Abstract
Functional multilingualism in South Africa: an unattainable ideal? Although much has been done on an official level to establish true multilingualism in South Africa, a tendency towards English monolingualism seems to exist in the country. The aim of this article is to describe the official stipulations in pursuit of multilingualism, as they appear in the Constitution (Act 108 of 1996), the School Act (Act 84 of 1996) and the final report of Langtag. In addition to the present demands, the article also responds to previous demands for multilingualism in the South African context, particularly as stated in the Bantu Education Act of 1953. It is argued that, because of the negative connotations associated with mother-tongue instruction in the past, contemporary mother-tongue instruction will also be contaminated. Apart from the theoretical investigation into multilingualism, the article reports on empirical research that has been done in this regard in the North West Province where the attitudes and perceptions of the school population towards the regional languages were measured. Although the subjects reacted positively to the official status granted to several South African languages, they expressed a preference for English as working language because of the access it gives to personal, economic and social development and empowerment. The article concludes with brief recommendations regarding language planning opportunities that derive from this situation.
Highlights
A partfro m the theoretical investigation into multilingualism, the article reports on empirical research that has been done in this regard in the North West Province where the attitudes and perceptions o f the school population towards the regional languages were measured
Belangwekkende amptelike uitsprake met betrekking tot taalkwessies in die onderwys is gemaak in onder andere die onderwyswitskrifte van 1995 en 1996, die sogenaamde Hunterverslag van 1996 en die verslae van die Nasionale Kommissie op Hoër Onderwys en Langtag
Ook het die totstandkoming en werksaamhede van Pansat (1996), die promulgering van die Suid-Afiikaanse Skolewet, die inwerkingtreding van die nuwe nasionale Grondwet (Wet 108 van 1996), die aankondiging van Kurrikulum 2005, sodanige verreikende implikasies dat taalbeplanners beslis móét kennisneem van dit wat met betrekking tot taalsake in onderwysgeledere aangaan
Summary
Edwards (1994:8-11) beweer dat tale se welsyn grootliks bepaal word deur maatskaplike en kulturele motiverings en nie soseer deur wetmatighede nie, Hy impliseer dat, indien navorsing gedoen word oor die bantering van taalsake op onderwysdomein, lig gewerp kan word op die interaksie tussen die amptelike taalbeleid en makro sosiale diyfvere wat die implementering van sodanige taalbeleid beinvloed. Dit is van besondere belang vir Suid-Afrika omdat die onderwyssituasie, by wyse van wetgewing, die kontakpunt gemaak word vir die veelheid tale en kulture, en as sodanig dié fokus vorm waarin funksionele meertaligheid sy besiag moet kry. By ’n noukeurige waameming van die Suid-Afrikaanse taalsituasie oor die algemeen, spesifiek met betrekking tot die bevordering van meertaligheid, lyk dit of daar moontlik spanning bestaan tussen die makro-taalplan en die implementering daarvan op mikro-vlak. In die woorde van Edwards (1994) kan die vraag dus met reg gevra word of dit nie hier in Suid-Afrika dalk gaan om lippetaalbevordering van meertaligheid wat bloot spruit uit politieke dwang nie. Evaluering van die makro- en mikro-taalopset in Suid-Afrika is van kardinale belang vir sowel taalbeplanners en taalpraktisyns, as vir politieke en onderwysbeleidmakers, omdat dit verreikende en rigtinggewende invloed behoort te hê op die voortgaande taalbeplanningsproses in die land
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
