How to Study Language Ideologies on the Basis of Digitally-mediated Texts from the Greater Swahili Area

The idea of a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way of using language is closely linked to ideology and power. Digitally-mediated texts from the Swahili-speaking area will serve as an example of a stimulating resource for the study of language ideologies and related topics. On the basis of texts produced by governments and citizens of the Comorian and mainland Swahili-speaking areas, this article shows how the language practices of governments and citizens differ in terms of language choice when it comes to digitally-mediated texts. A brief illustration of these practices, based on texts from governments and community forums from the Swahili-speaking mainland (Kenya and Tanzania), and from the Comoro Islands, provides an insight into speech communities´ perceptions of language as a norm.