation to which they are attached.” (Daughtry, 2003, p. 42) However, against this dominant view, Daughtry (2003, p. 42) suggests that anthems are not the “static reflection of a monolithic identity but rather as a polysemous text through which national identity is constantly being negotiated.” According to this latter position, there is no default national identity which is expressed in the text of a national anthem, but the attempt to create the national identity, to assert this identity. In the case of Angola, the decision to utilize a text in the Angolan indigenous languages would be precisely such an attempt to assert a national identity as a sovereign nation-state in the post-colonial context. Furthermore, this decision will help re-define Angola’s role in relation to its African neighbors, promoting pan-African unity as well as committing ourselves to the sovereignty of African nation-states. The dominance of colonial languages throughout Africa is a legacy of a brutal colonialism: in the case of Angola, this is associated with Portuguese. The problematic relationship with Angola and Portuguese is a particular African concern. For example, in countries such as East Timor, which were viewed as “Lusophiles”, despite the high indigenous population of East Timor, this situation was more the result of conflicts with the official language of Indonesian and the Suharto regime, which was perceived with hostility by the majority of East Timorese. (de Almeida, 2001) The African and Angolan context is entirely different. It would be a continuation of the slow and long process of autonomy on the African content on the level of its respective nation-states.

It is important to underscore that this gradual movement away from Portuguese has been a feature of Angolan language planning and policy since independence. The resolution of 9^th of May, 1987 stresses the importance of developing the following indigenous Bunt languages “Kikongo», «Kimbundu», «Cokwé», «Umbundu», «Mbunda», and «Oxikwanyama». (http://www.embaixadadeangola.org/cultura/linguas/set_lnac.html) The resolution realizes the importance of linguistic planning and the encouragement of indigenous langauges to developing the national identity of Angola in a decisively non-colonial context. Surprisingly, however, the national anthem was not subject to this same policy, in so far as it remains in the Portugese language. This decision can be questioned to the extent that, as noted above, texts of national anthems are expressions of national identity; from this perspective, the most optimal manner in which to realize the goals of national identity through language planning is to incorporate indigenous languages and exclusively indigenous languages in the national anthem.

To summarize, the selection of Angolan indigenous languages for the text of the national anthem would realize three main goals:

• The usage of indigenous langauges in the national anthem would be consistent with previous Angolan language policy, realizing the aim of national identity in terms of language. There exists a precedent for the development of our indigenous languages and Angola has remain politically committed to this development
• The national anthem is more important as a symbolic language than a practical linage. The symbolic depth of language is emphasized in national anthem as opposed to its pragmatic function. The change to indigenous languages would have no larger negative practical implications on the linguistic culture of Angola.
• The usage of indigenous languages, such as the ones cited in the 1987 resolution, will encourage unity. Linguistic populations of Angola will now become familiar with other indigenous languages. Education of the national anthem lyrics in schools will introduce young students to the culturally diversity of Angolan indigenous language. It will also affirm the national identity of Angola as a post-colonial sovereign nation-state.

The decision to transcribe the national anthem of Angola into the indigenous languages of Angola should not be viewed as an attack against the Portugese language. The Portugese language functions with a valuable practical role in Angolan culture. The Portugese language also gives Angola access to the outside world, as Angola’s membership in the CPLP indicates. The national anthem, however, is a symbolic expression of indigenous Angolan identity. To the extent that Portugese is used as the language of national anthem, this gives one of our deeper symbols overburdened with the colonial past from which we endeavor to break. Whereas the language of the anthem in Portugese means that it is more understandable to all members of Angolan society, the education of the new anthem in the education systems will quickly eliminate this concern.

In order to fully complete the transition to a post-colonial nation-state, whereby Angola is no longer defined by its colonial past, it is necessary to implement practical language policies that stress the cultural value of indigenous Angolan life. For the above reasons, the usage of indigenous Angolan languages in the National Anthem is an important step in this process.

References

Ethnologue.com (2015). “Angola.” Retrieved at: http://www.ethnologue.com/search/search_by_page/angola

Daughtry, J.M. (2003). “Russia’s New Anthem and the Negotiation of National Identity.” Ethnomusicology. Vol. 42, No. 1. Winter. Pp. 42-67.

de Almeida, M.V. (2001). “Epilogue of Empire: East Timor and the Portuguese Postcolonial Catharsis.” Identities. Vol. 8 (4). pp. 583-605.

Orman, J. (2008). Language Policy and Nation-Building in Post-Apartheid Africa. Springer.

Republic of Angola. (1987). Resolution adopted by Council of Ministers – Official Gazette No. 3/87, May. Retrieved 8 May 2015 http://www.embaixadadeangola.org/cultura/linguas/set_lnac.html