AFRICAN LANGUAGE, ITS ROLE AND THE GLOBAL FUTURE

Abstract

In this era of intense communication, one might find oneself speaking to students throughout the country or even across the globe and one may well be in classes with people from other cultures, language groups and countries. In business, government, and education, speakers increasingly operate on an international stage and must become users of language so as to be able to communicate across cultures. Communication is said to be successful only when the hearer/reader recognizes and understands the speaker/writer’s intention, but jeopardized when the speaker’s intention and the hearer’s interpretation do not correspond. Many a time, interact-ants mean more than they actually say. It is speakers who communicate meaning to listeners. An understanding of the context in which utterance is used is important so that the hearer can identify the underlying meanings produced by the speaker. For the speaker and the hearer to communicate, language is important. Language is a vital means of human communication. Through its ideologies, feelings are shared. It is the pivot around which every human activity revolves. In Africa, language is a powerful means employed by humans in communicating ideas, convictions, cultures, experiences and opinions. It is a tool for conveying information at all times from one person to the other or from generation to generation. In human relations, language is used in conversation basically to share past and present ideas, or pass information. African languages are not left out in performing the above roles. This study focuses on African language and the global future. It discusses common languages spoken in Africa, African languages as global instrument, global world, global future and the future of globalization. This paper advocate’s appropriate language use by all people in all quarters. People have to be conscious of linguistic choices they make and ensure that they are used in the appropriate contexts. Communicative competence theory forms the theoretical stand point for this paper. It uses descriptive method. The paper reiterates that people should be competent so as to use language appropriately in the right context in other to access the global future. This is because, for one to go global, language is the key.