Postcolonial Language Imperialism in Africa

This paper aims to investigate the neocolonial implications of mission language planning, particularly how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ (LDS Church) mission program relates to postcolonial African language policies. Beginning with a conceptual overview of Anglophone linguistic hegemony engrained in African language planning, the investigation covers a detailed inquiry into the LDS Church’s mission operations through contemporary missionary language training and practices. Mixed methods analysis of the languages of instruction reveals a Eurocentric bias in the selection of languages within the LDS Church's Missionary Training Centers, emphasizing the need for a more inclusive and contextually relevant approach to language planning and assignment. Interviews conducted with members of the Church, having served missions on the African continent, further support this conclusion. The implications of conducting mission operations in Africa from an Anglocentric perspective relate to postcolonial discourse on power and exclusion in multilingual ecologies. Considerations for future studies include further documentation of the perspectives of speakers of African languages engaged in mission-related practices within the LDS Church.