Bantu Languages in Education in South Africa: An Overview. "Ongekho Akekho"!--The Absentee Owner

Autor/inn/en	Webb, Vic; Lafon, Michel; Pare, Phillip
Titel	Bantu Languages in Education in South Africa: An Overview. "Ongekho Akekho"!--The Absentee Owner
Quelle	In: Language Learning Journal, 38 (2010) 3, S.273-292 (20 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0957-1736
Schlagwörter	African Languages; Blacks; Educational Objectives; Official Languages; Outcomes of Education; Multilingualism; Foreign Countries; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Language of Instruction; Research and Development; Social Attitudes; Political Influences; Sociolinguistics; Computational Linguistics; Educational Policy; Social Status; South Africa + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Africa; Language; Languages; Afrika; Sprachen; Afrikanische Sprache; Black person; Schwarzer; Educational objective; Bildungsziel; Erziehungsziel; Office language; Amtssprache; Lernleistung; Schulerfolg; Mehrsprachigkeit; Multilingualismus; Ausland; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Teaching language; Unterrichtssprache; Forschung und Entwicklung; Social attidude; Soziale Einstellung; Political influence; Politischer Einfluss; Soziolinguistik; Linguistics; Computerlinguistik; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Sozialer Status; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik
Abstract	The main argument of this overview article is that the Bantu languages of South Africa should have a far more significant role in education. We contend that the strong preference for English as medium of instruction among black learners is largely responsible for their inadequate educational performance, particularly since most of these learners do not have the required skills in English. This is particularly the case in rural and township schools and in what we term "lower ex-model C schools", given the socio-economic realities of the communities in which these schools are located. Were the Bantu languages used for learning and teaching purposes in an effective way, we suggest the educational outcomes of black learners would be significantly better. We accept, of course, that schools, especially secondary schools, cannot immediately implement a policy of using the Bantu languages as media of instruction. Several research and development challenges need to be addressed for this to happen. These include: transforming the socio-political meanings attached to these languages; their further corpus development as well as their status, prestige, acquisition and usage development; the development and implementation of language-in-education policies which address the basic educational and sociolinguistic realities; and the effective distribution of information to school governing bodies about the issues relevant to the selection of a medium of instruction. In our view, South Africa will not become a developed, effectively multilingual and nationally integrated country if linguistic equity and parity of esteem are not established in a meaningful way for all official languages, which includes provision for their use as media of instruction throughout. (Contains 4 tables and 23 notes.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10