South Africa has undergone many political changes since the apartheid era. A recent one has included the adoption of a new language-in-education policy recommending, among other things, the use of African indigenous languages as languages of learning and teaching (LOLT). The country has moved into a system in which learners and schools are entitled to choose their preferred LOLT. However, there have been few concrete changes to accommodate this choice. In particular, the above language-in-education policy has not yet been adequately implemented in schools. This study investigates learners', educators' and parents' attitudes towards the use of English or /and isiZulu as the medium of learning and teaching in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal province. I ascertain if there are similarities and differences, if any, in the responses of the three groups of stakeholders from two secondary schools. I also demonstrate the implications of the attitudes of these stakeholders for the implementation of the current language-in-education policy. Lastly, I make recommendations that will assist language policy makers regarding the current language-in-education policy. The study shows that there are mixed feelings regarding the LOLT issue. It was found that the respondents largely favour the use of English as the medium of instruction, yet some of the responses are self-contradictory, in that they simultaneously want isiZulu to be used as early as grade 1 as LOLT. Most respondents still envisage a future where English will continue to have political, educational, social and economic power over isiZulu. There is thus an urgent need for the Department of Education to review the current language-in-education policy and address issues that might be hindering its implementation. The policy is likely to fail unless some intervention strategies are taken to address these problems. It is hoped that this study will help to highlight issues that can be further investigated in this area. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1981. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 115-124).

Thesis (M.Ed.)-- University of Hong Kong, 1981. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-124). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Melbourne, Faculty of Education, 2009. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-93)

This thesis explores the issue of ethno-linguistic identity through an examination of everyday practices in two mother-tongue schools in Nepal. While language and ethnicity have remained highly politicised subject in Nepal, the everyday cultural politics of language use inside minority language school has received very limited academic attention. In this thesis, I focus on the ways in which different people understand, experience, and interpret mother-tongue education in their everyday life. Drawing on Bourdieu's notion of social field, I argue that mother-tongue instruction not only concerns the introduction of minority languages in education, but also constitutes an 'arena of struggle', where the idea of an 'educated person' is (re)imagined, and the social positions of ethno-linguistic groups are negotiated. To explain this further, I show that minority language education function as a subfield within the larger social field of national education. On the one hand, everyday language practices in the schools display inward-looking characteristics through the everyday use of mother tongue and the construction of unified ethnic identity within the subfield of minority language education. On the other hand, there were outward-looking dynamics of actively engaging with the national education system. The salience of these processes is the simultaneous membership to multiple groups, claims over public spaces and in the spaces of nationalism, hitherto associated with Nepali. Using the idea of 'simultaneity', I show that social actors in minority language education might not necessarily select between subfield and social field, but instead thrive in their tense intersection. In this process, ethno-linguistic groups are able to construct their own subjectivities by negotiating what it means to be educated in a minority language. This emerging narrative of minority language education may help us to understand the issues of language and ethnicity in a more open-ended way and appreciate the multiple scales in which identities are expressed.

This thesis looks at what choice of medium of instruction (MOl) parents in a rural village in KwaZulu would make if they had the opportunity to choose. The background to this choice goes back to 1979, when Education and Training Act No. 90 established the mother tongue as MOl from Sub A to Std 2 in Department of Education and Training (DET) primary schools, followed by a sudden transition to English medium of instruction - (EMl) in Std 3. Though by 1990 98% of the schools had opted for EMI, conditions were not favourable for a sudden transition and the policy led to high drop-out rates. The problems encountered by teachers and learners were researched and documented by Macdonald in the Threshold Project Reports (1990). Although the Minister initially ignored the Project's findings, in May 1991 he admitted that his department's language policy was leading to serious educational disadvantages. The explosive situation that culminated in the 1976 school uprisings led to the amendment of the Act. There was concern among people involved in educational language policy that parents had not been given sufficient information to make informed educational choices. They feared that many parents would, largely out of ignorance, opt for straight-for-English, when in fact the conditions in the schools were not conducive to the success of that choice option. The widespread assumption about the parents choosing straight-for-English was based on anecdotal evidence. I decided to investigate this matter in the Nongoma area. My findings pointed to very healthy attitudes towards the mother tongue and there was even a measure of understanding of the place of mother tongue instruction in the beginner classes. But even though the respondents wanted their language to be respected, they also wanted their children to acquire a good education in English, so as to be eligible for jobs in an economy that emphasises the importance of English.

