This publication reflects the outcomes of a project which brought together experts and practitioners in the field of linguistic diversity and literacy from European and African countries with a view to opening a dialogue, to taking a comparative perspective and defining possible areas of mutually enriching co-operation and exchange. The question of promoting low-status and non-dominant languages in education is the core concern of contributions in this volume which also encompasses topics such as language awareness, stimulating and encouraging a reading culture in low-status languages and developing criteria for teaching and learning materials that respect linguistic diversity and promote multilingualism. Examples of good practice in valuing African languages include an awareness raising campaign in Cameroon, NGO activities promoting literary production in Senegalese languages, the Stories Across Africa Project (StAAf) as well as initiatives of North-South cooperation in the fields of teacher training and materials development.This publication was conceptualised as a contribution to the African Union's Year of African Languages 2006/07.
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Linguistic diversity in Africa in a global perspective
Language and literacy issues in Africa
OSAD's experience in the publishing of books in national languages
Raising citizen awareness in the learning of African languages: approach and experience of the AfricAvenir Foundation in Cameroon
Putting little books into little hands in the Year of African Languages: a stories across Africa project initiative
Training for early literacy learning: web-based resources for teacher training in multilingual contexts
Materials development for linguistic diversity and intercultural learning
Postscript
Multilingual societies, plurilingual education. Some supplementary thought
Notes about the authors
