LL-L "Language education" 2008.01.11 (03) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  11 January 2008 - Volume 03
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From: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Names" 2008.01.10 (08) [E]

From: Elsie Zinsser <ezinsser at icon.co.za>
Subject: LL-L "Language education" 2008.01.10 (02) [E]

The following article indicates that Afrikaans-speaking coloured kids in the
rural Western Cape are in dire need for educational programmes in Afrikaans.

*The Rise and Possible Demise of Afrikaans as a Public
Language<http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/praesa/OPaper14.PDF>- .....
*

*...Why only English? It is not a secret that the government, in its attempt
to compete globally, is driving towards a * *single public language. It was
widely believed that mother tongue education is not that essential but the
continuous drop in school pass rates since 1994, has prompted educationists
to review the need for mother tongue education beyond primary education.
       *
* * *Regards,*
*Elsie Zinsser *
This is all a bit ironic, when I think back to the riots of 1976.  They were
sparked by the use of Afrikaans and English, rather than English
exclusively, as education languages in non-white schools.

Paul Finlow-Bates

----------

From: Maria Elsie Zinsser <ezinsser at icon.co.za>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics"

Hi all,

Bryan, I absolutely agree, or as here in South Africa, when political
consideration takes precedence and public funds (and grants, such as coming
from the Dutch, US or Danish governments) are misused to bolster the party
politics of a functionally one party state, and to the detriment of
especially children in dire need for educational resources in their own
languages.

It is not widely known that Afrikaans is the third largest mother tongue in
South Africa after Zulu and Xhosa.

The majority of Afrikaans speakers are not white. Yet, in courts and in the
public service, when one demands to be served, heard or prosecuted in one's
mother tongue, officials see this as a hassle and are not helpful or keen
to arrange for translators.

Because one demands Afrikaans, you are immediately seen as racist (if you
are 'white') or a pushover (if you are 'coloured' of 'black') and therefore
probably guilty as charged.

In official documentation (as from the SA National Library bibliography
service), Afrikaans is not considered an African language and I quote:
"Language of publication (if in a language other than English or Afrikaans,
eg. an African language:". When I pointed it out to the librarian that
Afrikaans is an African language, I got guffaws.

Elsie Zinsser

 >>Everyone needs to  encourage these groups to continue using their
languages.   'Public' media cannot be given a free pass when they stoop to
the level of their commercial competition.

•

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