There are 24 languages which are regularly used by more than 44.8 million South Africans and almost 80 % of the South African population use one of the African languages at home. “The most commonly spoken home language is isiZulu, which is spoken by 23.8 % of the population, followed by isiXhosa (17.6 %) and Afrikaans (13.3 %)” Although English is the home language of only 8.2 % of the South African population it is still used as a lingua franca throughout the nation. The eleven official languages are used by 99% of the country’s population and those languages are all supposed to have equal rights. Belonging to these languages are English and Afrikaans, and nine other African languages: “Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, and isiZulu”. There are also many other languages spoken in South Africa like for example Arabic, German, Greek, Hindi, Tamil, Hebrew and many more. Some European languages like French, German, and Portuguese are used in South Africa but they are not nearly as influential as English.
The historical development of South Africa has brought the question of language forward. The country became aware of its unique language situation and the chances and problems which are connected to it. After Mandela many people developed a greater interest in smaller languages. The paper is going to explore the language vitality of some of the 11 official South African languages, dealing with the problem of language endangerment/death and language reviltalisation. It is going to be seen whether the multilingualism which is propagandized by the government is or can be realised in real life. Due to the lack of valid information for many of the smaller indigenous Afrcian langugeas the paper will mostly look at the situation of Afrikaans and English, only rarely concidering the other languages in much detail.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Language Vitality
2.1 Different attitudes
2.1.1 Language policy – Official attitudes towards the 11 official languages
2.1.2 Personal attitudes towards the languages
2.2 Absolute number of speakers
2.3 Proportion of speakers within the total population
2.4 Trends in existing domains
2.4.1 Current situation in South African language domains
2. 4. 2 Example of an army camp
2.5 Response to new domains and media
2.6 Language in Education
2.7 Intergenerational Language Transmission
2.7.1 Categorising South Africa’s official languages
2.7.2 Southern Khoisan in South Africa – An Example of language death and its aftermath
2.8 How to use the nine factors of language vitality
3. A project
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines the language vitality of South Africa's eleven official languages, investigating the complex interplay between the country's progressive multilingual language policy and the practical realities of language endangerment. The central research question explores whether the government's goal of multilingualism is achievable in reality, given the dominant status of English and the socio-economic pressures affecting indigenous African languages.
- Theoretical evaluation of language vitality using UNESCO-defined factors.
- The impact of official language policies versus personal attitudes of speakers.
- Dominance of English in public domains, education, and national media.
- The socio-economic and political challenges of preserving minority indigenous languages.
- Case studies on language shift, including the South African military and education systems.
Excerpt from the Book
2.4.1 Current situation in South African language domains
Mesthrie’s investigations show that all the official African languages are widely spread throughout the country and are often most common in individual South African provinces so he would say that all of the languages are safe from extinction regarding number pf speakers and geographical distribution but the tide turns when you look at the number of functions a language performs and its status. (cf. Mesthrie 2002: 41) He also states that there is a high discrepancy between the demographic strength of a language and its status in several domains. (cf. Mesthrie 2002: 42)
The eleven official languages are not equally dominant in existing language domains. In mostly all domains English dominates and is followed by Afrikaans but to a very much lesser extent. English is the language of business and trade and also dominates the economy section. The African languages on the other side are practically non-existent in any economy matters. According to this English also advances its status in mostly all domains of South African public life. The status and use of Afrikaans on the other side is gradually sinking. That is almost the same in politics were 87% of the speeches in South African parliament are held in English, 5% in Afrikaans and only 8 % in one of the other African languages. (cf. Orman 2008: 94-95)
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Discusses the global crisis of language endangerment and introduces South Africa's unique multilingual landscape post-1994.
2. Language Vitality: Evaluates the theoretical framework for measuring language survival using six specific factors, ranging from institutional policy to intergenerational transmission.
3. A project: Profiles a specific corpus linguistics project aimed at documenting indigenous African languages to support their maintenance and status.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the challenges of bridging the gap between constitutional rights and the social reality, emphasizing the need for active support to ensure the survival of indigenous languages.
Keywords
Language Vitality, South Africa, Language Policy, Multilingualism, Endangered Languages, English Dominance, Language Planning, Indigenous Languages, Language Death, Language Shift, Corpus Linguistics, Post-Apartheid, Sociolinguistics, Language Rights, Cultural Identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic work?
This paper examines the current state of language vitality among the eleven official languages of South Africa, specifically focusing on the struggle of indigenous languages against the dominant influence of English.
What are the core thematic fields covered in this study?
The work covers language policy and planning, socio-economic factors influencing language use, the role of education in language transmission, and the historical context of language status in South Africa.
What is the central research question?
The paper asks whether the official state-propagated multilingualism can truly be realized in practice or if the socio-economic status of English is rendering the constitutional protection of indigenous languages ineffective.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a qualitative approach, applying UNESCO-based criteria for evaluating language vitality (including attitudes, number of speakers, domain usage, and intergenerational transmission) to interpret existing socio-linguistic data and literature.
What is discussed in the main body of the text?
The main body systematically analyzes nine factors of language vitality, case studies on language use in the military and schools, and the decline of the Khoisan languages as a historical cautionary tale.
What are the primary keywords that characterize the paper?
Key concepts include Language Vitality, Language Policy, Multilingualism, Endangered Languages, and Language Shift within the South African context.
How has English become the "killer language" in South Africa?
According to the text, English dominates public life, business, the judiciary, and media, creating a socio-economic pressure where speakers often abandon their native tongues to access modern, globalized opportunities.
What role does the South African Constitution play in this context?
The Constitution provides a progressive framework for multilingualism and equality; however, the author argues that the rights defined on paper are not sufficiently implemented, leading to a discrepancy between policy and reality.
What can be learned from the decline of the Khoisan languages?
The Khoisan languages serve as a historical example of how linguistic and cultural identity can disappear when a language is pushed out of all social and official domains by more powerful, dominant languages.
- Quote paper
- Anika Kehl (Author), 2011, Language Vitality in South Africa, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/279063
