Enkele faktore wat die formulering van voertaalbeleidsrigtings ten opsigte van die onderwys in veeltalige situasies beinvloed met spesifieke verwysing na Namibie

Date
1999
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Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
This assignment focuses on various factors that have a bearing on the formulation of a language policy for schools in Namibia. It is asserted that the ethnic and linguistic heterogeneity of the Namibian population combined with the lack of adequate research into the socio-linguistic features of the indigenous languages pose a grave impediment to this venture. This situation is further compounded by the highly politicised interpretation of the available data. Hence the first chapter is devoted to an explanation of relevant concepts against the backdrop of the Namibian context. The assignment then proceeds to investigate the decisive impact of local language attitudes in the engineering of a language policy. By means of several case studies it is firstly revealed that language attitudes are subject to periodisation. Secondly it is shown that the vernacular languages of Namibia are generally perceived in a negative way. This attitude, it is argued, also applies to Afrikaans which currently still functions as the lingua franca in the better part of the country. In the same vein it is attested that an inclination towards English is discernible among especially the economically productive and politically progressive sectors of the population. The opinion is advanced that this propensity towards English stems from the misplaced and purported association of Afrikaans with apartheid which was the official policy of the Afrikaans speaking white ruling minority until the attainment of independence in 1990. The subsequent historical survey of language policies during colonial times indeed reflects that indigenous languages have been grossly ignored by the South African authorities during their occupation of Namibia. Instead, Afrikaans was promoted at the expense of the Bantu and Khoisan languages of Namibia. It therefore came as no surprise that the new democratic government sought to curtail the use of Afrikaans in the education system by depriving it of its official status. Slavishly following the recommendations of the UNIN Report, English was hastily implemented as the sole official language. Ironically, careful scrutiny of the new language policy betrays that a rather subordinate role has been assigned to the indigenous languages which is nothing but a continued disservice to the Namibian child and a perpetuation of past imbalances in the formal education system. The validity of psycholinguistic arguments in favour of the extension and expansion of mother tongue instruction has been grossly discarded by the policy-makers. Serious objections can thus be raised against the immersion policy according to which the new language of instruction was implemented shortly after independence. Not only was "immersing at full speed" the order of the day but the cycle of implementation had only been conducted once. Hence it is strongly recommended that an alternative model of implementation (Appendix 3) be introduced. This implementation cycle will stretch over six years (Grade 4 - Grade 9) and is aimed at affording the indigenous languages their proper place in the classroom as is provided for in Article 3 of the Namibian Constitution.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie werkstuk word daar gefokus op enkele faktore wat die formulering van die voertaalbeleid vir skole in Namibië beïnvloed. Daar word aangevoer dat die etniese en linguistiese heterogeniteit van die plaaslike bevolking tesame met die gebrek aan taalsosiologiese navorsing ten opsigte van die inheemse tale dié studie bemoeilik. Hierdie situasie word vererger deur die verpolitisering van die beskikbare inligting. Teen dié agtergrond word die eerste hoofstuk gewy aan 'n begripsverklaring van relevante konsepte vanuit die Namibiese konteks. Vervolgens word die deurslaggewende rol van taalhoudings in die bepaling van taalbeleidsrigtings aan die orde gestel. Aan die hand van verskeie gevallestudies word eerstens geïllustreer dat taalgesindhede onderworpe is aan periodisering. Ook word aangetoon dat die inheemse tale in Namibië kommerwekkend lae aansien geniet. Hierdie negatiewe gesindheid word ook jeens Afrikaans geopenbaar ofskoon laasgenoemde tans steeds as die lingua franca in groot dele van die land fungeer. Terselfdertyd is daar 'n oordrewe positiwiteit jeens Engels onder veral die ekonomies produktiewe en polities progressiewe sektore van die bevolking te bespeur. Daar word geargumenteer dat die toegeneentheid tot Engels voortspruit uit die misplaasde en vermeende assosiasie van Afrikaans met apartheid wat die amptelike beleid van die Afrikaanssprekende blanke minderheidsregering was tot en met onafhanklikwording in 1990. Die daaropvolgende historiese oorsig van taalplanne gedurende die koloniale era weerspieël inderdaad dat die Suid-Afrikaanse regering Afrikaans ten koste van die inheemse "Bantoe"- en Khoisantale bevorder het. Onder invloed van die UNIN-verslag is 'n pro-Engelse beleid dus kort na onafhanklikheid geïmplementeer ingevolge waarvan daar, ironies genoeg, weinig voorsiening gemaak word vir die uitbouing van die voorheen afgeskeepte inheemse tale. In die proses is geldige psigo-linguistiese argumente ten gunste van die maksimale blootstelling van die kind aan sy/haar moedertaal doodluiters geïgnoreer. Ernstige besware word voorts geopper teen die onderdompelingsbeginsel waarvolgens die nuwe voertaal ingefaseer is. In die werkstuk word aangevoer dat die tempo van infasering nie alleen te vinnig was nie, maar ook. dat die regering die nuwe onderrrigmedium slegs vir die eerste groep leerlinge geleidelik geïmplementeer het. Sedert 1995 word daar by primêre skole (vanaf Graad 4) summier na Engels as voertaal oorgeskakel wat daarop neerkom dat leerlinge sedertien nie meer geleidelik aan die vreemde taalvorm bekend gestel word nie. Derhalwe word dit sterk aanbeveel dat die gebruik van Engels as voertaal in Namibiese skole van meet af geïntroduseer word volgens 'n alternatiewe implementeringsmodel (Aanhegsel 3). Volgens hierdie model sal die implementeringsiklus oor ses jaar strek (Graad 4 tot Graad 9) en word daar ook 'n meer prominente rol aan die inheemse tale toegese. Sodoende sal daar beslag gegee word aan die Namibiese Konstitusie, aangesien moedertaalonderrig ook verskans is in Artikel 3 van dié dokument.
Description
Thesis (M.A.) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1999.
Keywords
Native language and education -- Namibia, Language policy -- Namibia, English language -- Namibia, Dissertations -- Afrikaans language
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