Variations of overt and covert language practices of educators in the North West Province: Case study of the use of Setswana and Sesotho at primary and secondary schools

Abstract

This article presents overt and covert language practices of educators at primary and secondary schools, with special emphasis on the use of Setswana and Sesotho in three districts in the North West province of South Africa. Field research was conducted during which 990 out of 1 060 questionnaires were collected from participating educators during the third school term of 2013. Based on this broad data collection, the article attempts to identify mismatches or congruences between the overt (official language policy) and covert (daily language practice) of educators at school. Significant regional differences between the researched districts and between the researched language groups became evident. Language practices are determined by the regional circumstances as well as the linguistic setting. Consequently, the use of Setswana and Sesotho differs widely regarding sex, the overall linguistic setting at a school and the general language setting in the researched districts.