'Don't Lose Your Accent' by Azra Abdul-Jabbar

The 11 official languages of South Africa

2019ba23235 — 2022-03-21 06:54:52 UTC

For centuries South Africa’s official languages were European – Dutch, English, Afrikaans

In 1996 South Africa’s new Constitution gave official protection to all major languages. South Africa’s Constitution recognises 11 official languages: Sepedi (also known as Sesotho sa Leboa), Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu.

English is an urban language of public life, widely used in the media, business and government. Out of the 4.9-million South Africans who speak English as a first language, a third (33%) are white, a quarter (24%) are black, 22% are Indian and 19% are coloured South Africans. English is widely used as a second language and common language of communication, mainly in the cities.

South Africans are more than bilingual. A rough estimate based on Census 2001 first-language data and a 2002 study of second-languages speakers is that the average South African – man, woman, and child – uses 2.84 languages. Obviously, many people are limited to one, and many others able to speak three, four, or more languages.

Many South Africans are compelled to learn English, and often Afrikaans as well, simply to get a job and to work. While in other countries multilingualism is a sign of intellectualism, but in South Africa, multilingualism is more often a common achievement of the poor.

Language Distribution in South Africa

2019ba23235 — 2022-03-25 10:04:11 UTC

Language is the main instrument of communication at the disposal of human beings and given the colonial history of South Africa, English is considered to be the language of power in the post-apartheid setting.

A melting pot for multicultural and multilingual exchange

2019ba23235 — 2022-03-25 10:07:10 UTC

(3.42) "The Education system now is based on freedom of choice with every individual free to choose which of the 11 official languages to be educated in for the first part of their schooling, as long as there's sufficient demand for the school to provide it."

Proving the multicultural and multilingualism of South Africa, citizens are allowed to choose their first and second languages including medium of instruction in primary schools. Secondary and tertiary schools teach in dominantly English or Afrikaans.

The superiority of accents: A tool for racial discrimination in South Africa?

2019ba23235 — 2022-03-25 10:16:08 UTC

(5.13) "An accent is not a measurement of intelligence...an accent is just somebody speaking your language using the rules of theirs--that's all an accent is."

Phonetic and grammatical features of BSAE and ISAE

tdsenadie — 2022-03-25 15:15:48 UTC

This extract from a book chapter lists out certain linguistic features of ISAE, BSAE and also common features of African Englishes, seen in South African English as well. Grammatical features of ISAE as noted by Mesthrie (2002) including the use of “isn’t” as an invariant tag, use of parallel and double conjunctions are noted. The author disagrees with Mesthrie on the distinctiveness of these features to ISAE as most of them are observed in other varieties too.

The extract notes that the phonetic features of BSAE are similar to that of other African varieties, being non-rhotic and showing no difference between certain long and short vowel sounds, among others. In addition the common linguistic features of African Englishes including avoidance of fricatives and leveling of vowel lengths with regards to pronunciation, and the use of verb+ing constructions in terms of grammar, are listed down.

^{Book title:}^{World Englishes: Implications for International communication and English language teaching}^{by Andy Kirkpatrick}

Morphology and syntax of BSAE and ISAE

tdsenadie — 2022-03-25 15:17:27 UTC

These two book chapters provide a comprehensive and detailed account of the morphology and syntax of BSAE and ISAE.

BSAE (among others):

Be + -ing occurs in a range of contexts
-s in past tense contexts
Can be able (different from other varieties in SA)
In indirect questions, auxiliaries are inverted with the subject
Negation (eg: Isn’t he arriving tomorrow—>Yes, he isn’t)
Preference for the overt expression of complementisers like that and to
Double conjunctions
a often replaces zero articles of StE
Pronoun substitution
Topicalisation and focusing in word order

ISAE (among others):

Be + -ing occurs in a range of contexts that do not always coincide with those of Standard English
Shall is rarely used, sometimes replaced by will
Deletion of ‘s
Use of habitual be
Inversion of auxiliaries
The use of never as an equivalent of didn’t or haven’t
Sometimes clauses are linked without overt syntactic markings
One is an alternative form for the indefinite article a
Ordering the proper noun before the common noun

^{Book title:}^{A Handbook of Varieties of English (Volume 2): Morphology and Syntax (2004)}

Introduction

sanjaanudi — 2022-03-25 16:50:07 UTC

Born in a multicultural and multilingual context, South African English(SAE) is an interesting variety of English to explore. Composed of several sub-varieties it functions as a rich source for linguistic study. On the stage of World Englishes, SAE stands prominent and is easily recognizable by its unique accent.

