Research Articles

Managing linguistic diversity in the church

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Abstract

In this paper, I investigate perceptions of language utility held by church leaders, expatriate missionaries, and church members in Burkina Faso, in order to shed light on the complex use of language ideologies in a situation of ongoing intra-church conflict. I also relate the language attitudes expressed both directly and indirectly by research participants to other discourses and ideologies of endangerment and authenticity circulating in both academic and ecclesiastical circles. By moving beyond the simple description of language attitudes to an explanation of their relation to structures of power and interest, I hope to exemplify a “demythologise[ed] sociolinguistics” which sees the use of language ideology and the expression of language attitudes as “a social practice in its own right” (Cameron 1997:64). I also intentionally situate myself as a ‘critically engaged’ researcher (Speed 2006:67) who shares a moral framework with research participants (Dobrin 2005, Fast 2007a).

Keywords: Church, language utility, ideology, Burkina Faso, language endangerment, sociolinguistics, vernacular, Jula, Bible translation, diversity, missionary linguistics

How to Cite:

Fast, A., (2009) “Managing linguistic diversity in the church”, Language Documentation and Description 6, 161-212. doi: https://doi.org/10.25894/ldd243