English came to South Africa through colonization by the end of the 18th century. Around 200 years later it is widely spoken in Africa’s most southern country although it is not the sole official language. It equally shares that status together with Afrikaans and nine African indigenous languages – at least in theory. This paper is supposed to characterize the development and current status of the English language in South Africa. The multicultural state has an eventful and dramatic history. It is important to outline and explain that varied history in this linguistic paper because it had a major effect on language spread and development in South Africa, which has since the arrival of the Europeans never been completely linguistically homogenous. English in South Africa can not be understood without taking a closer look at more than 300 years of eventful history. Chapter two is going to give an overview of that history referring thereby to different recognized historians and their works.
After that there will be a closer look at the status of English in today’s South African society. The next chapter has three different focuses. It will take a closer look at the governmental policy of multilingualism and its outcomes in practice. Also the role of the English language in the media and education system of South Africa will be examined. The question needs to be answered, which trends for the future are becoming obvious concerning the role of English in South Africa. Will it be extended in the future or rather suffer from competition through other languages? What is today’s image of English in comparison to the other “imported” language, namely Afrikaans?
After having finished the general description of SAE there will be a closer look at its linguistic features. Two major kinds of South African Englishes will thereby be distinguished: White South African English (WSAFE) and Black South African English (BSAFE). Both will be examined in chapters four and five.
The theoretical knowledge gained in chapters four and five will then be applied in a phonological analysis of a Black South African speaker of English, namely a 17 year old girl with Zulu background.
Table of Contents
1) Introduction
2) The History of South Africa
2.1 Ancient History and Dutch Colonization
2.2 From the arrival of the English at the Cape until the Boer Wars
2.3 From the Union of South Africa until the Era of Apartheid
2.4 The Apartheid Era
2.5 The present day situation in South Africa
3) English in today’s South African Society
3.1 Multilingualism or English Unilateralism
3.2 English in the Media
3.3 English in Education
4) White South African English
4.1 Classification of White South African English
4.2 Phonology
4.3 Grammar
4.4 Vocabulary
5) Black South African English
5.1 Classification of Black South African English
5.2 Phonology
5.3 Grammar
5.4 Vocabulary, Discourse Patterns and Code Switching
6) Case Study: Phonological Analysis of a BSAFE speaker
6.1 The speaker and the text
6.2 Vowels
6.3 Consonants and Suprasegmental Features
7) Conclusion
Research Objective and Focus Areas
This paper characterizes the development and current status of the English language in South Africa, exploring how historical events, government policies, and social factors have shaped its usage and linguistic features today. The central research question examines the trends and status of English compared to other languages in a post-apartheid, multilingual society.
- Historical development of the South African state and English language
- Sociolinguistic status of English in the media and education
- Linguistic comparison of White South African English (WSAFE) and Black South African English (BSAFE)
- Phonological analysis of a Black South African speaker
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Multilingualism or English Unilateralism
Today South Africa’s constitution codifies eleven official languages, including nine African indigenous languages + English and Afrikaans. Of the total population of 40.6 million inhabitants more than ¾ are mother-tongue speakers of indigenous languages (30.7 million). The former official languages English and Afrikaans are spoken as L1 by only 3.5 million and 5.8 million people respectively (cf. de Klerk, Gough 2002: 358).
Although there is an officially equal governmental support for each of the languages, in reality there are some major gaps between what is supposed to be reached and what is the actual situation. It is a big problem that the African languages are not valued in the same way as English – at least not in public sphere. Instead they turn out to be seen as disadvantageous in every-day life.
This “mismatch between language policy and language practice” (Kamwangamalu 2004: 197) has the potential to endanger the existence of the indigenous languages in the long term although they enjoy official support, or as Branford puts it: “It [English] has been accused of suppressing indigenous traditions and patterns of culture.” (1996: 36) There is a trend in South Africa towards English unilateralism. This trend is supported by the notion of many speakers of indigenous languages that it is very important to be proficient in English in order to be able to successfully participate in higher social spheres.
Summary of Chapters
1) Introduction: Defines the scope of the paper, detailing the historical and linguistic development of South African English and the methodology for comparing WSAFE and BSAFE.
2) The History of South Africa: Outlines the colonization history from the Dutch settlement at the Cape to the end of the Apartheid Era and the subsequent democratic transition.
3) English in today’s South African Society: Examines the gap between the constitutional multilingual policy and the actual dominance of English in media, education, and public life.
4) White South African English: Categorizes White South African English and describes its core phonological, grammatical, and lexical features.
5) Black South African English: Discusses the origins of Black South African English as an L2 variety and details its distinct phonological, grammatical, and discourse characteristics.
6) Case Study: Phonological Analysis of a BSAFE speaker: Performs a practical analysis of a 17-year-old Zulu speaker, comparing her speech against the theoretical constructs of BSAFE.
7) Conclusion: Summarizes the dominance of English despite official multilingualism and highlights that theoretical linguistic categories must be adapted for individual speakers.
Keywords
South African English, WSAFE, BSAFE, Apartheid, Multilingualism, Language Policy, Phonology, Grammar, Lexis, Bantu Education Act, Code-switching, Zulu, Lingua Franca, Post-colonialism, Sociolinguistics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper explores the history, development, and current sociolinguistic status of the English language in South Africa, distinguishing between its various social and regional manifestations.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include the historical impact of colonialism and apartheid on language, the role of English in modern South African media and education, and the linguistic analysis of two specific varieties: White and Black South African English.
What is the main research question?
The paper investigates how English has evolved within a multicultural state and why it maintains a dominant, privileged status despite the country’s official multilingual constitutional framework.
Which methodology is employed?
The work combines a historical review of sociolinguistic literature with a practical phonological case study of a native Zulu speaker to bridge the gap between theory and individual usage.
What does the main body cover?
It covers the historical trajectory from early colonization to democracy, analyzes the social role of English today, defines the linguistic characteristics of WSAFE and BSAFE, and presents a case study analysis.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The most relevant terms include South African English, Apartheid, Multilingualism, WSAFE, BSAFE, Language Policy, and sociolinguistics.
How does the author define the difference between WSAFE and BSAFE?
WSAFE is identified primarily as a first-language variety with variations tied to social class, while BSAFE is defined as an L2 variety that emerged from the education system and is heavily influenced by indigenous African languages.
What does the case study conclude about theoretical linguistic constructs?
The case study concludes that while theoretical constructs provide a useful baseline for observation, they are broad classifications that often require modification when examining the specific, individual speech patterns of a native speaker.
- Quote paper
- Joachim von Meien (Author), 2007, English in South Africa, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/66441
