We often assume linguistic diversity is a problem — something that fragments communication or confuses learners. Yet in many postcolonial contexts, multilingualism is the everyday norm, a legacy of colonialism that left European languages layered over rich indigenous ones.
Akinpelu Ayokunnu Oyekunle (University of South Africa, 2025) turns this legacy into a source of strength. His paper, printed in Frontiers in Communication argues that Africa’s linguistic complexity isn’t a burden to simplify but a philosophical opportunity to rethink how languages coexist.
The key concept is Linguistic Complementarity (LC) — a framework that says languages shouldn’t compete; they should collaborate. Drawing on Innocent Asouzu’s “complementary reflection”, Oyekunle proposes that African societies move beyond the old “either–or” debate: either reject English to protect African identity, or embrace it & risk losing local culture. LC suggests a “both–&” alternative: use English & indigenous languages in symbiosis, allowing each to enrich communication, identity, & understanding.
The Study:
This was a philosophical–phenomenological analysis, rather than a survey or experiment. Oyekunle examined how language policies & practices in South Africa, Nigeria & Tanzania illustrate LC in action. This was a philosophical–phenomenological analysis (an approach that explores lived experience & the meanings people attach to it rather than collecting numerical data), using hermeneutic methods (interpretive analysis of texts, policies & cultural practices to uncover deeper meanings) and logical reconstruction (the systematic re-building of ideas into a coherent theoretical model to test their internal consistency) to build a model of intercultural dialogue grounded in linguistic coexistence.
Key findings:
- Complementarity, not competition. English is a powerful global tool — but it need not silence indigenous languages. LC repositions English as a partner language: a bridge for intercultural dialogue that gains depth when local languages are respected & used alongside it.
- Educational outcomes matter. In many African countries, over 60% of children drop out of school partly because they’re taught in unfamiliar colonial languages (Biao, 2018). LC argues for schooling that begins in the learner’s home language & gradually integrates English, building comprehension & identity.
- Digital inequality. Over 80% of the internet’s content is in English, yet native speakers make up only 5% of the world’s population. Without policies of linguistic complementarity, postcolonial nations risk becoming passive consumers rather than producers of global knowledge.
Examples:
- In South Africa, the government’s use of 12 official languages (including English) shows how multilingual policy can foster inclusion.
- Nigeria’s coexistence of English, Pidgin & local languages builds bicultural competence.
- Tanzania’s balance between English (for higher education & diplomacy) & Swahili (for daily life & unity) embodies LC’s ideal.
LC ultimately reframes English in Africa not as the enemy of linguistic identity but as one thread in a wider tapestry — a language that can express African ideas while being reshaped by them. Chinua Achebe once said he used English “to carry the weight of my African experience.”
LC would say that’s exactly the point: the flow of meaning should go both ways.
Teacher Takeaways:
- Encourage translanguaging: let students use all their linguistic resources to make sense of complex ideas.
- View English not as the goal, but as part of a dynamic multilingual repertoire.
- Discuss how language hierarchies shape access & identity — & how multilingualism can challenge that.
Linguistic complementarity isn’t just about Africa. It’s a reminder for all of us in ELT that language learning is never neutral: every classroom is a microcosm of global dialogue.
How do you balance global English with students’ local voices in your teaching?
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