This resource collection is designed to explore SAE in all its diversity, and how it functions on a national level. Look forward to a general overview of SAE and its history, the power issues related to language and education as well as the diversity of linguistic features present in SAE, followed by engaging conversations and quizzes!!!

2019ba23235 — 2022-03-25 17:09:12 UTC

#InConversation

2019ba23235 — 2022-03-25 17:30:49 UTC

Curious to find out more about SouthAfrican English (SAE)?
Tune into a stimulating conversation with Tapiwa Venge and Azra Jabbar to find out more about the roots of SouthAfrican English, its history, spread and multicultural inheritance

_{(Tapiwa is an electrical Engineer and graduate from the University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa.
He is fluent in 7 languages including: Shona , Ndebele, Zulu, Xhosa , Sotho, Tswana and English)}

The Story of South African English: A Brief Linguistic Overview

muminahhakeem — 2022-03-25 18:08:26 UTC

In this article, Bekker outlines some of the linguistic features of South African English (SAE). According to Bekker, a local standard that has become the most widely spoken sociolect of WSAE is referred to as Respectable or General SAE, and this standard is distinctively different from other varieties of English spoken around the world in terms of accent and lexicogrammar.
Here are some of the features of SAE that he cites under different linguistic categories :
Phonetics/ phonology

Unlike the other Southern Hemisphere Englishes (Australian English and New Zealand English), WSAE does not have a diphthongized FLEECE vowel (i.e. instead of [əi] it is a monophthongal [i:]).
Broad WSAE often displays features of early Afrikaans influence e.g. obstruent (tapped) /r/ (e.g. [re:li:] for really), semi-rhoticity and epenthetic schwa (e.g. [fələm] for film). The L2 English variety spoken by Afrikaans speakers would show clear signs of L1-interference e.g. word-final devoicing ([dɒk] for dog).
The general phonological status of BSAE as including the reduction of typical English vowel contrasts (e.g. bad, bird and bed as [bed] or [be:d]), occasional consonant cluster reduction and syllable timed stress patterning, all of which are influenced by Bantu languages.

Morphology and syntax

WSAE displays a range of lexical items borrowed from other South African languages. e.g. braai [trans- barbecue] from Afrikaans, indaba [trans- Conference/ meeting] from Zulu.
WSAE uses a number of discourse markers borrowed from Afrikaans e.g. the use of the interjection ag [trans: oh!] in colloquial speech - Ag, go away man!
Another borrowing from Afrikaans is the use of now-now in WSAE (and in other varieties of SAE too). The expression is idiosyncratic since it is used in expressions like I’ll do it now-now usually means that the act will be done at a point in time further than the time referred to. Afrikaans has a similar expression: nou-nou.

According to McCormick (2004) :

The non-standard use of auxiliaries (e.g. We did move here a week already meaning `We had moved here a week previously’)
The deletion of the adverbial suffix (e.g. We must move quick instead of we must move quickly)
Various non-standard forms of agreement or lack therefore (e.g. I’ve watched this children)
The use of loanwords from Afrikaans (e.g. I wasn’t mos so well [mos trans: indeed, of course])
The idiosyncratic meanings for certain words (e.g. the use of every time for always: What is the purpose of you doing this every time here?).

According to Mesthrie (2004) :

The regular use of y’all (< you all) for second person plural pronouns.
The mutual substitution of he and she (as a result of gender differences not being marked in Bantu languages)
High use of topicalization phenomena like left location, fronting and focus movement … (e.g. Today’s children, they are so lazy)
the treatment of non-count nouns as count nouns (e.g. We bought two furnitures)

According to Buthelezi (1995) :

BSAE is characterized by a number of loanwords from the South African Bantu languages (e.g. skorokoro meaning a jalopy [from Sotho]) as well as a number of lexico-grammatical idiosyncrasies such as the use of late as a predicate (e.g. she is late means she is dead).

