English in South Africa: Effective Communication and the Policy Debate

Wright, Laurence

doi:10.1080/10131759385310031

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Smit (1994) found that one third of her subjects (high school pupils from schools under various education departments in the Eastern Cape) were in favour of 'Africanizing' English. The less critical acceptance of non-standard language found in this study at (I) school is an indication that, in the future, a tendency towards greater tolerance of accent will result in many more spoken varieties of English (See Wright, 1993).…”

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confidence: 92%

“…Jacobs (1993:22) comments that the presently-accepted standard SAE, in view of its prestige and advancement value, will be here to stay. Titlestad (1995) points out, as does Wright (1993), that there is a very significant body of extremely competent black users of English in South Africa. Has closer contact with other home-language groups led to an increased acceptance of nonstandard speech?…”

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confidence: 97%

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Accepting accent:Attitude of high school pupils towards language varieties

Nortje

Wissing

1996

South African Journal of Linguistics

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This aper is based on a minidissertation which re orts on the attitude of iirfan high school id ils towarh varieties of ,&glish, an important issue in the New Souttf&ica. The extent to which the language variety spoken is acce ted is seen as an indication of how the home-langua e group to whictf the speaker beloti s is perceived. An adaptation of t i e tnatched-guise technique was use$ to assess the unconscious affective stereo ped perceptions o speakers of three accents in English: Stanspeakers were used as a Ifiller'. A male and a female reader for each accent were used and their voices were as closely matched as possible to ensure that what the subjects reacted to was primarily the accent or lanage variety used. The sub'ects were also asked to voluntarily guess the Erne-langua e back outidof each speaker and hidher occupation. A detailed anafsis ofiesults is given and possible advantages of an adaptation ofYthe matched-guise technique are explained. Methodological problems experienced and possible factors contributing to the perceplions revealed in the study are discussed. Hierdie navorsingsprojek probeer die houding vasstel van stedelike hoerskoolleerlinge teenoor varieteite van Engels. Dit is ' n belanqike vraagstuk in die nuwe Suid-Afiika. In die mate waartoe die taalvarteteit aarrvaarbaar is, uvrd die taalgroep waaraan die spreker behoort aanvaar. 'n Aangepaste vorm van die vermommin stepiek (hatched-guise technique') IS gebruik om die onbewuste a#ektrew en stereoti iese hiidin s teenoor sprekers van drie varieteite van Etigels: Staniiard Suid-A ikaatise Engels,Afiikaanse Engels en Xhosa En els te probeer vier vroulike lesers, we se stenime so na moontlik by mekaar pas, is gebruik sodat die leerlinge se reaksie hoofsaaklik op dte gebruikte varieteit van Enpels en niks anders moet wees nie. Die leerlin e is ook gevra om vrywillig die nioedertaalagtergrond van elke spreLr te raai, asook syfhaar beroep. Bevindinge word in detail gerapporteer. Moontlike voordele van 'n aanpassing van die 'matched-guise' tegriiek en metodologiese probletne ervaar gedurende die navorsingsprojek, asook faktore wat tot die bestaande ersepsies (soos wat uit die studie blyk) dard ? 011th Afiican, Afri G aaiis English and Xhosa Eiiglish. American bepaa P Amerikaanse sprekers is gebruik as aanvullers. fi ier manlike en kotr aanleiditrg gegee het, wor f bespreek.' Also associated with the Research

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confidence: 92%

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confidence: 97%

Accepting accent:Attitude of high school pupils towards language varieties

Nortje

Wissing

1996

South African Journal of Linguistics

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“…Ministerial task teams, academic reports and language policy debates must all at some point 'deal' with English, its erosion of indigenous languages (Waka-Msimang, 1998), its contribution to declining literacy levels and poor matriculation (GCSE) results (Moreosele, 1998), and its contamination of indigenous cultures (see Wright, 1995;Van der Walt, 1998;McDermott, 1998;De University language policies in South Africa and the UK 37 Kadt, 2000;Alexander, 2001;Balfour, 2002Balfour, , 2003. The need to halt the encroachment of English on other languages and to enhance indigenous languages can appear alarming (see Alexander, 2001; he calls upon parents to free themselves of 'Anglophone values').…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

University language policies, internationalism, multilingualism, and language development in South Africa and the UK

Balfour

2007

Cambridge Journal of Education

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This paper examines legislation concerning language policy and language choice in the UK and South Africa. In particular an account of the pressures and imperatives to which such policy development must respond is provided. The paper suggests that the comparison between South Africa and the UK is relevant and compelling, not least because both countries respond to an awareness of multilingualism and internationalism in both the schooling and higher education systems, though in different ways and with different effects. The paper explores the degree to which language policies may facilitate, but may also obstruct, language development and choice in HEIs in the UK and South Africa.

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“…English in South Africa, for example, is not governed by a particular statutory body although there have been (seemingly endless) debates on whether to follow exonormative or endonormative models (see Wright, 1993). Standard varieties of African languages, on the other hand, have traditionally been under the control of language boards (established by the apartheid state) that historically, made somewhat arbitrary decisions concerning usage.…”

Section: Standard Languages In South Africa-implications For Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In South Africa the question of language, standards and education has also received considerable attention, specifically, but not exclusively with regard to English (see, for instance Ndebele, 1987;Wright, 1993 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%