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Conference paper Conference paper Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue
Title:The standardisation of African languages: language political realities
Editors:Lafon, MichelISNI
Webb, VicISNI
Year:2008
Issue:11
Pages:140
Language:English
Series:Les cahiers de l'IFAS (ISSN 1608-7194)
City of publisher:Johannesburg
Publisher:Institut français d'Afrique du Sud
Geographic term:South Africa
Subjects:mother tongues
language policy
standardization
languages of instruction
indigenous languages
conference papers (form)
2007
Abstract:Research worldwide supports the view that education in the mother tongue is superior to education provided in a language which is not used at home and which learners first experience as a sustained medium of communication in their first school day. In South Africa, this implies that African languages, mother tongues of the majority of learners, should be used for those learners. This collection of papers, which were presented at a workshop held at the University of Pretoria on March 29, 2007, under the guidance of the University of Pretoria's Centrepol (Centre for Research in the Politics of Language) and IFAS (Institut Français d'Afrique du Sud) broadly assumes this position and considers various issues in this regard. Vic Webb discusses the notion of 'fully-fledged standard languages', and, using Setswana as an example, Susan E. Cook illustrates this issue. Michel Lafon questions a recent recommendation by the Education Minister that confines the use of African languages as languages of teaching and learning to 'underprivileged' schools. Elizabeth J. Pretorius shows that language cannot be dissociated from the socioeconomic conditions of the speakers and the sociopolitical context in which it is evolving. Elsabe Taljard discusses the issue of scientific terminology in African languages, which is further illustrated by Phillip Pare. Mogale J.R. Rammala examines the Language Research and Development Centres. Marcel Diki-Kidiri examines international and African language development agencies with respect to the standardization issue and ICT tools. [ASC Leiden abstract]
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