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Title Island language policy and regional identity east of Africa
Full text http://opus.kobv.de/ubp/volltexte/2013/6313/
Date 2013
Author(s) Schlaak, Claudia
Abstract Since 2011 the Comorian Island of Mayotte has been France's 101st département, thereby becoming part of the European Union. As a result, France has consolidated and strengthened its strategic position in the Indian Ocean. With the change of political status in 2011, new developments have occurred in Mayotte. It is still unclear whether the expected economic boom, extensive social benefits or injection of EU regional funds can help to alleviate poverty and raise living standards. There is concern, however, that massive immigration to Mayotte from the surrounding territories is diminishing any progress and will continue to do so. Not only France but also the EU will have to adapt to new immigration problems due to this new external border. In this situation one thing is clear: the language contact between French and the local languages, which is the result of political developments, is leading to new dynamics. The diglossic situation east of Africa, between French as the dominant language and local languages like Shimaoré or Shibushi spoken in Mayotte will become more marked in the next few years.
Subject(s) Sprachpolitik; regionale Identität; Frankophonie; Diglossie; Sprachkontakt; language policy; regional identity; Francophonie; diglossia; language contact; Language, Linguistics
Language eng
Publisher Universität Potsdam; Philosophische Fakultät. Institut für Romanistik
Type of publication Article
Format application/pdf
Rights http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/de/
Identifier urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-63132
Repository Potsdam - University of Potsdam
Added to C-A: 2013-02-02;12:21:06