Language policy-making in the Free State: an analysis of language policy activities between 1994 and 2007

Abstract

This paper critically describes the process of language policy-making in the Free State province of South Africa since 1994, based on an adapted version of the ‘streams approach’ to policy-making. Three policy-making phases are identified, namely a first phase under the Free State Provincial Language Committee; a second phase under the Free State Provincial Government Language Service; and a third phase also under this service, but involving an external language agency within the context of the so-called Multilingual Informatics and Development Programme. Only the last two phases produced language policy drafts. The draft produced by the third phase was, however, the first to be approved by the Executive Council of the province. An overview is provided of each of these phases after which a comparison follows in terms of the major policy-making streams. In conclusion, some deductions are made regarding language policy-making in the Free State based on the findings of this investigation.