[lg policy] RE: Behavioural changes key to fighting abuse inLiberia's schools - UN envoy

Fri Aug 21 16:00:13 UTC 2009

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.

Prof. L.T. du Plessis
Direkteur/Director
Eenheid vir Taalbestuur/Unit for Language Management
Universiteit van die Vrystaat/University of the Free State
Posbus/P.O. Box 339
BLOEMFONTEIN 
9300 RSA
Tel:  +27 51-401 2405
Faks/Fax: +27 51-444 5804
E-pos/E-mail: dplesslt.hum at ufs.ac.za 
Web: http://www.uovs.ac.za/etb 

>>> On 2009/08/21 at 05:43 PM, <dzo at bisharat.net> wrote:

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.
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?
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.
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.
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
Don

From:lgpolicy-list-bounces at groups.sas.upenn.edu
[mailto:lgpolicy-list-bounces at groups.sas.upenn.edu] On Behalf Of
Theodorus du Plessis
Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 8:44 AM
To: 'H-Net Discussion List on History and Study of West Africa'
Cc: AfricanLanguages at yahoogroups.com; 'Language Policy List'
Subject: [lg policy] RE: Behavioural changes key to fighting abuse
inLiberia's schools - UN envoy

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). 

Prof. L.T. du Plessis
Direkteur/Director
Eenheid vir Taalbestuur/Unit for Language Management
Universiteit van die Vrystaat/University of the Free State
Posbus/P.O. Box 339
BLOEMFONTEIN 
9300 RSA
Tel:  +27 51-401 2405
Faks/Fax: +27 51-444 5804
E-pos/E-mail: dplesslt.hum at ufs.ac.za 
Web: http://www.uovs.ac.za/etb 

…

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