Strategies to promote language use in multilingual South Africa

1. Strategies to promote language use in multilingual South Africa Mtholeni N. Ngcobo Department of Linguistics – UNISA ngcobmn@unisa.ac.za

2. Introduction • Promoting the use of all official languages - one of the aims of National Language Policy Framework • Impediment – inadequate development for some of these languages • Pressure – the government (policy implementation) and people (attitudes) • Solutions: modern strategies • Availability of information and language use in communication

3. Intro… • Information and medium, i.e. ICTs for modern society • Reaching wide audience • “…an endangered language will progress if its speakers can make use of electronic technology.” (Crystal 2000:141) • Pre-democracy and language status – ideological motivation • Underlying line of argument – modern approach • Normalisation – extending the use of language into an optimum range of domains, i.e. the public sector and technology (Williams, 1993)

4. Intro… • Data – extracted and adapted from PNC on ISAD draft report, through structured interviews • Theory – Language Management – “Behaviour-towards-language” – language is considered as communication (the process of language use) • Communication is a process between people and people want to communicate (Jernudd, 2001)

5. The language management perspective • Represents an independent alternative to language planning (LP) • Considers macro language planning (government sanctioned) and micro language planning (individuals) – a dialectic relationship • Organised management vs. simple management • Origins, Neustupny (1978) – interactions (discourses) are a source of language problems. • LP starts with language problems in discourse and LP is complete if the removal of problems is implemented in discourse

6. The LM perspective PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION (Individual interaction) ADOPTION OF MEASURES (Planning institution) IMPLEMENTATION (Individual interaction)

7. The LM perspective • Stages of LM development:- deviation from a norm, notation of deviation, selection of adjustment plan, implementation of a plan. • Two processes which characterise language use:- 1. production and reception of discourse 2. activities aimed at the production and reception of discourse, i.e. metalinguistic activities (Language Management)

8. Distal, Proximal and Immediate circumstances • LP in SA is at macro level – micro is obscured – “…but the two dimension of social phenomena should elaborate on one other” (Nevakpil and Nekula, 2006) • Social structure as condition and consequence of the production of interaction (Giddens, 1993) – Explained in terms of distal (e.g. gov. regulations), proximal (e.g. planning by schools) and immediate circumstances (correction by teachers in particular interactions) – Visa versa problems from interactions can lead to a gov. legislation

9. A comprehensive LM programme • Status + corpus = spread • Spread = linguistic landscape, signage, place names (toponyms), street names (odonyms), language used on radio, TV and press. • Perceptions can be changed through value

10. Factors that influence perception (Robbins 2001)

11. …circumstances • Language as a perceived object • The role of information and communication – changing perceptions • Transformed expectations

12. Promoting language use through information and technology • As a strategy • Not provision only, but also access • What does access mean? What arrangements do we need to ensure public access to information and services? How do we monitor and review access to information and services? • Information that is linked to services

13. …information… • English dominance vs. little understanding – exclusion • Language preference

14. …information… • Mediums/tools • ICTs – fastest and largest depositories • Access to ICTs

15. …information…

16. …information… • Localizing content • Language use vs. ICT use • Empowerment, participation in development, building an information society • Encouraging information exchange and communication • Access to information as a basic human right

17. …information… • Websites with local content – acknowledge, raise awareness, facilitate and promote the use • Dependency on language – facilitated through ICTs (an innovation that facilitates adoption, Norman, 1999) • ICTs and content – external activators. • Increased valence (relative attractiveness) – encouraging choice

18. …information… • SA Constitution of 1996 –emphasis on equal rights • Government interventions • Institutions • Problems

19. Communication and the role of public service figures • The role of government figures • Communication essence • Communication as the process of language use (Jernudd, 2001) • Preferred medium

20. Communication… • English – a de facto language of government • The violation of equity • Communication difficulties • Creating subjective conditions • Expectancy as a motivational factor– an internal activator

21. Conclusion • What became apparent: majority of information readily available in English, Inaccessibility, ICT potential and increased value, the importance of the role of public figures (a motivational expectancy).