An analysis of language policy versus practice in two South African universities

Abstract

Educational practices in South Africa which privilege English throughout the educational journey of the learner disadvantage the majority who do not speak English as a home language. Tertiary institutions in South Africa have crafted language policies that appear to be attempts to redress this imbalance by pledging improved learning opportunities in some African languages. In many areas, it can be seen that these policies have not been implemented, perhaps indicating a lack of will to do so. The SA Constitution requires provision in particular languages only when it is ‘reasonably practicable’ to do so. Similar or identical caveats appear in the language policies of the University of Johannesburg and UNISA allowing for inaction. It is questionable whether tertiary institutions acting unilaterally rather than as part of a coordinated status, corpus and acquisition planning can achieve transformation in the academy. Removing the ‘reasonably practicable’ caveat from the Constitution and establishing a national language planning body will be necessary before widespread transformation can occur. Language-in-education policies linked to financial reward and penalty mechanisms may be required to achieve tangible progress towards multilingual tertiary education.