Conquering the Conqueror ... “is an overview of literature on the effort to reintroduce African languages in education and public administration alongside English. Using examples of lexemes which resulted from informal interactions between the colonisers and the colonised in an atmosphere free of the demands of accuracy, the author suggests that insisting on Standard English as the only medium in the school system has slowed the use of English in Africa and fettered communication and learning. <br>In the formal school system, with all the budgetary allocations in education and use of English over thirty years, the anticipated standard variety is untenable and the continent has had high dropout rates partly because of the communication barrier. <br>The underlying implication, which is the thrust of the argument, is that since English has failed as the sole medium in spite of support over the years, it is time African languages were used alongside English in education. Using an understanding of bilingualism and linguistic interdependence, the author concludes that both English and African languages have a role to play in the development of the continent. However, if the stand-off between English advocates and neo-pan-Africanists persists, English will probably lose on nationalistic and demographic grounds.