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Inspirational work inviting scholars to challenge colonial constructs and promote a decolonial educational agenda built on local knowledge
This book explores the relationship between language, education and social inequality in Cabo Verde, a small island nation in West Africa.
It examines how linguistic ideologies, education policies, and grassroots activism both reflect and shape the sociolinguistic realities of this post-colonial context.
The dominance of Portuguese in institutional domains such as education, government and media contrasts with the near-universal use of Kriolu in everyday communication. In light of this disparity, the chapters examine how educational systems that disregard local linguistic realities can perpetuate social inequalities rooted in colonial legacies while also offering pathways for contestation and transformation.
By framing language as both a tool for and a barrier to accessing education, the book situates Cabo Verde’s challenges within the broader context of Portuguese-speaking African countries and connects them to global discussions about multilingual education and linguistic justice.
It argues for inclusive and transformative approaches to education that address both the structural and ideological barriers perpetuating inequality, while harnessing the potential of local languages to foster inclusion.
Renée DePalma is Professor in the School of Education, University of A Coruña, Spain. She coordinates the ECIGAL research group on global citizenship education and her research examines the social construction of marginalization within and beyond schools and the design of counter-hegemonic classroom practices.
Nicola Bermingham is Reader in Hispanic Studies at the University of Liverpool, UK. Her research lies at the intersection of sociolinguistics, educational linguistics and Hispanic and Lusophone linguistics with a particular focus on the contexts of Galicia and Cape Verde.
Ana Josefa Cardoso is an educator, researcher and advocate for Cabo Verdean Creole and bilingual education. She is a founding member of ALMA-CV, the Cabo Verdean mother tongue association, and a PhD candidate in Linguistics at NOVA University, Portugal.
Chapter 1. Renée DePalma, Nicola Bermingham and Ana Josefa Cardoso: Editors’ Introduction: Language, Education, and Inequality in Postcolonial Cabo Verde
Section 1. Linguistic Realities
Chapter 2. Nicolas Quint: Cabo Verdean: A Typological Overview of the Afro-Portuguese Creole Language Spoken in Cabo Verde
Chapter 3. Fernanda Pratas: Caboverdean Might Go to School
Section 2. Postcolonial Legacy
Chapter 4. Abel Djassi Amado: The Politics of Language in the PALOP
Chapter 5. Isabel P. B. Fêo Rodrigues: The Triumph of Creole Orality
Section 3. Educational Initiatives
Chapter 6. Ana Josefa Cardoso, Nicola Bermingham and Renée Depalma: Bilingual Education in Cabo Verde: “If Everything is not Achieved, at Least Something is”
Chapter 7. Ana Karina Moreira and Eliane Vieira Semedo: Linguistic Variation and Education in Cabo Verde: Challenges of a Multi- Dialectal Approach
Section 4. Voice of Activism
Chapter 8. Renée Depalma and Ana Josefa Cardoso: The Legacy of Cabo Verdean Bilingual Education and Future Directions
Chapter 9. Marlyse Baptista, Manuel Da Luz Gonçalves and Georgette Gonsalves: Community Language Activism in the U.S. and Cabo Verdean Diaspora
Chapter 10. N'Gosi Nelly: The Cabo Verdean Language and Paths to Officialization
Chapter 11. Renée DePalma, Nicola Bermingham and Ana Josefa Cardoso: Editors’ Conclusion