A Little-Used Bible Translation: Sociolinguistic Considerations and Implications for Other Translations in a West African Context

This article calls for consideration of sociolinguistic factors in how a Bible translation is used. Jula is a trade language spoken by millions in West Africa. Yet the Jula Bible that was published in Burkina Faso does not currently seem to be widely used in Bobo-Dioulasso. This paper examines this issue from various angles to explore the role of the written form of a language in church. The Jula Bible is used as an example to demonstrate that there might be various complex barriers to Scripture use. Language attitudes and ideologies as well as gender and age dynamics are considered to highlight the importance of examining translation need and user desire in current translation projects.