The online dictionary of SouthAfrican English

2019ba23235 — 2022-03-26 06:03:07 UTC

This website contains an extensive collection of SAE vocabulary and their meanings.

muminahhakeem — 2022-03-26 12:40:11 UTC

muminahhakeem — 2022-03-26 12:49:33 UTC

muminahhakeem — 2022-03-26 12:52:09 UTC

It's Quiz Time!

2019ba23235 — 2022-03-26 17:39:23 UTC

Enjoyed engaging with our resources on South African English? Take the quiz to find out how much you know!
Quiz 1
Quiz 2

An overview of SAE as a variety

sanjaanudi — 2022-03-26 17:54:16 UTC

Historical and political events shaped how English spread to SouthAfrica and was received by the people:

English has evoked differing reactions in the different South African language communities.

From the beginning, English was imposed at the Cape upon an unwilling Dutch (later Afrikaans)

community. There was an attempt to make English the sole language of the law and of education, even in the overwhelmingly Dutch/Afrikaans-speaking rural areas, causing a deep resentment which is still noticeable in some Afrikaner groups today. Afrikaner hostility towards English was of course considerably hardened by the South African (or ‘Boer’) War of 1899–1902, and English became die vyand se taal, ‘the language of the enemy’.

English as the lingua-franca vs English as the language of the Other

As in most countries where it serves as lingua franca, English came to be perceived as the

language of the social elite. But while it was seen as the language of aspiration and

empowerment for black South Africans and for many Afrikaners, among a significant section of

the Afrikaans population it was consistently received with hostility as an oppressor, and, from the time the National Party came to power in 1948, Afrikaans became the openly-favored language.

The nature of South African English (SAE): what distinguishes it from other

varieties?

It was born in a multicultural context

Apartheid, Afrikaans, and English

Afrikaans was seen as the language of the oppressor during the Apartheid regime

Afrikaans was intimately linked with power and oppression

What did this do to the status of English?

“ In contrast, English was chosen as the language of communication by the ANC and the other

liberation organizations during the ‘freedom struggle’, and “has typically been seen as the

language of liberation and black unity” (Gough 1996:xviii). English was chosen as the language

of instruction by the black governments of ‘independent homelands’ such as the Transkei, and

English-language newspapers enjoyed a wide readership in the townships.”

Current status of English

English remains the politically ‘neutral’ language for public use: President Mandela’s speeches are almost invariably in English; national conferences are held largely in English; in Parliament, although all official languages may be used, English is predominant; tertiary education is in English, with the exception of some of the Afrikaans-language campuses.

The status of English as an international language, and as one which is politically more neutral than any other South African language

Issue of standards:

English in South Africa has long since passed out of the hands of mother-tongue speakers. With

its increased public use by the new black elite, and in the electronic media, it seems likely that

standard SAE is entering a period of accelerated change. This has already led to an intolerant

reaction from some conservative English-speakers, and ‘standard’ is likely to become an

increasingly difficult issue.

The formation of South African English

sanjaanudi — 2022-03-26 18:07:50 UTC

Nowadays one can recognise at least four main varieties of English in South Africa: Afrikaner English (the English of those South Africans whose mother language is Afrikaans), Coloured English (the kind of English used by the coloured (racially mixed, or Asiatic) portion of the population, the English of the black section of the population and of course the language of those native speakers of English. In addition there are about 1 million speakers of South African Indian English which derives from the speech of those Indian immigrants who came to Kwazulu-Natal in the late 19th century.

English had been the official language of South Africa along with Afrikaans for centuries until the interim constitution of 1993 and new constitution of 1996 declared 11 languages official along with Afrikaans and English.

