Literature / ЗО
and political goals of the country Casslnilation of minorities,
generalized bilingualism, perpetuation of stratification, apartheid (see
Annex 2.1).
The status of the two languages, the class position of the bilingual
group, its being a minority or the majority group are all Important
factors that have consequences for the learning situation. A model with
16 prerequisites for learning of a L2 has been Identified (Phllllpson et
al.,1986), under four headings:
. organizational factors
. learner-related affective factors
. Li-related linguistic, cognitive and social factors
. L2-related linguistic, cognitive and social factors
Annex 2.2 compares different countries adopting contrasting policies
using this model.
Many studies in Sociollnguistic patterns and language planning in
'developing' countries were published between 1968 and 1972, when the
enthusiasm for the recently-granted Independence was still at its height;
in the seventies the phenomenon of 'growth without development' was being
experienced by many countries, as was the realization of the
impossibility of financing an ever expanding educational system which
produced so many failures. Language was singled out as an important
factor and educational policies were reconsidered (Bangbose,1976; Bokamba
and Tlou,1977; Hawes,1979).
Any discussion on language in education in underdeveloped countries
usually begins with a reference to the 1953 UMESCO policy paper stating
that 'lt is axiomatic that the best medium for teaching a child is his
mother tongue1 (UIESCO,1953:11). Critics pointed out the economic
unfeasibility of such a proposal, in terms of teachers' mobility,
production of materials etc., not to mention the political considerations
that prevented even Ministries of Education sympathetic to the UHESCO
position on pedagogical grounds from adopting or seriously proposing it;
given the great number of languages spoken, It was said that many