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<DIV>I agree with your approach. The functional differentiation you refer to is indeed essential (for the reasons you provide). This is also largely the view held by SA scholars who right on the topic (Heugh, Pluddeman, Kamwangamalu, Webb, etc.). However, it is clearly not the view held by politicians, populists, etc. And it is not altogether clear what the view is of the educational advisors (who happen to be mostly British or British-oriented). The PanSOuthAfricanLanguageBoard did also share the position of the scholars but it is not clear what there latest position is, largely since they have practically disappeared from the public eye and their webpage is forever inactive.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=2>Prof. L.T. du Plessis<BR>Direkteur/Director<BR>Eenheid vir Taalbestuur/Unit for Language Management<BR>Universiteit van die Vrystaat/University of the Free State<BR>Posbus/P.O. Box 339<BR>BLOEMFONTEIN <BR>9300 RSA<BR>Tel: +27 51-401 2405<BR>Faks/Fax: +27 51-444 5804<BR>E-pos/E-mail: </FONT><A href="mailto:dplesslt.hum@ufs.ac.za"><FONT size=2>dplesslt.hum@ufs.ac.za</FONT></A><BR><FONT size=2>Web: </FONT><A href="http://www.uovs.ac.za/etb"><FONT size=2>http://www.uovs.ac.za/etb</FONT></A><FONT size=2> </FONT><BR><BR>>>> On 2009/08/21 at 05:43 PM, <dzo@bisharat.net> wrote:<BR></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">Thanks for this feedback. However I wonder if the kind of split approach you mention - involving a kind of hierarchy in which languages have different functions - is optimal in terms of education, as opposed to one in which different languages overlap in function.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">Wouldn't sociocultural identity itself be subtlely undermined to the extent one grows up believing that one's maternal/heritage language "can't be used to discuss science" (paraphrasing something a Malian once expressed to me re Bambara)? Is it good for education (borad sense) to relegate some languages to sentimental orientation while emphasizing more or less exclusively the use of a priviledged language(s) for instrumental uses?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">I know the picture is more complicated than that, but it does seem that there would be a lot of benefit from promoting a fuller multilingualism in which for example a first language used in local marketpklaces could also be the vehicle for small business and even basic economics education. Or the languages farmers speak among themselves could be used for extension on crops, soil fertility, storage, marketing, etc. Or the languages of sociocultural identity in changing social behavior.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">This is not to say that there should not be one (or a few) countrywide official lingua-franca(s) or a "supra-official" language (as you refer to), but that those languages in those roles need not eclipse the vital role of first languages in learning, creating, and communicating a full range of knowledge.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">Do discussions of language policy in South Africa touch on these issues? They do not seem to for most of the rest of Africa, as far as I know<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'">From:</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'"> lgpolicy-list-bounces@groups.sas.upenn.edu [mailto:lgpolicy-list-bounces@groups.sas.upenn.edu] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Theodorus du Plessis<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, August 20, 2009 8:44 AM<BR><B>To:</B> 'H-Net Discussion List on History and Study of West Africa'<BR><B>Cc:</B> AfricanLanguages@yahoogroups.com; 'Language Policy List'<BR><B>Subject:</B> [lg policy] RE: Behavioural changes key to fighting abuse inLiberia's schools - UN envoy<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">RE language-in-education policy in RSA - The Nelson Mandela quote is actually significant as it very aptly reflects the two primary South African approaches to managing multilingualism - own / home / first language for sociocultural identiy (sentimental orientation); English (predominant /supra official language of RSA) for education, multicultural interaction, business, etc. (instrumental approach). <o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Prof. L.T. du Plessis<BR>Direkteur/Director<BR>Eenheid vir Taalbestuur/Unit for Language Management<BR>Universiteit van die Vrystaat/University of the Free State<BR>Posbus/P.O. Box 339<BR>BLOEMFONTEIN <BR>9300 RSA<BR>Tel: +27 51-401 2405<BR>Faks/Fax: +27 51-444 5804<BR>E-pos/E-mail: </SPAN><A href="mailto:dplesslt.hum@ufs.ac.za"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">dplesslt.hum@ufs.ac.za</SPAN></A><BR><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Web: </SPAN><A href="http://www.uovs.ac.za/etb"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">http://www.uovs.ac.za/etb</SPAN></A><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN><BR><BR><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">…<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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