South Africa: Language board recognises Khoi Nama language

[Harold Schiffman]

    Language board recognises Khoi language
 August 29, 2008, 06:45
      The Pan South African Language Board (Pansalb) in the Northern Cape
has given recognition to the Khoi Nama language, by including it in the
province's draft language policy. Pansalb, together with delegates from the
various provincial governments, deliberated on the various clauses that will
be implemented in the language policy. Nama belongs to the Khoi language
family and is spoken in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa by three ethnic
groups namely Nama, Damara and Haillom. Although this indigenous language is
not recognised as one of South Africa's official languages it is taught at
12 schools in the Northern Cape. The language has grown over the years and
Pansalb hopes that it would finally get the recognition it deserves with its
inclusion in the language policy.

The board hopes to table the draft policy to the provincial legislature next
month and thereafter it will start monitoring its implementation. The
Pansalb manager in the Northern Cape, Boichoko Moremi, says "we can not
afford to have policy that will gather dust but one that needs to be
implemented with the purpose of changing people's lives". Representatives
from the provincial Education Department say promoting multi-lingualism will
be an advantage to the learners and increase the province's Matric pass.
Principal of the Petrusville High School, Johnny Snyers, says a strong
bilingual approach which will be commendable.

Communities will be awarded the opportunity to test the clauses in the
language policy during public hearings that will be held in the province.


http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/general/0,2172,175969,00.html


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Harold F. Schiffman

Professor Emeritus of
Dravidian Linguistics and Culture
Dept. of South Asia Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305

Phone: (215) 898-7475
Fax: (215) 573-2138

Email: haroldfs at gmail.com
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/

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