Multilingual Education in Ethiopia: Use of the Mother Tongue and Lingua Franca

Abstract

Ethiopia is a multilingual and multiethnic country with more than 80 ethnic groups and languages. While the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front promoted mother-tongue education, it urged the use of Amharic as lingua franca. Despite more than 30 years having passed since the enactment of these policies, their impact has not been adequately discussed. This study examines language policy under Ethiopia’s ethnic federalism from the perspective of the mother tongue as the medium of instruction in schools and lingua franca. To achieve this objective, a literature analysis was conducted by examining official documents and existing studies. The results revealed that while the Constitution promoted the mother tongue as the medium of instruction, Amharic, as the lingua franca, was not functioning as well as expected. As a result, multilingual and multiethnic groups were unable to communicate efficiently, increasing the potential for division and increased distrust among ethnic groups. Amharic’s failure to function as a lingua franca, combined with the strengthening of ethnic identity through mother-tongue education, may have influenced the heightened sense of ethnocentrism witnessed in Ethiopia today.