Especially amongst the educated, English functions as a lingua franca, and is a primary language of government, business, and commerce. It is a compulsory subject in all schools, and is the preferred medium of instruction in most schools and tertiary institutions

2019ba23235 — 2022-03-26 18:10:15 UTC

Under Apartheid, language was used as tool to divide and conquer. This brought a negative light to Afrikaans and English as the oppressor's language or a "white" language. Nowadays, 7 in 10 out of the seven million speaking Afrikaans is a black person. English is the second most commonly spoken language in Africa outside of the "home" environment. (which is to say, it is the preferred L2 of many)

Problems faced in the practical implementation of English Language Education in South Africa

2019ba23235 — 2022-03-26 20:42:24 UTC

In South Africa language, education and social mobility are seen as inextricably linked.

The perception remains that English qualifies as the "language of learning" in South Africa (Kamwangamalu, 2003) and enable greater prospects of social mobility.
However, English language education is not wholly inclusive and therefore serves to cause divisions and exclusions:

Main issue: the system is biased, favouring some and excluding others. The "Language of power is the language of instruction and the policy on paper is not the working in schools."

Not everyone has access to quality education in English
For example: teachers complain that Language in Education policies reinforce discriminatory barriers in Black schools, as such schools often lack necessary funding and implementation.
There is a lack of English proficiency among teachers and students.
For example: despite the apartheid drawing to an end, as of the year 2000, over 70% of native Africans could not comprehend English.
Theoretically English was seen as a means of liberation and freedom (in the context of the apartheid struggle)
But, on a practical level many who have been excluded from the system are not able to reap the benefits (intended by the South Africa's latest Language in Education Policy)

_{*For some practical solutions on greater language inclusivity within the class room visit:}_{Learning in South Africa's Multilingual Classrooms}_*

Language Policy and Education in Multilingual South Africa

2019ba23235 — 2022-03-26 22:04:20 UTC

Following the apartheid South Africa was keen to adopt a multilingual policy (even in education).
The apartheid Bantu Education Act (1953), set in motion a culture of discrimination. Indigenous languages were used as a means of discrimination. The blacks were forced to learn the native languages in addition to Afrikaans & English, and were not afforded language choice.
Changes to education Post apartheid:
Choice is offered in language and education
For example: indigenous languages were promoted at primary level and later on students can chose between English or Afrikaans, as the language of instruction.
In the case of both English language schools and Afrikaans language schools, English was given prominence as a first choice, over the indigenous languages of South Africa.

English v. Afrikaans?

jonathancruse123 — 2022-03-27 01:23:05 UTC

11 languages were made official languages of South Africa through the 1996 Constitution of South Africa. Surprisingly, English is placed low on this list of official languages, even though it is a dominant language of the country, along with Afrikaans.

"One thing that makes South Africa’s situation interesting is Afrikaans. Having nearly equal status with English, Afrikaans has the dubious honor of being a second white oppressor language. However, being ‘nearly’ equal is a point of contention for the Afrikaner people and Afrikaans speakers. Afrikaans is not really an African language, despite its name, and being a mixture of Dutch and Zulu born from white Dutch settlers, it seems like it should be rightfully classed as a creole." (Hazeltine, 2013)

The majority language of South Africa is not English, but it is spoken by many as a second language, so there is a high level of bilingual and multilingual people.

"This mix of languages presents a problem when it comes to education policy in the country, as it is not feasible to simply create fair distribution of schools for all 9 languages, and especially not one unbiased towards the dominant English language. The literacy rate in South Africa is relatively high, but currently all this means is that there are higher levels of English use." (Hazeltine, 2013)

Source

Maintaining power over other languages

jonathancruse123 — 2022-03-27 02:02:03 UTC

In the early 1900's, white Afrikaners were in power and feared to lose their social and political position in society and that led to Afrikaans becoming its own language rather than a dialect of Dutch or creole.

Officialization of the language was important for the reason that the presence of the British in the country caused Afrikaans to be regarded as 'low' Dutch of an inferior language.

"It seems somewhat ironic that Afrikaans would have to suppress every other language in the country in order to keep itself alive, but it is not entirely safe yet. With the arrival of nine new official languages, Afrikaans may be threatened enough to lose its balance in the linguistic power situation of South Africa, falling below English in prestige, as already schools turn to English over Afrikaans for a language of better opportunity" (Kamwangamalu, 2001).

