Introduction: Language, Identity and African Universities

Abstract

Universities are globally viewed as epicenters of knowledge production and catalysts for social change. However, particularities of how they shape social and cultural identity through language practices are not obvious and, consequently, virtually under-documented in research in the global South. For the South African education system, very little is known about the role of universities in ushering a post-apartheid era institutional identities through multilingual education. In this chapter, I explore the complex relationship between universities as the apex of knowledge and how language policies and pedagogical practices at these institutions are at the core of socio-economic and cultural transformation in the South African communities. Analysis of trends shows sustenance of Apartheid identities and marginalization of African languages and speakers. To contextualize this, I offer a historical context on multilingualism and policy framework, which have however not been implemented. In the end, I highlight the multilingual promise conceived from the Southern theories of multilingualism that break boundaries of one-ness ideology and separatism. Finally, an overview of the chapters of the book is offered for readers to highlights threads that cuts across a wide array of scholarship in the field.KeywordsLanguage identityMultilingualismLinguistic apartheidAfrican universityDecolonizationLanguage policy framework