@inbook{b44f38b7741b4a17ab82b61bd877689e,
title = "English in Namibia: A socio-historical account",
abstract = "This chapter provides a socio-historical account of the English language in Namibia from early colonial times to the present. Although its current dominant status in Namibia may at first sight appear historically incongruous, English was locally acknowledged as a prestige language along with Afrikaans and German from the earliest stages of the South African occupation (1915-1990), one with which SWAPO, the dominant liberation movement, as well as its populous northern support base, strongly identified. This chapter pays attention to the considerations that led to English becoming Namibia's only official language upon independence. Furthermore, this chapter reviews indications that - despite the challenges besetting its implementation as medium of instruction - English is developing distinctively local spoken varieties. ",
keywords = "Colonial language policy, Language policy, Multilingualism, Namibian English, Nativization",
author = "Gerald Stell",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 John Benjamins Publishing Company.",
year = "2021",
month = sep,
doi = "10.1075/veaw.g65.02ste",
language = "English",
series = "Varieties of English Around the World",
publisher = "John Benjamins Publishing Company",
pages = "21--41",
editor = "Anne Schroder",
booktitle = "The Dynamics of English in Namibia. Perspectives on an emerging variety",
address = "Netherlands",
}