Federal language policy and practice in Ethiopia: A critical discourse analysis perspective

Abstract

This study aims to delve into Ethiopia's federal language policy and practice from a critical discourse analysis perspective. Primary and secondary data were collected from 8 key informants and government documents, respectively. The data were analyzed through critical discourse analysis. The results indicate that there is a self-contradiction in both the text and discourse internal structures of the federal language policy of the government. There is also inconsistency in the implementation of the policy. For one, the government recognizes the equality of languages constitutionally, but it, in practice, promotes only Amharic at the federal level. For another, it obliges all linguistic groups to learn at least one indigenous language other than their own. Still, many children, specifically of the Amhara linguistic group, are not learning any indigenous language besides their own.