Language, Literature and Education for Sustainable Development
Keywords:
Language, Education, Sustainable DevelopmentAbstract
There are a number of major and minor languages that today struggle with extinction. Thus, both major and minor languages are endangered. The desire for the survival of these languages demands a visit to the past. As such, the series of debates in the past regarding the adoption of one African indigenous language as the official language for the African continent have pathetically, only succeeded in advancing suggestions that have not yielded any positive outcome. This is akin to the Nigerian socio-political context where several attempts at carving a national language for the country have been unprolific. Some of these debates have argued for the adoption of one indigenous language for being more effective in enhancing national development and its sustainability. Thus, the assumption that the sundry linguistic phenomenon that has characterized the African continent, using Nigeria as a microcosm, has given birth to societal issues/vices, such as: civil strife, social unrest, and many other vices occasioned by the language barrier which has continually posed difficulty in communication amongst different linguistic groups in Nigeria. All these have culminated into thwarting developmental goals in Nigeria. This seems to portend that, there is no unity in diversity; no national development, no sustainable development as a result of linguistic diversity. The aim of this research is, therefore, to evaluate how linguistic diversity in Nigeria has marred national development or sustained it. This paper will advance the proposition for the relevance of the trio: language, literature and education for sustainable development. In order to achieve this, the paper will carry out an evaluation of the following concepts: Language, Literature, and education for sustainable development through an array of other critical materials. Similarly, the paper will assess the interwoven relationship, by comparing and contrasting these terms showing the manner in which the multilingual nature of Nigeria, literature and educational policy of Nigeria affect national development. The paper concludes by advancing the argument that education in Nigeria is on the verge of collapse. The paper recommends the need for sound educational system and policies through a robust review of the National Policy on Education, as well as an overhauling of the entire educational institutions in Nigeria for sustainable development.
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