This study investigates the experiences of isiMpondo speakers in learning standard language through the formal education system. The sociolinguistic factors such as attitudes, language policies and language use in multilingual societies are taken into considerations. The children of non-standard language speakers such as those who speak dialects like isiMpondo have to use another language in their early years in the school system. It is articulated that the isiMpondo that the child brings to the school from the environment is not accommodated simply because it is a non-standard language; whereas the language that is used in the classroom situation is the isiXhosa variety which is a standard one. The research findings show that isiMpondo impacts on learner’s education directly because they lose marks during the course of the year and during examination times if they use it. The study concludes with a recommendation that educators should honour the seven roles of educators by appropriate norms and standards. Some approaches to teaching have been suggested to be used by teachers with regard to inclusivity, as it recognises diversity, and values the following: the uniqueness of the individuals, the experiences, abilities, cultural and language backgrounds of each individual. All in all it seeks to meet the needs of the individual learner by creating a non-discriminatory teaching and learning environment.

M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / Many changes are taking place in our country. One aspect that must be emphasized, is provision for proper education. The demands on our country and its citizens, necessitate change in education. In South Africa there are still many defects concerning education. There are for example many uncertainties about curriculum, and attempts are made to eliminate defects in syllabi. One of the curricula concerned, is that of Afrikaans First Language. Due to current changes multi-cultural schools have been founded. Thus the curriculum must change in order to accommodate everybody. A new and better curriculum for Afrikaans First Language will have to be brought about to benefit all mother tongue speakers of Afrikaans. This study clearly shows that a relevant first language curriculum is necessary for Afrikaans First Language. This study will point out that certain needs exist among learners and teachers of Afrikaans First Language, which can contribute towards a new and better Afrikaans First Language curriculum. A literature study has been done on curriculum design. Here is shown what a curriculum is and what curriculum design entails. This is done according to the design principle and is carried into effect in first language teaching. There is concluded that Afrikaans First Language must be conceptualised and that attention must be given to subject matter.

Thesis (Ph. D.(Translation and Linguistics Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / This thesis assesses the use of Northern Sotho as an official language in the Capricorn and Mopani District Municipalities of Limpopo Province. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa stipulates clearly that all eleven official languages are equal. The study argues that Northern Sotho, as one of the 11 official languages of the Republic of South Africa, deserves to be treated with respect. It (the study) has shown that Northern Sotho is currently not enjoying the proper status that is afforded to it by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996). The business world does not make use of Northern Sotho as it is regarded as an inferior language which is associated uneducated people. Furthermore, the study has discovered that many of the public and private sector companies communicate with their employees and members of the public in English, while most of these employees and members lack the necessary linguistic proficiency. Information that is directed to employees and members of the public only serves the purpose if it is distributed to them in the languagethat they best understand. The main factor with regard to the use of Northern Sotho in all spheres of life is that many Northern Sotho speakers feel ashamed of speaking the language, particularly in public. This is not surprising because many, mainly educated African people, despise their indigenous languages because they consider them backward, inferior and under-developed. English is still used as a dominant language. The researcher drew on theories of scholars such as Piaget, Laswell, Weaver and Schramm to ground this study. Ethnolinguistic vitality theory is also considered as the study of minority languages and more specifically, Northern Sotho, involves language vitality issues. The researcher has used qualitative research methodology designed through document analysis, observations and individual interviews. Research findings confirm that the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) indicates that all the 11 official languages should be used in all spheres of life with equal regard and consideration. This implies, among others, the entrenchment of the right of learners and students to be taught in the language that they best understand. The 12 participants from Capricorn and the 12 from Mopani Districtv Municipalities stated that the use of English should not be tampered with. All the other remaining respondents concurred that Northern Sotho should be granted its rightful status in all official communication. Northern Sotho was found to have linguistic vitality in that majority of Capricorn and Mopani District Municipalities’ residents are Northern Sotho speakers who deserve to be afforded their constitutional right to be served in the medium of Northern Sotho as their indigenous language of choice

This study sought to critically investigate the contribution of the ordinary people in the creation of a language policy and its subsequent implementation in Zimbabwe. The study was prompted by the realisation of the near-absence of a coherent language policy framework in Zimbabwe. The language policy situation in Zimbabwe is not clearly stated. A hotch-potch of statutes support the status, creation and implementation of languages that are spoken by the citizens of the country. The country’s supreme law, the constitution is silent about the necessity of a broad-based language policy in Zimbabwe. Only three languages Shona, Ndebele and English are considered to be major in a country with 16 known languages. This situation does not support the development of languages particularly the indigenous languages. Indigenous languages are not considered as a suitable medium of instruction from the third year of primary schooling up to tertiary level. Indigenous languages play a critical role in culture, economics and politics. The study argued that ordinary people have creative ways of contributing to the development of a language policy because these people are constantly creating new words and vocabulary that they implement in their day to day struggle with nature and other social classes. Authorities in Zimbabwe are yet to view the role of indigenous languages in development as a cornerstone of socio-economic and political progress. African languages, particularly the Shona language that was the main unit of analysis in this study revealed its capacity to handle complex ideas. It was recommended that when Shona and other indigenous languages are accorded the status of official languages of the country and then provided with the financial resources and linguistic expertise to develop them then, a coherent language policy can become a living reality in Zimbabwe. / Africam Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)