The Impact of the Colonial Language Policy in German South West Africa and German East Africa on the Current Language Situation in Namibia and Tanzania
Abstract
The study compares the approaches to the language policy in both colonies focusing on two main areas: language training and the official communication. The language training involves German teaching in the colonies as well as the colonists' attitude towards learning local languages.
To establish the dialogue with the local population, Germans applied different strategies according to the linguistic situation in the colony and the plans they had with the ruled territory. One of their greatest aims was also to find/establish a lingua franca.
Although the Colonial Administration emphasised language training for both negotiating parties, in the end this turned out to be too ambitious and, in some cases, it proved necessary to use interpreters/translators.