The language policy/language economics interface and mother-tongue education in post-apartheid South Africa: South Africa

This article examines the issue of mother-tongue education in South Africa against the background of the interface between the country's language policy & language economics, a field of study whose focus is on the theoretical & empirical analysis of the ways in which linguistic & ec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Language problems & language planning 2004-07, Vol.28 (2), p.131-146
Main Author: KAMWANGAMALU, Nkonko M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Languages
Apartheid
Economic Factors
Economics
Education
Education policy
Educational Policy
Empowerment
English Language
Language Planning
Language Policy
Language Shift
Linguistic policies
Linguistics
Mother tongue
Multilingualism
Native language instruction
Post-apartheid society
Sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics and ethnolinguistics
South Africa
Urban Education
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Summary:This article examines the issue of mother-tongue education in South Africa against the background of the interface between the country's language policy & language economics, a field of study whose focus is on the theoretical & empirical analysis of the ways in which linguistic & economic variables influence one another. The article argues that because education plays such an important role in employment & in gaining access to political power, mother tongue education -- or its denial -- is as important as any other aspects, political & economic planning among them, with which South African policy-makers appear to be mostly concerned. The article draws attention to two key issues in language economics, namely (1) the relevance of language as a defining element of economic processes such as production, distribution, & consumption; & (2) the relevance of language as an element, in the acquisition of which individual actors may have a good reason to invest. It warns that unless these issues are taken into account in policy (re)formulation, mother tongue education will never break through. In conclusion, the paper considers the implications of policy failure vis-a-vis mother tongue education, with a focus on current language shift towards English especially in urban African communities. 52 References. Adapted from the source document.
ISSN:0272-2690
1569-9889
DOI:10.1075/lplp.28.2.03kam