부산대학교 도서관

The article focuses on learning and teaching of African languages outside Africa. Learning and teaching African languages outside Africa pre-dates the colonization of the continent. It falls into three broad phases: one, the period prior to the 1884-85 Berlin Conference; two, the period between 1885 and the end of the Second World War; three, the Cold War era and its aftermath. The first phase is characterized primarily by early attempts to record different aspects of African languages. The second phase is marked by active colonization including missionary activity. Books on African languages showed a greater appreciation for the intricacies of the structure of those languages. European powers increasingly involved native Africans in missionary and governmental activities. Pedagogical grammars were used to teach and learn African languages. During the third phase, Africa offered an attractive set of colonies, and later, a group of independent countries, to be wooed by both the West and the East. Citizens of Cold War powers went to Africa to assist the emerging nations. As these citizens learned African languages, their home governments provided support for such endeavors.