Resumen de Language Planning from Below: An Example from Northern Malawi

Gregory Hankoni Kamwendo

• Language planning is often regarded as a top-to-bottom activity that is government-controlled. This paper demonstrates that language planning can also be conducted from below. With special reference to the Chitumbuka language and culture association’s activities in the northern region of Malawi in Southern Africa, the paper discusses the association’s efforts to influence both status and corpus planning of Chitumbuka. In this paper, I first introduce the northern region of Malawi – the site of CLACA’s activities. The second section introduces the theoretical orientation of the paper. The third section of the paper discusses how the Livingstonia Missionaries promoted Chitumbuka and saved it from an attempt by the colonial government to marginalise it. In the fourth section, I discuss how the post-independence era, through President Banda’s dictatorship, marginalised Chitumbuka, allegedly in the interest of nation building. The fifth section is centred on the post-Banda era. The post-Banda era can be described as one in which linguistic and cultural rights are constitutionally provided for. It is in this era that CLACA has been able to make its contributions towards the status and corpus planning of Chitumbuka. The final section of the paper draws some conclusions.