Language management and the East African Community

Abstract

Within the emerging discourse of language management, there is an increasing realisation of the strategic role that language plays in multinational and supranational contexts. The article discusses the strategic role that language can and should play within the East African Community (EAC). The discussion is presented in four parts: the first presents an exploratory discussion on the theory and practice of language management. The second provides key statistics on the EAC, including the language profiles and language policies of EAC member states and the language policy of EAC organs. Part three discusses some language management issues within the EAC. The final part of the article argues for the centrality of language management within the EAC.

Keywords:

• East African Community
• language management
• multinational context
• regional economic communities
• supranational context