Examining the implementation of language policy for access and successof students in higher education in South Africa
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21490878 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Zakhile Somlata (0000-0002-1390-2746, Nelson Mandela University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 324-332 |
| Publication date | 2022-09-02 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | South African Journal of African Languages (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0257-2117 • E-ISSN: 2305-1159 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02572117.2022.2139944 |
| OpenAlex | W4312693876 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 26 |
The multilingual nature of South African universities requires a multilingual approach towards both administration and academic practice for inclusivity and language equity. While almost all universities in South Africa have language policies, as required by the National Language Policy for Higher Education, a significant impediment to language inclusivity and equity is the implementation of these policies. The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation of a language policy for students’ access and success, and the extent to which African languages are used as academic languages at one historically Afrikaans university (HAU). The study employed a mixed methods approach using probability and purposeful sampling. The findings show that the university’s promotion of monolingualism impedes students’ access to knowledge and limits their academic achievement. Various ways of improving students’ access to knowledge to promote their academic success are discussed. The results also show that African languages continue to be marginalised as academic languages at the HAU. The central recommendation is for a more multilingual approach at this university to increase students’ equitable access to content knowledge and academic success
Higher education · Language policy · Languages of Africa · Linguistics · Multilingual Education · Multilingualism · Pedagogy · Political science · Sociology · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Multilingual Education and Policy · Second Language Learning and Teaching
Translanguaging
Content analysis and thematic analysis
Understanding Qualitative Research and Ethnomethodology
Bilingual Schooling in Mozambique and Bolivia
The Politics of Language in South Africa
The Dilemma of the Mother Tongue
Learning through a familiar language versus learning through a foreign language—A look into some secondary school classrooms in Tanzania
Multilingualism
Mother Tongue Maintenance
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Research Design
The practice of social research
FeesMustFall
Mixed Methods Research
Translanguaging and transnational literacies in multilingual classrooms
A Participatory Inquiry Paradigm
| Citations per year | 1.33 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Highly cited | No |