"This situation is interesting for several linguistic and political reasons.

Afrikaans’ status as both a weakened language in its creole identity and a strong language as one of the language of power makes it difficult to find an easy answer to this dilemma.
As Afrikaans is a language of power, but not the only language, it seems more likely to have the Afrikaners’ claims dismissed as either simply trying to regain some of their former exclusive power or as something that is not a real or immediate threat due to its prominence."(Hazeltine, 2013)

Unlike most other native languages in South Africa, it is very likely that Afrikaans will survive a possible gain to power of English, in terms of numbers and in South African politics. It is capable of thriving outside of official English settings.

"In conclusion, South Africa has done much to overcome its history of apartheid and linguistic oppression. However, despite good intentions and pretty constitutional statements, English and Afrikaans continue to dominate schools and society in the country due to their higher prestige and global potential, even though most South Africans are not native English speakers." (Hazeltine, 2013)

Source

Policy, power and loyalty

jonathancruse123 — 2022-03-27 02:54:21 UTC

"In 1955, a policy of teaching in both English and Afrikaans on a 50-50 basis in the secondary schools was adopted. However, the shortage of black teachers proficient in Afrikaans (all teacher training schools for blacks are in English) allowed this policy to be carried out in only 26% of the schools. In 1976 the black Africans' hatred of apartheid, and of Afrikaans as the "language of the oppressor," came to a head in Soweto, a black "township" outside of Johannesburg." (Marjorie, 1982)

"On 16 June, 15,000 students marched in the streets carrying banners with such slogans as "Blacks are not dustbins - Afrikaans stinks." At one point police opened fire on a group of these students starting a chain of violence in Soweto that lasted some months and left 172 blacks, many of them in their teens, killed by police bullets... Since that time, the government has allowed individual school boards to choose the medium of instruction. Ninety-nine percent have chosen English." (Marjorie, 1982)

"However, there are apartheid-imposed obstacles to learning English. Even in the urban areas, Africans' schools, residences, and workplaces are often separated from those of other races by law, and consequently they do not have the chance to interact freely with native English-speakers."(Marjorie, 1982)

"Although there is a strong motivation for blacks to learn English, this is a matter of practicality rather than loyalty. There is no danger of black languages being lost." (Marjorie, 1982)

"Language and politics are very much intertwined in South Africa, as they are everywhere. The government's divide-and-conquer approach to black language policy is allied to the whole degrading system of laws that keep blacks in permanent poverty. Enlightened policy is needed in the area of language as well as in all other aspects of political life."(Marjorie, 1982)

Afrikaans to be scrapped as the language of Education in universities?

2019ba23235 — 2022-03-27 06:55:21 UTC

In 2019 the University of Pretoria took measures to remove Afrikaans as the language of instruction, because statistics showed that although in 1992, 85% of its students came from Afrikaans-speaking households in 1992, this figure dropped to 30% in 2015. By 2016 only 18% of students requested for classes to be conducted in Afrikaans.

This clearly indicates a higher demand for university education to be conducted in English, instead of Afrikaans.

Ideologically Afrikaans is still associated with the history of segregation and discrimination. Even today black students at the University of Pretoria complain that they face discrimination, as lecturers refuse to speak in English and use Afrikaans instead.

Other evidence shows that attempts to scrap Afrikaans was received negatively by the Supreme Court of South Africa. In 2021, the University of South Africa (Unisa) faced legal action, in this regard. The court ruled that Unisa's actions were in contravention to Section 29(2) of the Constitution, which allows the right to receive an education in an official language or language of choice.

(Language is a marker of identity and in this instance, the power struggle between Afrikaans and English remains at the center of educational issues.)

*As a solution: greater language inclusion rather than exclusion should be the way forward with regards to educational policy making at university level. *

Team Members:

tdsenadie — 2022-03-27 08:10:20 UTC

Azra Jabbar
Anudi Karunaratne
Jonathan Cruse
Muminah Hakeem
Senadie De Alwis