The Politics Of English In South Africa

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 2,0, Humboldt-University of Berlin (Department of English and American Studies), course: The Politics of English as a Global Language, 19 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: Before one can start discussing the language policy of South Africa, it is important to stress its diversity of language and culture groups. Around 25 languages are used in South Africa by more than 44.8 million people. That is the result of the influx of various groups of people to that region over the last centuries, meaning not only the by the African themselves, but also by people from Europe (Portuguese, Dutch, French, Germans, and British) and also from the East (Malaysia, Indonesia and India). Nevertheless, the majority of South Africans, almost 80% of the population, use an African language as their home language. The language situation in South Africa hasfor a long time been, and still is, quite difficult. Here, the indigenous languages of the South African people met with the European languages of the colonists, intermixed and coexisted with the many languages that were already spoken as mother tongues or as first languages. Like in many other former colonies, the European languages had then been used by those who held political power, and who considered the African languages as inferior. Both the European (English and Afrikaans) and the African languages were therefore distinguished into two varieties of prestige and referred to as H (high) or L (low) languages. [...] However, until today, the linguistic situation in South Africa is still quite difficult. Especially the use of English is a problematic one. Therefore this paper intends to give an overview of the politics of English in South Africa. Even though this paper wants to concentrate on the current status of English in South Africa, it is necessary to make a digression into the la

The politics of language in South Africa is a selected collection of essays that contains the proceedings of a colloquium organised by Vic Webb, the guest editor.

The complex politics of English as a world language provides the backdrop both for linguistic studies of varieties of English around the world and for postcolonial literary criticism. The present volume offers contributions from linguists and literary scholars that explore this common ground in a spirit of open interdisciplinary dialogue. Leading authorities assess the state of the art to suggest directions for further research, with substantial case studies ranging over a wide variety of topics - from the legitimacy of language norms of lingua franca communication to the recognition of newer post-colonial varieties of English in the online OED. Four regional sections treat the Caribbean (including the diaspora), Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Australasia and the Pacific Rim. Each section maintains a careful balance between linguistics and literature, and external and indigenous perspectives on issues. The book is the most balanced, complete and up-to-date treatment of the topic to date.

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,5, University of Hannover (Philosophische Fakult t), course: Hauptseminar: English in Africa, 23 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: English came to South Africa through colonization by the end of the 18th century. Around 200 years later it is widely spoken in Africa's most southern country although it is not the sole official language. It equally shares that status together with Afrikaans and nine African indigenous languages - at least in theory. This paper is supposed to characterize the development and current status of the English language in South Africa. The multicultural state has an eventful and dramatic history. It is important to outline and explain that varied history in this linguistic paper because it had a major effect on language spread and development in South Africa, which has since the arrival of the Europeans never been completely linguistically homogenous. English in South Africa can not be understood without taking a closer look at more than 300 years of eventful history. Chapter two is going to give an overview of that history referring thereby to different recognized historians and their works. After that there will be a closer look at the status of English in today's South African society. The next chapter has three different focuses. It will take a closer look at the governmental policy of multilingualism and its outcomes in practice. Also the role of the English language in the media and education system of South Africa will be examined. The question needs to be answered, which trends for the future are becoming obvious concerning the role of English in South Africa. Will it be extended in the future or rather suffer from competition through other languages? What is today's image of English in comparison to the other "imported" language, namely Afrikaans? After having finished the general description of SAE

This book is the first to offer an interdisciplinary and comprehensive reference work on the often-marginalised languages of southern Africa. The authors analyse a range of different concepts and questions, including language and sociality, social and political history, multilingual government, and educational policies. In doing so, they present significant original research, ensuring that the work will remain a key reference point for the subject. This ambitious and wide-ranging edited collection will appeal to students and scholars of southern African languages, sociolinguistics, history and politics.

This study uses a close reading of a series of major commission reports into the "Native Question" to examine the formation and reproduction of state power in South Africa. Analyzing the framework governing authoritative ways of speaking of, for, and to Blacks (once called "Natives"), Ashforth demonstrates how officially-approved forms of knowledge of "Native Life" substitute for political representation by Africans and continually serve to justify repression. He examines the terms used by those who, acting in the name of the state, strive to represent apartheid as necessary, practical, and just. Tracing the history of official discourse on the political status of African labor, the work illuminates the central contradictions in the politics of this repressive and exploitative regime.

Grounded in ethnography, this monograph explores the ambiguity of English as a lingua franca by focusing on identity politics of language and race in contemporary South Africa. The book adopts a multidisciplinary approach which highlights how ways of speaking English constructs identities in a multilingual context. Focusing primarily on isiZulu and Afrikaans speakers, it raises critical questions around power and ideology. The study draws from literature on English as a lingua franca, raciolinguistics, and the cultural politics of English and dialogues between these fields. It challenges long-held concepts underpinning existing research from the global North by highlighting how they do not transfer and apply to identity politics of language in South Africa. It sketches out how these struggles for belonging are reflected in marginalisation and empowerment and a vast range of local, global and glocal identity trajectories. Ultimately, it offers a first lens through which global scholarship on English as a lingua franca can be decolonised in terms of disciplinary limitations, geopolitical orientations and a focus on the politics of race that characterize the use of English as a lingua franca all over the world. This book will be of interest to students and researchers in linguistic anthropology, sociolinguistics, World Englishes, ELF and African studies.

This well-informed and crisply written introduction will appeal to both students of contemporary politics and general readers interested in the new democracy. Book jacket.