The Grouping Together of the Nine Official African Languages for Academic Purposes: an Instance of Alien Rule

Abstract

While it has become established practice, the grouping together of the nine official African languages for academic purposes neglects the individual teaching and learning, use and status of these languages in the higher education system in South Africa. Drawing principally on Dubrow and Friedman’s argument, I argue that the grouping together for academic purposes of the nine official African languages rests on academic receivership of the ‘African languages’ domain, enhanced by Bantu philologists. Now redefined, ‘African languages’ as an entity has become a force influencing the teaching and learning of and research relating to the nine official African languages – isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga. The discussion focuses on the status of the nine official African languages at South African universities and their grouping under the umbrella of ‘African languages’.