Effects of Language Policies of Nigeria and South Africa on Linguistic Diversity and Classification of Indigenous Languages

This study investigated the effects of language policies implemented in Nigeria and South Africa on linguistic diversity and how these two nations categorized their indigenous languages. In this present study, qualitative research methodology was used, and a purposive sampling method was used to select Nigeria’s 2013 Language Policy from the National Policy of Education and South Africa’s 1996 Language in Education Policy. Thematic analysis was carried out using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) software which is a topic modeling methodology that assists in identifying basic themes within wide textual data. The latent level of analysis converged on the implicit ideas, suppositions, notions, and orientations that describe or point out the meaning of the data. The action of incorporating LDA software intensifies the efficiency and level of the qualitative research methodology used to critically examine the language policies of Nigeria and South Africa. The results revealed that the language policies in Nigeria and South Africa have a notable influence on linguistic diversity, supporting the principles of translanguaging and multilingualism. Also, the policies give priority to the inclusion of indigenous languages in education to improve unity and preserve cultural heritage. With a careful survey of language policies and their significance, the results give important and useful recommendations on the increase of inclusivity in language policies for the preservation and promotion of linguistic diversity in different cultural environments. Native languages should be given a notable preference in language policies so that there will be room for the use of translanguaging and multilingual pedagogies in the school systems. Keywords: Inclusive Education, Indigenous Languages, Language Policy, Linguistic Diversity, Multilingualism, Translanguaging