The inferior stone in the language hearth: The quest for recognition of indigenous african languages in the global arena

Abstract

This paper discusses the language situation in an African setting considering that there are marginalized languages found in the continent. It highlights the imbalances in status and functions of different language categories in the country and explains why indigenous African languages continue to be marginalized. The paper also argues for the need to preserve, promote and develop these indigenous languages since. It observes that every unique language plays a vital role to the global village in its uniqueness hence, losing a language would mean losing a lot, more than just its basic function as a tool of expression. The paper concludes by pointing out the way forward for Kenya to address equitability of all languages within her sociolinguistic environment.