Question 13
ComprehensionJAMB 2005 Passage III: FESTAC and an indigenous national language
The Second World and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) was staged in Nigeria in 1977. At the colloquium organised during the festival, various issues affecting the development of the black world, including the inability of most independent African nations to make a clean break with the language of colonialism, were discussed by seasoned intellectuals. It was resolved then that each African country should assign important functions to its major indigenous languages in order to facilitate the selection of one of them to replace the colonial language at the national level. This, it was hoped, could bring about the much-needed unity and national integration. Besides, since the different European languages in use were considered to be unsuitable for the expression of African cultural values, African countries were urged to promote their cultures in their local languages.
As they put it, no language could effectively express an experience if the experience does not occur in that language; therefore, a campaign should be mounted, as a matter of urgency, to give impetus to the promotion of African languages. The media in each country, it was suggested, should spearhead the quest for an indigenous national language by educating, motivating and mobilizing their government and people towards the selection of an appropriate local language.
This, in itself, was a recognition that the media – a term usually applied in reference to all the important agencies of mass information and entertainment, like the press, the radio and the television – wield tremendous and immeasurable power through their ability to mobilize the people and modify their behaviour, particularly towards important national issues. Regrettably, the media in Nigeria are yet to take up such major roles that would facilitate the emergence of an indigenous national language in the country.
As they put it, no language could effectively express an experience if the experience does not occur in that language; therefore, a campaign should be mounted, as a matter of urgency, to give impetus to the promotion of African languages. The media in each country, it was suggested, should spearhead the quest for an indigenous national language by educating, motivating and mobilizing their government and people towards the selection of an appropriate local language.
This, in itself, was a recognition that the media – a term usually applied in reference to all the important agencies of mass information and entertainment, like the press, the radio and the television – wield tremendous and immeasurable power through their ability to mobilize the people and modify their behaviour, particularly towards important national issues. Regrettably, the media in Nigeria are yet to take up such major roles that would facilitate the emergence of an indigenous national language in the country.
According to the passage, the colonial language is
- A.inadequate for African cultural expression
- B.effective for national unity and cohesion
- C.restricted as a result of political independence
- D.superior to African languages.
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: A (inadequate for African cultural expression)
Explanation
The European languages were considered unsuitable for expressing African cultural values.