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Trends in recent South African linguistic research
Abstract
Linguistic inquiry is under pressure in South Africa. This is unexpected in a country where such a rich collection of languages are used, ostensibly supported by a very enabling
language policy. This paper analyses trends in recent linguistic scholarship for the period 2000 to 2005. In a partial extension of Lubbe (2002) the paper focuses on the extent of scholarship in different linguistic sub-disciplines and the theoretical orientation of research. While the emphasis is on Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, other domestic journals that publish linguistic research occasionally, as well as book publications will be considered. The aim of the paper is to focus on trends, rather than to provide a summary of all findings. The trends include a change in the scope of linguistic research with less research being done in the traditional core domains of microlinguistics and a stronger focus on macrolinguistics. As far as the languages investigated are concerned, Afrikaans is still the language that received the most attention, while there is a significant focus on the Semitic languages, specific African languages and even a proportional increase in work on English. The main theoretical orientations are the generative paradigm for work done on the syntax of African languages, cognitive linguistics for semantic studies on Afrikaans and Semitic languages and typological functional approaches and corpus linguistic approaches.
Once the trends have been established, possible reasons for the decline in output as well as the perceived drop in quality are offered, namely, the current state of the university environment, transformation, commercialisation, a lack of funding and changes in publishing strategies and publishing channels.
Abstrak: Taalkundenavorsing is onder druk in Suid-Afrika. Dit is onverwags in 'n land waar so 'n ryke verskeidenheid tale gebruik word, en wat boonop oënskynlik deur 'n bemagtigende taalbeleid ondersteun word. Hierdie artikel analiseer tendense in onlangse taalkundenavorsing vir die periode 2000 tot 2005. In 'n gedeeltelike uitbreiding van die werk van Lubbe (2002), word daar in hierdie artikel na die omvang van aktiwiteit in die taalkundige deeldissiplines en teoretiese oriëntasie van die navorsing gekyk. Hoewel die klem op Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies val, word ander binnelandse tydskrifte wat ook van tyd tot tyd taalkundenavorsing publiseer, asook boekpublikasies oorweeg. Die doel van die artikel is om op tendense te fokus, eerder as om al die bevindinge op te som. Van die tendense wat raakgesien is, sluit 'n verskuiwing in die tipe taalkundenavorsing met minder navorsing oor die tradisionele kerndomeine van die mikrolinguistiek en 'n sterker fokus op makrolinguistiek in. Wat die tale wat ondersoek word betref, is Afrikaans steeds die taal wat die meeste aandag kry, terwyl daar 'n beduidende fokus op die Semitiese tale, sommige Afrikatale en selfs 'n proporsionele toenane in studies oor Engels is. Die primêre teoretiese vertrekpunte is die generatiewe paradigma vir werk oor die sintaksis van die Afrikatatale, kognitiewe linguistiek vir studies oor die sematiek in Afrikaans en die Semitiese tale en tipologiese funksionele benaderings en korpuslinguistiek. Nadat die tendense vasgestel is, word aandag gegee aan moontlike redes vir die daling in kwantiteit en kwaliteit van die navorsing, veral die huidige stand van die universiteitsomgewing, transformasie, kommersialisering, 'n gebrek aan befondsing en veranderings in publikasiestrategieë en -kanale.
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2006, 24(2): 191–216
language policy. This paper analyses trends in recent linguistic scholarship for the period 2000 to 2005. In a partial extension of Lubbe (2002) the paper focuses on the extent of scholarship in different linguistic sub-disciplines and the theoretical orientation of research. While the emphasis is on Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, other domestic journals that publish linguistic research occasionally, as well as book publications will be considered. The aim of the paper is to focus on trends, rather than to provide a summary of all findings. The trends include a change in the scope of linguistic research with less research being done in the traditional core domains of microlinguistics and a stronger focus on macrolinguistics. As far as the languages investigated are concerned, Afrikaans is still the language that received the most attention, while there is a significant focus on the Semitic languages, specific African languages and even a proportional increase in work on English. The main theoretical orientations are the generative paradigm for work done on the syntax of African languages, cognitive linguistics for semantic studies on Afrikaans and Semitic languages and typological functional approaches and corpus linguistic approaches.
Once the trends have been established, possible reasons for the decline in output as well as the perceived drop in quality are offered, namely, the current state of the university environment, transformation, commercialisation, a lack of funding and changes in publishing strategies and publishing channels.
Abstrak: Taalkundenavorsing is onder druk in Suid-Afrika. Dit is onverwags in 'n land waar so 'n ryke verskeidenheid tale gebruik word, en wat boonop oënskynlik deur 'n bemagtigende taalbeleid ondersteun word. Hierdie artikel analiseer tendense in onlangse taalkundenavorsing vir die periode 2000 tot 2005. In 'n gedeeltelike uitbreiding van die werk van Lubbe (2002), word daar in hierdie artikel na die omvang van aktiwiteit in die taalkundige deeldissiplines en teoretiese oriëntasie van die navorsing gekyk. Hoewel die klem op Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies val, word ander binnelandse tydskrifte wat ook van tyd tot tyd taalkundenavorsing publiseer, asook boekpublikasies oorweeg. Die doel van die artikel is om op tendense te fokus, eerder as om al die bevindinge op te som. Van die tendense wat raakgesien is, sluit 'n verskuiwing in die tipe taalkundenavorsing met minder navorsing oor die tradisionele kerndomeine van die mikrolinguistiek en 'n sterker fokus op makrolinguistiek in. Wat die tale wat ondersoek word betref, is Afrikaans steeds die taal wat die meeste aandag kry, terwyl daar 'n beduidende fokus op die Semitiese tale, sommige Afrikatale en selfs 'n proporsionele toenane in studies oor Engels is. Die primêre teoretiese vertrekpunte is die generatiewe paradigma vir werk oor die sintaksis van die Afrikatatale, kognitiewe linguistiek vir studies oor die sematiek in Afrikaans en die Semitiese tale en tipologiese funksionele benaderings en korpuslinguistiek. Nadat die tendense vasgestel is, word aandag gegee aan moontlike redes vir die daling in kwantiteit en kwaliteit van die navorsing, veral die huidige stand van die universiteitsomgewing, transformasie, kommersialisering, 'n gebrek aan befondsing en veranderings in publikasiestrategieë en -kanale.
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2006, 24(2): 191–216
