Language choice in Côte d'Ivoire: A sociolinguistic study

The coexistence of local languages and European languages in African multilingual communities is quite intriguing. It is for this reason that the present study on Côte d'Ivoire was conducted to examine the language choices of the population and the reasons for the different language choices on the one hand, and to analyse the interactions between language use patterns and the language policy of the country on the other. The data were collected by means of a questionnaire and the results were analyzed using Carol Myers-Scotton's (1993, 1998) marking model. The results revealed that French is exclusively used in the formal domain while the use of local languages in the informal domain depends on the different sectors of communication and the prevailing circumstances. The work also revealed that historical, political, economic and linguistic factors are quite important in influencing the different language choices of the population. The study concluded that the Ivorian language policy places more emphasis on the use of French, thus giving it the status of a dominant language.