A tale of two federations: Comparing language rights in South Africa and Ethiopia
Abstract
The success of a federal arrangement in accommodating ethnic diversity
cannot be measured solely on the basis of its language rights regime.
However, it is generally agreed that a well-designed language rights regime
goes a long way in contributing either to the effective reconciliation, unity
and diversity or to the eventual polarisation of cultural communities. This
article focuses on the challenges of adopting an inclusive language policy
in multi-lingual states. Using two case studies, South Africa and Ethiopia,
it examines the different policy alternatives for accommodating linguistic
communities.